Historic Hotels Ghent: The Best Accommodations in the City

As the largest city of the East Flanders Province and as one of Belgium‘s most picturesque cities, Ghent has a LOT of accommodation choices in store for wandering travelers like you! (Historic Hotels Ghent)

Given such fact, it can definitely be a tiring and overwhelming task to pick the best place to stay during your vacation — but fret not! Because in this post, I will be giving you the best choices for accommodation while you’re in this wondrous city. And not only are they comfortable and stylish, but they are amazingly historical and well-placed in prime locations as well. The best part…? You only have to choose between 3 hotels that are all under the established hotel chain: Historic Hotels Ghent.

Owned by the De Witte family, Historic Hotels Ghent puts great importance into individual character and charm; so as a guest, you will find that all their 3 Ghent hotels will each have their own personal touch in order to make every kind of traveler to feel right at home. In fact, with their range, you can pick the hotel that best suits your needs whether it be by price, by style, by length, or by location — but of course, all 3 have a prime location within the city center. First up in their portfolio…

Hotel Gravensteen

[Website] Classical hotel in the city center of Ghent

As the first established hotel of the Historic Hotels Ghent chain, this was initially used as a college in the 80s and then later on converted into a conservatory. Once the De Witte family acquired it in 1985 , they transformed it into a hotel and given how it is situated in the center of Ghent, just opposite of the 900 year old Gravensteen or Castle of the Counts, it is therefore called as such.

Today, the hotel prides itself with its amenities, service, and prime location (it’s just a stone’s throw away from hotspot attractions like Graslei, Korenlei, etc). More so that it was just recently renovated in 2014, you will expect a good mix of historical and contemporary elements in this hotel.

Ghent River Hotel

[Website] A hotel with a big personality

In 2004, the De Witte Family purchased 2 more buildings for Historic Hotels Ghent — a 1518 renaissance house and an 1857 sugar refinery mill’s foundation which they now converted into today’s prestige: Ghent River Hotel. As the name goes, this is situated by the river, specifically that of river Leie. With this fact, if you have a boat, you can definitely reach the hotel by such means; truth be told, it’s the only hotel in Ghent that has its own private pier.

Now, given the history of the establishment, you will see that some rooms will feature some elements from the sugar mill’s industrial past. Modern and stylish, there are actually a lot of rooms and suites here totaling to 77 which then gives you an excellent range of options for any kind of budget or preference. To add, what I also love about the Ghent River Hotel is their top-floor breakfast room since it will give you the chance to have a meal with a grand view.

Hotel de Flandre

[Website] Affordable boutique hotel in the heart of Ghent

Opened in 2005, Historic Hotels Ghent’s Hotel de Flandre occupies a neo-classical building that dates back to the 19th century and which used to be a hotel in itself. Today, this hotel has 2 carefully restored building wherein one of it contains a listed historical Napoleon staircase. As charming as it can be, Hotel de Flandre is within walking distance from the main sight-seeing attractions in the city’s medieval center; so if you’re looking for a budget-friendly boutique hotel, this accommodation right here will best suit your needs!

It also has an annex that is within 50m walking distance from the main building wherein there are 17 brand new rooms. If you’re rather in Ghent for business and are looking to stay for a longer time, Hotel de Flandre can even offer you furnished business flats that could maximize your stay. I actually spent the most of my Ghent trip in this hotel and I had a great time. Their staff is also incredibly friendly and helpful that I felt like I was truly taken care of right from the booking up to check-out!

TRIVIA: The arched doorway by the entrance of the hotel is the same entrance 180 years ago wherein guests would arrive with their horse-drawn carriages. Plus, key celebrities like Austrian composer Johann Strauss I had once stayed in Hotel de Flandre along with other personlities like French writers Chateaubriand and Lamartine, King Louis XVIII’s entourage members and more!

» Compare All Ghent Hotels & Rentals «

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It’s clear that these 3 unique hotels are located right in the heart of the stunning city of Ghent and they all share a great mix of features: history, style, and superb service. Hence, it’s without a doubt that you’ll experience a comfortable and meaningful stay with them. An array of popular festivities also happen in Ghent every year and you shouldn’t miss them as you spend your time away in one of the Historic Hotels Ghent. (To name a few of the events: Ghent Festival, Festival of Flanders, Winterdream Festival, Flanders International Film Festival, etc.)

NOTE: By the end of the year, Historic Hotels Ghent will be putting up a new hotel in the district of Aalst which will be called the Tower Hotel and will comprise around 84 rooms.

_{NOTE: All images are from Historic Hotels Ghent. This was a sponsored trip that was made possible by Historic Hotels Ghent. But as always, all thoughts that are expressed in this article are fully my own. I would like to give my special thanks to Freija and the rest of the team for arranging my stay, and my thanks to the hotel chain too (as a whole) for hosting us!}