As part of a post-COVID19 business trip, I booked the Marriott Ghent for one night before a business meeting.
A look back at a rather bland stay.
Booking
I booked this stay using the Marriott Bonvoy app, as usual.
Two hotels were on offer in Ghent, this Marriott and a Residence Inn.
Initially, I wanted to stay at the Renaissance Bruxelles, but the welcome email telling me I’d have to go to another hotel put me off immediately and I decided to cancel my reservation.
So I decide on the Ghent Marriott at €85 a night.
Arrival
A few hours before arriving at the hotel, I noticed an upgrade to a junior suite in the application.
I arrive at the hotel on foot from Gant station, a good thirty minutes away. Access isn’t the easiest, and I miss the entrance for lack of signage.
I retrace my steps and find it hidden between two doors.
So, in the deserted lobby, I make my way to reception. The atmosphere is a little absurd.
The receptionist, busy in the back room, is slow to notice my presence, and I don’t dare use the bell.
We proceed with check-in formalities. I can see that the receptionist is not at ease with procedures, and I’m not greeted like an Ambassador customer. He doesn’t know if I can have breakfast as a benefit 🙄 and then they’ll call me to let me know it’s possible….
The receptionist even wondered why I’d been upgraded… Well maybe because I’m Ambassador, stupid 🤷♂️! It’s been a long time since I’ve had to train a receptionist!
Room
The assigned suite was located on the 8th and top floor of the hotel, on a floor that was supposed to be “Executive” with no lounge available.
The suite is located at the far end, away from the elevators. Given its location, one might have imagined a beautiful view of the canals… However, the view will be limited to a few rooftops on the side of the property.
The suite is a nice size, definitely junior as there is no formal separation between the lounge and the sleeping area.
The bathroom is opposite the entrance. It’s decorated in a rather standard way, but everything is clean and fairly recent.
But the rest of the decor… It’s back to the 90s! The carpet is tired, the armchairs are totally outdated.
The bed is comfortable, but lacks an outlet for recharging devices.
In short, I was a little disappointed, especially when compared with the beautiful photos on the website.
The visit in video :
Hotel facilities
The hotel has a gym, which I didn’t visit during this stay, and which was closed anyway in this post-COVID period.
Food options
The hotel restaurant was closed. On the other hand, breakfast was well served, either in your room or in the lobby.
You had to fill in a form with your choices and your planned breakfast time the day before, and hand it in at reception.
Breakfast is served in the lobby, directly by the cook… And it was very good! And very hearty, see by yourself.
Departure
I used the mobile check-out formalities and left directly. I received the bill a few hours l
Bottom line
A rather disappointing stay compared to the reviews and photos. And in these post-COVID times, when hotels are empty, one could imagine an effort being made to place Top Tier customers in the nicest rooms… Not at all!
