The Ghent Belfort Hotel

Rooms and decor

The rooms are boutique in a modern Flemish style — compact, the way old-town European hotels tend to be, but laid out cleverly so they cover what you need. Soft beds, clean linens, a separate bathroom and fast Wi-Fi. The ones worth asking for are the upper-floor rooms on the Belfry side, which look straight out at the floodlit tower after dark — more than one guest review describes opening the curtains in the morning and stopping short. Rooms start around $109 a night, which is 30-40% cheaper than the 5-star hotels on the same square and a big part of why this place is worth a look on a mid-range budget.

Food and amenities

Breakfast and free Wi-Fi are on hand, and there is a front desk to point you toward the cafes and traditional Flemish restaurants packed into the streets around the hotel. What you will not find here is a pool or a spa — the facilities are lighter than the bigger hotels nearby. This is a small, personal boutique, so the trade is straightforward: less in-house, more walking out into one of the best old-town districts in Belgium.

Location and getting there

The hotel sits on Sint-Baafsplein, the square that fronts the Cathedral and the Belfry, so the city's two biggest landmarks are right outside. It is a 2-minute walk to St. Bavo's Cathedral, home of the Ghent Altarpiece — one of the most important paintings in European history — then 5 minutes to Graslei and 8 minutes to Gravensteen Castle. The main rail station, Ghent-Sint-Pieters, connects to Brussels in about 30 minutes and Bruges in another 30.

Things to know before booking

The rooms run small compared with the larger hotels in the same district — comfortable for a couple, snug if you are travelling with a lot of luggage or want room to spread out. Facilities are limited: no pool and no spa, so this is a base for being out in the city rather than staying in. And because it is in the heart of the old town, expect some street noise; the squares nearby also hold weekend markets, so check the dates if quiet is a priority.

Our take

The Ghent Belfort Hotel is the pick for travelers who want an old-town location in a 4-star at a sensible price. You are not coming for a spa or a pool — you are coming to walk a beautiful World Heritage city and come back to a room in the best possible spot, right under the Belfry.