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.
…Looking to explore Ghent by yourself?
Follow this detailed DIY self-guided Ghent walking tour!
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.
- Booking: See the best deal and price on Booking.com
- Amenities: 49 rooms, 1 meeting room, sauna & fitness, on-site private parking, lounge, high-speed WiFi, bike rentals
- Promos: Every Sunday night, they offer a double room for only €89. To reserve, contact [email protected]
- Address: Jan Breydelstraat 35, 9000 Ghent
- Hotel Classification: 3-Star
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.
- Booking: See the best deal and price on Booking.com
- Amenities: 77 rooms, private pier, 2 meeting rooms (100 for cocktail event and 70 for banquet), Renaissance crypt, sauna & fitness, high-speed WiFi, bike rentals
- Promos: Happy Hour in the bar everyday from 17:30 to 18:30. Make sure that you try the local beer ‘Gents Stropke‘.
- Address: Waaistraat 5, 9000 Ghent
- Hotel Classification: 4-Star
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!
- Booking: See the best deals and prices on Booking.com or HotelsCombined
- Amenities: 63 rooms, 2 meeting rooms, 5 long-stay apartments, private patio, cozy bar area, garden area, high-speed WiFilet), Renaissance crypt, sauna & fitness, high-speed WiFi, bike rentals
- Promos: Every Sunday night, they offer a double room for only only €99. Breakfast included!
- Address: Poel 1-2, 9000 Ghent
- Hotel Classification: 4-Star
» 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!
I love how each of these hotels have their own style and character to them. I think my choice would be the Hotel Gravensteen I love the look of the outside. It also seems to have more of an elegant charm to it, though they are all nice hotels!
I can understand why you would pick Hotel Gravensteen, but indeed the rest are also equally great! :D
All of these hotels look absolutely amazing! I couldn’t imagine staying somewhere so beautiful! Thank you for sharing! :)
You’re welcome! I hope you get to experience staying with them soon. Cheers!
I love historic places and your pictures have inspired me. I am ready to travel again, I get that bug a little too often! There are certainly three beautiful hotels near Ghent. The task would be picking the one you want to stay at!
Haha indeed, but at least I narrowed it down to 3 right? ;)
I’m looking at travelling to Bruges and Ghent next year, so I’ll definitely bookmark these. I’m liking the look of the Ghent River Hotel :-) Also, I’ve gotta ask…how do you do those customised bullet point icons (amenities, promos, address etc)? They’re awesome! Is it a WordPress plugin?
Hey Kiara! That’s awesome! Let me know how your trip goes :) And as for the bullets, they actually come along with my theme though.
These look like some really nice hotels. I think what I love the most is the view. There is nothing like a good view when you’re a way from home. Great post
That’s true! And in Ghent, there are tons of great views to see and especially from these hotels, they’re placed strategically so you’ll enjoy it a lot!