Gems in Ghent

Marriott Ghent

Hotel

Quote:

The Marriott in Ghent was only a year old when we stayed there for part of our American Thanksgiving weekend in November 2007. Sleek and modern with all the niceties you would expect from the Marriott brand, the hotel proved to be a very pleasant base for our trip in Beligium. The biggest advantage is that we were perfectly situated to explore the historic section of Ghent itself on foot while Brussels, Bruges, and Ypres were within easy reach by car. While rates vary, we also felt as if we got a bargain per a special on the internet at 119 Euro a night for two adults and a child. (Additional adults will always add $$.) Parking will set you back another ...Read More

The Marriott in Ghent was only a year old when we stayed there for part of our American Thanksgiving weekend in November 2007.

Sleek and modern with all the niceties you would expect from the Marriott brand, the hotel proved to be a very pleasant base for our trip in Beligium.

The biggest advantage is that we were perfectly situated to explore the historic section of Ghent itself on foot while Brussels, Bruges, and Ypres were within easy reach by car.

While rates vary, we also felt as if we got a bargain per a special on the internet at 119 Euro a night for two adults and a child. (Additional adults will always add $$.) Parking will set you back another 15 Euro. Internet for 24 hours in your room is 20 Euro. Still, not terrible for Europe. Heck. It REALLY felt like a bargain compared to hotels in England!

So what was the room like? Very nice. Spacious. Comfortable. Modern. We had two double beds in our room that were cushy with plenty of pillows. Nicely appointed with simple lines, silver frames, black and white pictures. Tons of storage space. A decent sized bathroom. A large workspace if you want for a desk. Flat screen TV with four channels in English. Tea service. Mini-bar. We splurged one evening with our son by laying out the 13 Euros needed to select an in-room movie while I eyed the room service menu. While we didn't eat within the hotel, you can order traditional Flemish food from the chef.

How was the service? Great. Quick. Eager. I'm always a bit blown away when I learn a guy at the reception desk can speak five different languages. Geez.

Was there anything special about this hotel? Well, one thing I found striking about this particular Marriott is how the building itself has been integrated into the historic front of Ghent. On the modern side of the hotel that you approach from the less-than-pretty sections of the city, it looks like any other big hotel anywhere. (This is where you'll find the parking garage.) When you walk through the atrium-style lobby splashed with the red color of poppies on the carpet, you can tell the place is new. Now go through a door that leads to the historic section of Ghent... the side that overlooks a canal. Turn around and see the Marriott is understated. The building could be hundreds of years old here! The architect did a fabulous job, and I'm impressed by these sorts of things.

Bottom line? This isn't a boutique hotel with local charm, but it is a quality place to stay... as good as any other that have earned the Marriott brand a good reputation. Read Less

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on December 1, 2007

Marriott Ghent
Korenlei 10
Ghent, Belgium B-9000
+32 (9) 233-9393

Cheer!
Flag

Chez Leontine Restaurant

Restaurant

Quote:

We had read about Chez Leontine in another journal on IgoUgo. The review was so glowing that my husband did a little more research to see if we'd be interested. When he read you can get a pint of just about every Belgium beer offered on a book-length menu, we had the concierge at our hotel call ahead and make reservations for an early dinner. Once we were seated, we were very glad we had done this because we watched the host turn several folks away who walked in off the street looking for a table. Apparently, eateries get booked up on the weekends, so you might want to do a little planning. What was the decor like? This is a traditional Flemish pub, and we were seated n...Read More

We had read about Chez Leontine in another journal on IgoUgo. The review was so glowing that my husband did a little more research to see if we'd be interested. When he read you can get a pint of just about every Belgium beer offered on a book-length menu, we had the concierge at our hotel call ahead and make reservations for an early dinner. Once we were seated, we were very glad we had done this because we watched the host turn several folks away who walked in off the street looking for a table. Apparently, eateries get booked up on the weekends, so you might want to do a little planning.

What was the decor like? This is a traditional Flemish pub, and we were seated near the long wooden bar. As I took off my coat and got settled in my wicker chair, I loved looking around at the jumbled books stacked in between doorways, the black and white photos of some austere people in Belgium days that were framed near the window, the water spigot that was hanging like a piece of art on one wall. There was something very provincial and comfortable about the place that made the whole experience... well... European. This affect was amplified by era music from the 20s that created an undercurrent of pleasant sound.

Service? Fortunately, the menu had English text included, and our waiter spoke English as well. He proved to be a little gruff... not the type to talk to you about your vacation or make suggestions about what to get ("It depends on what you like!" said with bewildered shrug.)... but he was efficient enough, and that was what really mattered the most.

How was the food? We wanted local cuisine so each of us ordered a traditional meal from Ghent. I had the rabbit which was falling of its bones into a sweet sauce. My son chose the thick Waterzooi soup that came in a bowl bigger than his head and was full of chicken and potatoes. (You could get a fish version instead.) Served with bread, he couldn't finish all of it. My husband had the Flemish stew with shredded beef served on a plate. We tried the Klokke Roeland, the house beer, which is an amber with 11% alcohol. (On the beer front, you're definitely spoiled for choice.) Even so, our bill was under 50 Euro for an excellent meal.

I would highly recommend this place to anyone in future. It was a wonderful experience all around.

Tip: It's hard to find the Chez Leontine sign, but this restaurant is a part of Het Waterhuis a/d Bierkant. Look for THAT sign instead. (Chez Leontine is right beside it.) Both are on a canal.

