Hotel berhampiran Poeziecentrum, Gent

It is a great hotel, but it can be a better one if it hire quality staff. The front desk staff ( chubby guy with a glasses ) is a bit rude, throwing my passport to the desk after confirming the details. That’s make me wonder whether Belgians are in general that unfriendly, especially unfriendly to asian like me?

Sehr schönes Hotel im Zentrum von Gent. Gebäude im klassizistischen Stil mit modernen Elementen. Tolles Frühstücksbüffet mit aufmerksamem Service. Check-in war ok, die Check-in Zeit 15 Uhr wurde leider nicht eingehalten. Wir haben aber netterweise ein Upgrade bekommen, daher hat sich das Warten gelohnt. Besonders schön sind die Zimmer mit Balkon zum Innenhof. Das Restaurant hatte geschlossen. Die Drinks im Innenhof waren sehr gut, der Service abends etwas langsam. Man ist vom Hotel schnell zu Fuß in der historischen Innenstadt. Gym und Pool klein aber gepflegt. Insgesamt ein tolles Hotel.

The room was modern and the building was older. The bed was huge! We did need to carry our cases up stairs but I knew they didn’t have a lift. It was fine and they offered to help. I really liked the room setup and the shower was great. Lovely temperature and water pressure. The pillows were comfortable too. My favourite thing of course is that there was a kettle and tea. The room was clean. It wasn’t too far to walk from the station or you could have got a tram. As an added bonus for us, there is a vegan bakery at the end of the street. Lovely staff.

We have just spent two nights at this hotel and the location is ideal for walking or cycling into the centre of Ghent. The rooms are compact but functional for a short stay, we had the two single beds (rather than a double bed) as you get more space. Breakfast is good with a reasonable choice. Car parking is underground so your car will be safe although it is 14 euros per night. We hired bikes for 10 euros each and cycled all over Ghent, just be careful of the trams and tram lines. The staff at the front desk were very helpful. we would happily stay here again if we visit Ghent again in the future.

Apartment we booked reminded me of my staying in Japan… Everything has a place and everything in its place. What’s required for 4 persons to sleep and bath are just machined to fit in and anything extra is available on payment… all are neat and clean. But, what stands out in this hotel is the hospitality of the staff… Almost all Staff are trained and tuned to address the customers in a professional way. Here I found a little extra. Attitude, service with smile. Never get irritated even for the silly queries or so. To name a few, Tessa, Innike, Xxxx, Yyyy were all so responsive and supportive to ensure you’re comfortable. So are the kitchen staff- Thai Lady, Philippines Chef and everyone. They not only serve but ensure that those who are still around at closing time, pick up their wants and Shut down. At the bar counter, forget the name, I asked for coffee and she came middle of her lunch and gave Any place or organization gets its name and pride by the staff on the ground and here they are. Keep it up Team. Some areas that could be improved upon. 1. Trash can be kept outside the rooms and house keeping staff can pick it up instead of guests bringing it down as If they litter all the way, it’d be a big mess. 2. For coffee/ tea making, since no house keeping comes around, there has to be a system where guests can pick up Tea, Coffee, Sugar and milk as required with a sense of ownership 3. Breakfast menu and dinner menu could be subtly changed to set the surprise expectations. 4. In the apartment, instructions to operate the Induction stove could help guests to be self starters. 5. Travel help- There could be stickers or posters showing your current location, how to get to important attractions / Places, Bus / train timings etc., Thank you team. Look forward to coming back.

Omdat wij in België bij ons uitstapjes in het weekend steeds gebruik maken van het openbaar vervoer (trein-tram-bus) kozen wij voor dit hotel dat op amper 300 meter van het Sint-Pieters Station in Gent gelegen is. Aldaar aangekomen kunnen wij ons dan onmiddellijk opfrissen en met de tram de mooiste plekjes in Gent gaan verkennen en genieten van een diner in de tal van goede restaurants dat Gent rijk is. Het eerste wat ons opviel in dit hotel was het zeer vriendelijk onthaal aan de balie. Wij hadden verder ook een ruime, mooie en hygiënische kamer met alles erop en eraan. Zeer belangrijk was ook de rustige ligging, niettegenstaande de korte afstand van het station. Wij genoten er ook nog van een uitgebreid en lekker ontbijt met een uitstekende service (vb. een afzonderlijke kaart waarbij u kan kiezen uit enkele eiergerechten die à la minute worden klaargemaakt! Kortom daar gaan we zeker nog terug.

A little disappointed with the decor, quite run down and desperate for a refurbishment staff on the other hand were excellent and very attentive. Unfortunately being of low cost, attracts some of the wrong sort of clientele, too! We suffered with noisy people partying until 2am when we finally decided enough was enough and tried ringing reception, phone didn’t work, so personal visit to reception sorted the issue. Non-smoking rooms, stunk of smoke. Otherwise clean and reasonable beds. Breakfast was ok.

When it comes to thinking of places to visit in Belgium, the town of Aalter in East Flanders, probably isn't the first place to spring to mind. Granted it doesn't have the charm of the Belgian coast, or the bustling hubbub of the larger, more tourist-oriented attractions, but its central location halfway between the cities of Gent and Brugge make it an great place from which to explore. The 4-star Best Western Hotel Orchidee in the center of Aalter provides an ideal base where you can plan your explorations. Aalter train station is a 15 minute walk away, and from there you can catch one of the regular trains to Gent or Brugge, with either journey taking half an hour. Alternatively, as the E40 motorway is just a few hundred meters from the hotel, both cities are accessible by car in around 20 minutes. I stayed at Hotel Orchidee for 3 nights just after Easter, 2022. The earliest check in is 2pm, and so this was the time I designated upon booking. (A word of caution for those hoping for a late check in. The reception desk closes at 11pm.) I arrived at the hotel at 2:05pm and was greeted by Piet, the hotel manager, who told me that my room would be ready in 10 minutes. There are several facets that I would expect from front of house staff - especially the manager - of a 4-star hotel. One of these is that they should be well groomed, besuited preferably, but nevertheless tidy in appearance. After all, they represent the hotel, a guest's first impression of what they might expect; and as the saying goes ”You don't get a second chance to make a first impression.” My first impression of Piet was that he was someone for whom sartorial elegance was not a phrase he was familiar with, with one too many buttons open on his creased shirt and apparent indecision on whether said shirt should be tucked in his trousers or not. Still he was amiable enough and pointed to the spacious, well-appointed bar off to the right of reception, where I could wait for my room. Whilst waiting, in addition to noting that the bar staff were better attired than the manager, I had time to peruse the menu, and discovered that a hungry guest could choose from crisps, nuts, a plate of cheese and salami, or a Croque Monsieur. Not exactly what I would expect from a 4-star hotel kitchen. I would later discover that the reason for this limited dining experience is due to the fact that the hotel does not employ a chef. Piet the manager is apparently chief, cook, and bottle washer, which probably explains why room service is not offered. My room was on the second floor overlooking the car park (which incidentally provides free parking, except on Saturdays when the Farmers Market is held), and no fewer than six bottle banks that are almost constantly in use throughout the day. If, like 1970s singer-songwriter Nick Lowe you ”love the sound of breaking glass”, this will make you feel right at home, otherwise it's somewhat irksome. The room was spacious enough, clean, with modern decor and