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Hotel Dukes' Palace
Bruges, West Flanders, Belgium · Dukes' Hotel Collection · High Luxury
Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, built a palace here in 1429 to mark his marriage to Isabella of Portugal. The present Prinsenhof complex is now a 135-room five-star hotel in Bruges' UNESCO historic centre, with a MICHELIN One Key and a 3,000-square-metre garden. Belgian owners renovated it in 2008 after a Kempinski chapter; heritage suites sit in the castle wing, including one named for Mary of Burgundy.
- 135 rooms
- Opened 2008
- Neighborhood: Brugge-Centrum
- Rooms from 291 sq ft (27 m²)
About Hotel Dukes' Palace
- Philip the Good built the original palace in 1429 to celebrate his marriage to Isabella of Portugal; the first fabric was later destroyed and the present palace dates largely to the 1700s.
- MICHELIN awarded One Key in 2025 for the stay inside the former ducal residence at Prinsenhof 8.
- The 135 rooms split between the historic castle wing and a later pavilion; the Royal Suite is named for Mary of Burgundy.
- Previously operated by Kempinski; current Belgian owners bought the hotel in 2008 and fully renovated it.
- Entry-level rooms start at 291 sq ft (27 m²).
History
Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, began the Prinsenhof in 1429 to mark his marriage to Isabella of Portugal. The original palace was far larger than today's hotel, with gardens that tradition says included a menagerie. Philip's court drew Jan van Eyck; his troops captured Joan of Arc in 1430. Guests of the Burgundian house here included Cardinal Wolsey, Thomas More, Erasmus, and William Caxton, who brought printing to England. Their son became Charles the Bold. After Mary of Burgundy died in a riding accident in 1482, the palace ceased to be a principal royal residence.
Much of the estate was sold and parcelled in 1576. By 1662 remaining buildings had gone to religious orders as convent and school. The first ducal fabric was later lost; the present palace dates largely to the eighteenth century. During a six-year hotel conversion, workmen found eighteenth-century silver coins, believed buried by nuns who fled and never returned; some pieces are shown in the hotel, others went to Bruges museums. The heritage-listed Mary of Burgundy suite keeps a fifteenth-century fresco.
Kempinski operated Bruges's first five-star hotel here after that restoration. Belgian owners bought the house in 2008, renovated rooms again, and run it independently as Hotel Dukes' Palace at Prinsenhof 8, 135 rooms split between the castle wing and a later pavilion, inside the UNESCO historic centre. MICHELIN awarded One Key in 2025.
The setting
5-minute walk to Markt plaza.
Restaurants and bars
- Bar & Restaurant Julien by Dukes' Palace — Restaurant
Experiences
- Horse wagon — Travel to your destination in Bruges by horse wagon while enjoying a glass of cava; EUR 25.00 per person for groups from 10 to 60 persons.
- Petanque in Dukes' garden — Garden stand with home-made olive tapenade and fresh pastis, plus a set of petanque balls; EUR 12.50 per person, up to 10 persons.
- Physical and mental boost — Running or cycling in the green area around Bruges to start a meeting; EUR 95.00 per instructor (max. 2 hours) and EUR 25.00 per bicycle.
- Belgian Chocolate — Chocolate creations by Bruges chocolatiers Dominique Persoone and Pol Depla during the break; EUR 14.00 per person, minimum 20 persons.
Amenities
- The Garden - Terrace, covering no less than 3000 m²
- 100 parking spots
- Boardrooms with natural daylight and state-of-the-art conference facilities
- Gift Voucher
- Free City App
- Meeting packages (all-in day packages, detailed in brochure)
- Horse wagon ride with a glass of cava (EUR 25.00 per person, groups of 10 to 60)
Awards
- MICHELIN One Key (2025)
Open Hotel Dukes' Palace in the atlas for live weekend rates, photos, and the full folio.
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