Belgium - Ghent
Ghent is just great. Absolutely picturesque, like Austrian castle pretty. It’s small enough to feel comfy but big enough to have things to do. The canal tour is super cheap and easy and is a real must do. I honestly would have done it twice.
The food is good pretty much everywhere but obviously 50% more expensive along the water. Their main market area is huge and so much fun with trams whirling through.
The main shopping street is a bit chainy, but overall having a good mix is nice and I think we got that. The Glass Alley is unfortunately just like Villa Tinto. It just doesn’t feel fun like Amsterdam. It feels run down, dirty, and the guys trolling around are just gross as shit :) All I felt was bad for the world, especially theirs.
went back for others Dec 2023…
Went back to Ghent. Still beautiful. Hotel got us a reservation at a cool restaurant on the square (Du Progres). They had a nice Christmas market and carnival set up. Kitschy yes but still kinda fun. The canal tour is still quick and worth every penny.
Notes to self:
-Done with Belgium, but man Ghent was a treasure and a true find.
Ghent Marriott - Nov 2021, Dec 2023
The Marriott is great. It’s too modern, and I have no idea why it doesn’t look more “ghentish” but at the end of the day the location is perfect. Right on the canal and so accessible. The more I think about it though it does look like a small town Marriott from the 80’s, complete with center atrium and glass elevators.
Rooms facing the canal are a must. Regular rooms are fine and big enough. The suites are worth it (even though I did have to really dig in my friendly heels to get it haha). The included breakfast was great and included everything you could possibly need, including decent seating and rooms.
Notes
-The picture above is the weird and fun and huge honeymoon suite. Not sure why we got this one but we loved it. Tons of character.
-Dec 2023 we had room 239 which might be their best room. Full canal views and goood set up for a couple. The kid was staying in a different room so might have opted for a suite if that wasn’t the case. But I happened to see two of their suites and they were nothing to write home about. Our room was perfect this time, and almost perfect last time.