Family-friendly Hotels in Ghent

Beautiful hotel with perfect view of a cathedral from our twin room. Hotel is in a historic building with lovely architectural features by the canal and the room we were in was a cleverly designed ”duplex” with the bathroom and sinks on the upper floor (ie loft) which made full use of the almost double volume ceiling in the smallish twin room we were in. The only drawback was that the steps were narrow and steep and would pose a problem if one had mobility issues. The toilet was located by the door next to the entrance but there was no sink for handwashing. Alcohol gel in a pump bottle was provided. There is a café, lifestyle / clothes shop and supermarket in the same building. Very convenient and the hotel's location was walkable to all the sights in Ghent central. The front desk staff were very polite and gracious and allowed us to store our luggage when we arrived before 11am, since check-in was strictly at 4pm. We were happy to find that our suitcases had been already delivered to our room when we returned to the hotel at 4pm. There are 2 bars in the hotel - one which is open to the public which was buzzing in the evenings and a guest-only ”Honesty Bar” (1st photo) in which hotel guests could purportedly help themselves to liquor and pen down what they had imbibed - but I never saw anyone in it ! This could be due to a lack of ice or mixers. Or glasses. 🍸

The location is really great for a city trip and the rooms are spacious with nice views. However, it seems like they weren’t maintained or restored for years. Furniture and carpets look old, dirty (stained) and frankly disgusting. From what we understand the rooms in the executive area are in better shape but we were on the third floor and everything looked dirty and old. During breakfast we noted that most dishes weren’t properly cleaned and still had stains from other meals. The buffet had nice pastries but everything else wasn’t enjoyable (juices and eggs were not fresh etc.). Considering that breakfast wasn’t included in the room and quite costly we were very disappointed by the low quality of the food. The hotel seems to be focusing on business travelers where companies pay in advance for big groups, so the small bar was very crowded before dinner time. On the positive side, the hotel seemed quiet for being so central and there wasn’t much noise from other rooms either.

The location is very good, right in the city center. The hotel is a bit old but well maintained. The staff are very welcoming. Breakfast a la carte is 24 euros, which is not bad.

The location is fantastic, right on the water and you can walk out the door to explore Ghent. The hotel itself is fine, not the most modern/ nicest Marriott I have ever stayed at and certainly not the worst. Parts definitely seem dated. There is a parking garage under the hotel- and you can park there for a nightly fee. The service was not good. When I checked in there was absolutely no recognition of my Ambassador Elite status and no benefits of that status were explained to me. I asked about a suite upgrade, and the girl that was checking me in was fine but another girl (long straight dark brown hair) yelled over from the other side of the counter in a very rude way saying she took care of it already (cutting off the other associate). Our room was not a suite- so she didn't take care of it. Then I asked about a late check out and she yelled over again saying she put it in the system. When I asked if our keys would continue to work she looked at me like I was an ***** and said she took care of it. Which she didn't- we had to get our cards re-keyed the next morning, and they had no note in the system that we previously asked for a late checkout. It felt completely unprofessional- if the other associate wanted to answer my questions or manage my check in process, she could have easily done it by walking over and having a professional and pleasant conversation with me not by yelling over and cutting off the person who was helping me. It felt like she was annoyed that I was asking about the perks that come with the my Marriott status, not welcoming of a new guest to the hotel. Neither the girl who claimed to have taken care of everything, or the girl checking us in explained anything about perks, and I felt so frustrated (about the rude interaction) when they handed me my keys that I didn't even ask. I walked up to the desk after and explained the situation to a male associate standing there who could not have been more kind, apologetic and welcoming. There is no lounge, so he gave us two drink coupons, and said a buffet breakfast at the restaurant was included instead. They also mentioned that the mini fridge was included, but it only had like 3 small bottles total in it (one water, one soda and one beer) so it was not a very big perk. Overall, Ghent was beautiful and the hotel is in a great location. I would stay here again with a very low bar set for service from the front desk.

quite far from the train station but close to attractions. a rather old hotel. the door locks are the round shaped ones. the hot water supply of the shower was not quite steady. the room is quite small for europe i think. the plus side is they gave us the room well before the official check in time. we arrived at around 10:30 and they gave us the room right away. there is a free breakfast buffet as well (even my room choice is the most basic one).

The hotel is in a good location. You can go shopping when you go out. It is quite lively. It is also close to the attractions, and it takes 10 minutes to walk. The sanitation is very clean. As soon as you enter the door, you feel that everything is clean. The room is of moderate size. The bathroom is quite simple. There is no kettle. If you want to drink water, you have to go to the water dispenser in the lobby or buy it yourself. The surrounding area is very quiet at night. The window of the room you live in is not across the street, so it will not be noisy. The whole city of Ghent does not feel that noisy, but very comfortable. The breakfast is simple but enough. When you go out to play, you can store your luggage in a special luggage storage cabinet. The fee is based on the size of the luggage and the storage time. I didn't choose carefully, and ended up storing an extra-large cabinet for my small suitcase. . I feel sorry for the money. I am very satisfied with the hotel as a whole. It is very suitable for me to stay when I travel to Ghent without much money!