Mega-fabulous experience! Extremely comfortable clean secure hotel; Friendly helpful staff!
- September 6, 2008
- Rated 5 of 5 by
a traveler from Travelocity.com
This Ghent/Gent hotel must be one of the best-run Holiday Inns of the entire chain-- in one of the coolest, most picturesque, most FUN but very under-rated cities in Europe. Front desk staff were SUPER-- helpful, responsive, polite and nice, and *always* tried their best to make sure the guest was happy with the service or amenities. They were very friendly, happy and professional-- not just at check-in or -out, but during the entire stay. Room rate included breakfast buffet, which was fabulous in variety quantity and quality, fabulous coffee; you'd NEVER walk out hungry! Hotel technically may not be central or within walking to all the shops/activities in town but because it is at a terminus of tram/metro line#1 it is actually a super-convenient location. Just 1-2 minutes maximum walking to the stop where, if tram wasn't already there waiting, you'd never wait more than five minutes to catch one. Ten minutes later you're in the prime restaurant/shopping areas. Hotel obviously has parking too so if driving, you can go to almost any part of Flanders, Belgium or northernFrance easily for the day. This really seems an ideal spot to base a vacation stay, whether in town or getting out; train station is just 3 tram stops away. Bed is comfortable, room and bathroom clean, lighting good, plenty of amenities; everything is spic-n-span and easy to use. I'm not keen on paying 100s euro/dollars extra just to stay at a prestige/luxury place. I value having a comfortable quiet pleasant secure room, rather than a 4-or-5-star accommodation to pamper me with miscellaneous luxury services. Honestly after a while, even if you only travel once a year, you'll realise 5-star hotels don't necessarily guarantee you 5-star customer service. Gent Expo Holiday Inn is a low-key hidden GEM-- a fantastic hotel value!