Where can I eat near The Librarian?

For a meal close by, Vrijmoed is right next to the hotel and serves European dishes. A short walk away, you can find Le Pain Perdu, Tasty World, and Seli's Noodlebar, all about half a kilometer from the hotel. Panos Gent is a casual spot for fresh sandwiches and pastries, while De Orchidee Thai Wokrestaurant offers authentic Thai cuisine. For a drink or a bite, Den Hoek Af is a local bar with craft beers and Belgian specialties, and Café de Tijd is another nearby bar option. The Patershol neighborhood, a short walk from the hotel, is also known for its many charming restaurants.

What is the area around The Librarian like?

The Librarian sits in Ghent's Old Town, right in the city center, so you are steps from the medieval heart. St Bavo's Cathedral is a 5-minute walk, the Belfry of Gent is 6 minutes, and Graffiti Street and St Michael's Bridge are each 8 minutes away. The Castle of the Counts and STAM - Ghent City Museum are a 12-minute stroll, with the Museum voor Schone Kunsten 17 minutes on foot. The neighborhood is walkable and full of character, with the Patershol district nearby for its narrow lanes and eateries. You can easily explore the historic sights on foot, and the Graslei and Ghent City Hall are also close by.

How do I get to The Librarian from the airport or main train station?

From Ghent's main train station, Gent-Sint-Pieters, take a tram or bus toward the city center, then walk the short remaining distance to the hotel. The hotel is also about a 15-minute walk from Train Ghent-Dampoort station, which serves trains from Antwerp, Eeklo, Kortrijk, and Ostend. If you fly into Brussels Airport, take a train to Gent-Sint-Pieters, then continue by tram or bus. From Antwerp International Airport, a taxi or pre-booked transfer is the most direct option. The Gent Duivelsteen bus stop is about a 5-minute walk away, connecting you to local routes.

What's there to do near The Librarian in the evening?

In the evening, you can stroll to the Castle of the Counts, a 12-minute walk away, and explore the nearby Patershol neighborhood, known for its charming restaurants and narrow streets. For a drink, Den Hoek Af is a local bar with craft beers and Belgian specialties, and Café de Tijd offers a casual spot with music. You could also join the Evening Tour of the Dark Side of Gent to see the city's history after dark. The Belfry of Gent and St Michael's Bridge, both within an 8-minute walk, are nicely lit for an evening wander.

Is The Librarian a good base for exploring Ghent?

The Librarian is an excellent base for exploring Ghent on foot. St Bavo's Cathedral is a 5-minute walk away, the Belfry of Gent is 6 minutes, and Graffiti Street and St Michael's Bridge are each 8 minutes. The Castle of the Counts and STAM - Ghent City Museum are a 12-minute walk, and the Museum voor Schone Kunsten is 17 minutes. With the city center's pedestrian-friendly streets, you can easily reach the main sights without needing transport. For farther areas, the nearby Ghent-Dampoort train station and local buses offer simple connections.

The Librarian Ghent: 950 m to Castle of the Counts

Name: The Librarian
Address: Sint-Jansvest 15 City Center, Ghent, 比利时

Guest reviews

3.5Good(128)

Excellent50
Good27
Average13
Poor9
Terrible29

What guests say about…

Property
Cleanliness

Guests like

Location: Guests highlight the central location, close to main sites and a car park.
Ground Floor Rooms: Several guests mention the ground floor rooms with terrace as spacious, clean and comfortable.
Staff Flexibility: Reviews note the support team worked with guests on booking mistakes without extra charge.

Guests mention

Check-In Process: Several guests report issues with confirmed reservations not being found on arrival, so it's worth confirming your booking directly with the hotel before you go.
Room Amenities: Some guests mention bathroom fixtures like sliding doors and shower seals not working as expected, so checking these on arrival and asking for a fix is a good idea.

Summary for your reference

Reviews from

DangDang

1/5

Google· 5 months ago

We arrived with a confirmed reservation email, but the hotel claimed they had no record of our booking. Instead of trying to help, the staff refused to provide the access code，repeatedly saying they were fully booked. The situation quickly became hostile, and we were even told to “go away”. After a long trip, we were left carrying our luggage around late at night trying to find another place to stay. Completely unacceptable service and zero professionalism. Avoid this place unless you want to experience how badly a hotel can handle a guest reservation.

