4 Best Hotels in Ghent and the Leie, Belgium

This stately boutique hotel, on the quayside of the Graslei, occupies two floors of Korenmarkt's magnificent old neo-Gothic post office, which was the setting for the 1913 World's Fair before settling into a life of service. Its cocktail bar-lounge Cobbler makes a charmingly bookish old-world escape, dotted with old sketches by the building's original architect, Louis Cloquet, and wax royal seals; afternoon tea is served here until 5. There's also an honesty bar up in the rafters if you just want a bit of quiet. Rooms are elegant and simple, with all but the smallest "stamp" rooms split over two levels. Most come scattered with old writing desks and vintage ephemera, while the most fairytale suite of all sits high in the old clock tower, affording some of the finest views in Ghent. 

Stepping into the modest front door of this hotel on the Korenlei cannot prepare you for the change of scene that awaits within—behind the medieval brick facade lies a futuristic glass atrium containing the reception and lounge, from where glass elevators carry you up to balconies on several upper floors, off which are the large and well-appointed guest rooms.

This unassuming boutique hotel in the Patershol area features 40 rooms, split between old and new parts of the building, a pool (open April–October), bar, small gym, and a fixation with Japanese-style toilets make it an unsuspecting gem. Simple, elegantly designed rooms come with black-and-white murals of town life splashed across their walls. Try to bag one at the front; a few even have balconies with canal-side views. Duplex rooms in the older section are bigger for families if a little sparser in look. If you can't bag a room, note that it has just opened a sister hotel and comic-book museum in the nearby Prisenhof area called Comic Art Hotel. 

This converted 18th-century town house hotel is one of the more distinguished addresses in town, with a luxurious spa that occupies the former stables and the pervading sense that you've just stepped onto a particularly meticulous film set. Neutral greys and Scandinavian browns have replaced the old camp majesty of what used to be one of Ghent's most flamboyant hotels, but it's no less impressive. The addition of the excellent LOF restaurant is also a definite bonus. And while the rooms are a tad toned down these days, the addition of a free minibar that you're actively encouraged to rifle through and empty means you probably won't notice.