Read Less

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on December 1, 2007

Chez Leontine Restaurant
Groentenmarkt # 10-11
Ghent, Belgium
09 225 92 56

Cheer!
Flag

Non Solo Caffe

Restaurant

Quote:

Instead of paying hotel rates for breakfast, we decided to find a cafe one morning in Ghent. After 10 AM on a Sunday, a lot of the little bakeries did not seem to be open quite yet, so we were happy when we spotted the Non Solo Caffe with its bright yellow and white striped awning in the Emile Braunplein. We went inside to be shown to a cushy booth.How was the atmosphere here? When we sat down Dusty Springfield was singing "Son of a Preacher Man" in the background. Tea candles were lit across the black marble counter near the cash register. The tables were all blonde wood. Cakes and pastries on display under glass looked delicious. The other patrons were well dressed a...Read More

Member Rating 3 out of 5 on December 2, 2007

Cheer!
Flag

Flanders City Tour

Attraction | "Flanders' Fields"

Quote:

World War I devastated Europe. It wiped out whole villages, whole generations. It was the "Great War" yielding suffering so horrible and futile that men were never going to pick up arms again. Of course, they did, and WWI became just a sad prelude to WWII. While I believe America played a decisive part in ending this particular European conflict, the US did not enter until late in the game. So when we study history, we do not concentrate as much on the Old World's many tangled alliances, the old conflicts that caused such a heinous domino-effect of war declarations at the beginning of the 20th century and allowed a whole continent to fall into chaotic darkness. In other ...Read More

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on December 1, 2007

Flanders City Tour
Flanders
Ghent, Belgium

Cheer!
Flag

Medieval Bruges

Attraction | "Bruges"

Quote:

Bruges is sometimes called "the jewel of Flanders." It is an ancient town that has managed to survive all the wars of Europe. During the terrible violence of the early twentieth century, it might surprise you to know that on two occassions German officers who felt the town was too beautiful to be destroyed went to the effort to move actual battle lines to protect the place from bombing. Historically, since the port was silted hundreds of years before thus making certain types of development here difficult, Bruges was able to stay locked in the past that would help it enjoy the prosperity that is always brought with high levels of tourist dollars in the present.So what i...Read More

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on December 1, 2007

Medieval Bruges

Bruges, Belgium

Cheer!
Flag

Gravensteen (Castle of the Counts of Flanders)

Attraction

Quote:

Castles are always good things to tour when traveling with a kid, so we walked over to the Gravensteen one morning. You must remember that at one point Ghent was a powerful city state. Flanders itself was rich because of its cloth. There were close ties to England. Money meant power, so this wasn't just a tiny hamlet that was without consequence. A count here was as a good as another country's prince. Sooo, it's only logical a suitable castle would be erected. The one you can visit was built in the 12th century by a count who was doomed to die in the crusades. Our visit: Though opened at 9am, we seemed to be the only people at the ticket office when it was pushing 10. That...Read More

Castles are always good things to tour when traveling with a kid, so we walked over to the Gravensteen one morning. You must remember that at one point Ghent was a powerful city state. Flanders itself was rich because of its cloth. There were close ties to England. Money meant power, so this wasn't just a tiny hamlet that was without consequence. A count here was as a good as another country's prince. Sooo, it's only logical a suitable castle would be erected. The one you can visit was built in the 12th century by a count who was doomed to die in the crusades.

Our visit: Though opened at 9am, we seemed to be the only people at the ticket office when it was pushing 10. That was fine with us. We like having monuments to ourselves. The cost was under 7 Euro per adult, and our son's ticket was just a fraction of this. There was an additional charge, however, for a recorded tour. Having gone to castles galore at this point, my son shook his head when we asked if he wanted one. "No, thanks." When the gentleman pulled out a mini-television, however, the kid got re-interested. Indeed, I've never seen a recorded tour quite like this one anywhere else. It's like a little movie on its tiny screen.

How was the audio/visual tour? The idea behind the presentation is really kind of brilliant. The actors in the tour are able to stage each room you see for the scenes of intrigue they play out. History is relayed through their dialogue. This would be especially appealing to older kids... 9+.

With that said, I think the idea could've been executed better. The makers tried to be a little too clever.

They have the actors "break character" and carry on a subplot in modern times at certain points. I guess this was to make the "show" more interesting. But that just added time to the tour... and made some of "the story" convoluted.

I mean, I don't care about watching a sitcom when I'm visiting Belgium. I was only interested in the background about the castle itself... and the historical countess on whom the story focused, the one who called herself Queen. So I give the tour a mixed review. It does add something, but it's not gonna blow your mind.

How's the castle without the TV tour? Certain exhibits are marked such as the French guillotine (!) near the room that houses instruments of torture. Don't miss the grated pit in the middle of the floor near the chapel. It was here in which unfortunate souls were sometimes kept prisoner. The observation tower does give you a nice view of the town itself, and I could easily imagine counts of days gone past scheming about how they could leverage the money of the merchants while pacing back and forth, surveying the "kingdom."

It's not the Tower of London, but the Gravensteen is still worth seeing. Read Less

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on December 1, 2007

Gravensteen (Castle of the Counts of Flanders)
Sint-veerleplein 11
Ghent, Belgium

Cheer!
Flag

IgoUgo

Ghent Journals

Gems in Ghent

Marriott Ghent

Chez Leontine Restaurant

Non Solo Caffe

Flanders City Tour

Medieval Bruges

Gravensteen (Castle of the Counts of Flanders)

About the Writer

More Journals by barbara

More Ghent Journals

Popular Ghent Hotels