Kev Fabian

5/5

Google· 3 months ago

I almost cancelled given how negative the reviews were. In the end, I decided to give it a chance, and I’m very glad I did. Stayed in a room on the ground floor with terrace and had a superb stay. The room was comfortable and pleasant. The location is excellent. Overall, a positive experience, much better than I expected given the reviews.

Response from the property

Good afternoon! Your review has truly made our day. We’re delighted that you enjoyed your stay and took the time to point out that reviews aren’t always accurate. We took over this hotel last year from the previous owner, who went bankrupt, and the transition wasn’t without its challenges. Many of the reviews are still from the previous owner’s time, which we can’t simply remove. Step by step, we’re building a better version of “The Librarian,” and we’re glad you’ve experienced that. Kind regards, The Librarian

KathrynM93

3/5

Tripadvisor· 2 years ago

Can’t complain about the location which is really central and near the main sites (certainly those I wanted to see). Also near a car park which was reasonably priced for leaving the car overnight. Location is the reason for three stars. The room itself I would give a two. The toilet (sink is outside this bit) is behind a sliding door which didn’t shut properly so no privacy. The light also turned off continuously. Luckily me and my partner just laughed at it but it’s not what you want. The whole place needs a spruce up. Room and hallways. Pictures definitely make it look better than what it is. For one night it was totally fine.

Dian Jiao

2/5

Google· 5 months ago

Horrible experience and strongly avoid. We had a confirmed Booking.com reservation, but the hotel said they could not find it and refused to let us check in. They told us to cancel the booking ourselves, offered no real help, said we should not call the emergency number unless it was an emergency which is the only contact number, and even threatened to call the police when we stayed outside with our luggage trying to resolve the issue. After reading other Google reviews, it seems this kind of problem has happened before, yet the hotel still has no proper solution and treated us with a hostile attitude.

Jieying Zhang

1/5

Google· 5 months ago

Really awful and unacceptable experience. We arrived with a confirmed Booking.com reservation, but the hotel claimed they could not find it and said they were fully booked. They refused to let us check in, told us to cancel the booking ourselves, and offered no proper help. Even worse, when we stayed outside with our luggage trying to resolve the issue, they threatened to call the police instead of assisting us. Extremely unprofessional and hostile treatment. I would strongly not recommend this hotel.

Claiton Watthier

1/5

Google· a year ago

This hotel is a completelly scam. I booked it through booking and when we arrived they said that didn't received our order, but we paid previously. There are nobody there, there's no reception, just a sign on the windows with a number to call. They didn't try to help us to find another place in town. This was the worst experience of my life. Disaster.

Benoit Balliu

5/5

Google· 2 years ago

We had the ground floor with terrace which was spacious and clean. I think you do get a lot of value for the price. We had great contact with support as well. We made 2 mistakes while booking a room and they worked with us twice without extra charge. Great experience

Response from the property

Thank you Benoit and we sincerely appreciate your review and we look forward to welcome you back .

Clio Unger

1/5

Google· 4 years ago

Note: I have contacted the hotel about these complaints several times and asked for a partial refund but have not heard anything in return, which just drives home my point about how bad the customer service is at this hotel. My experience: I found during my stay that many things were not as advertised on the website, and was underwhelmed with the service provided there. The website claims that it is 'decorated like a 5-star' hotel, yet the room I was in (Tiny Room with Balcony) had an insufficient set-up. There was no place to hang towels and the shower was not sealed causing the room to flood (and my baggage to get wet) every time I took a shower. I reported this issue to the team and was confident that this would be dealt with swiftly as the promotion material states that the 'virtual butler is just an app away'. However, I did not receive a response within a suitable time frame. In fact, I only received an answer the next day. And then my request to exchange the towels, soaked through the bathmat, and replace the used coffee pods for more coffee was only partially fulfilled. The soaking bathmat was left in the room, and only the towels were replaced. And while I received new coffee pods, I did not receive more milk for the coffee. This took another day to be rectified and the soaking mat was never replaced. The person coming to my room also left all the used cups and cutlery. This is not the standard I expect from a hotel that advertises itself as a 5-star standard. I am happy to self-cater and do my own dishes, but the room provided no such amenities. There was no dish soap, dish towel, or rack. I think it would be suitable to either provide these things or have the dirty dishes replaced once a day. Overall, this was really disappointing and I am genuinely shocked at the lack of response from the hotel. They clearly don't care about customer satisfaction!