Best Hotels in Aalter, Belgium

When it comes to thinking of places to visit in Belgium, the town of Aalter in East Flanders, probably isn't the first place to spring to mind. Granted it doesn't have the charm of the Belgian coast, or the bustling hubbub of the larger, more tourist-oriented attractions, but its central location halfway between the cities of Gent and Brugge make it an great place from which to explore. The 4-star Best Western Hotel Orchidee in the center of Aalter provides an ideal base where you can plan your explorations. Aalter train station is a 15 minute walk away, and from there you can catch one of the regular trains to Gent or Brugge, with either journey taking half an hour. Alternatively, as the E40 motorway is just a few hundred meters from the hotel, both cities are accessible by car in around 20 minutes. I stayed at Hotel Orchidee for 3 nights just after Easter, 2022. The earliest check in is 2pm, and so this was the time I designated upon booking. (A word of caution for those hoping for a late check in. The reception desk closes at 11pm.) I arrived at the hotel at 2:05pm and was greeted by Piet, the hotel manager, who told me that my room would be ready in 10 minutes. There are several facets that I would expect from front of house staff - especially the manager - of a 4-star hotel. One of these is that they should be well groomed, besuited preferably, but nevertheless tidy in appearance. After all, they represent the hotel, a guest's first impression of what they might expect; and as the saying goes ”You don't get a second chance to make a first impression.” My first impression of Piet was that he was someone for whom sartorial elegance was not a phrase he was familiar with, with one too many buttons open on his creased shirt and apparent indecision on whether said shirt should be tucked in his trousers or not. Still he was amiable enough and pointed to the spacious, well-appointed bar off to the right of reception, where I could wait for my room. Whilst waiting, in addition to noting that the bar staff were better attired than the manager, I had time to peruse the menu, and discovered that a hungry guest could choose from crisps, nuts, a plate of cheese and salami, or a Croque Monsieur. Not exactly what I would expect from a 4-star hotel kitchen. I would later discover that the reason for this limited dining experience is due to the fact that the hotel does not employ a chef. Piet the manager is apparently chief, cook, and bottle washer, which probably explains why room service is not offered. My room was on the second floor overlooking the car park (which incidentally provides free parking, except on Saturdays when the Farmers Market is held), and no fewer than six bottle banks that are almost constantly in use throughout the day. If, like 1970s singer-songwriter Nick Lowe you ”love the sound of breaking glass”, this will make you feel right at home, otherwise it's somewhat irksome. The room was spacious enough, clean, with modern decor and

Absolutely Incredible I just can't deny I suppose to stay just 1 day, but the receptionist from Tunisia is SO KIND , INCREDIBLE HUMAN, she talk to me saying MY NAME I have been in MORE THAN 28 countries a lot of 5 stars hotels , NEVER EVER anyone calling MY NAME !!! She make me feel so important for that reason I paid 3 more days ! by the way LOCATION IS Amazing police station next door so VERY SAFETY hotel , very clean, BIG ROOMS much better than expected!!!

Hotel is located very close to the highway, creating a lot of noise. Place is a bit outdated. Our family room was fine. Beds are OK. Everything clean. TV with international channels. Bathroom with shower in bath (curtain) so be careful as slippery. We liked the breakfast which is in buffet form including pancakes; good bread etc Terras with snack and beer offerings. Some are a bit pricy. Parking at hotel at 5 EUR/day Little half hour by bike to Bruges center or 15 minutes by car. Very friendly staff at reception.

Great hotel in a great location, the best way to travel in Belgium is by train, this hotel is a 300 meter walk from the main train station, the road down to the centre of town is lined with nice restaurants and cafes and a very pleasant walk, alternatively there is a Tram right outside the door. We had a small problem with one of our friends and the hotel went out of their way to help us out, they also have a great breakfast room on the 6th floor with views out over the city. The Hotel staff are also very good, making sure you have what you need in your room.

The hotel was very comfortable and very comfortable. We have also missed a pair of glasses and the team has been responsible for sending it back to us !

Very good, will come next time, the environment is good, the facilities are full, let colleagues help to book in advance, thank the colleague, let us start without worry, foreign hotels are very different from us, not many people, Very casual, that is, the work is busy, or else I want to live for a few more days. Thank you for your customer service.

Convenient for self-driving tourists. Free parking is available in ample location. Just renovated, the sanitation is very good. At the time of check-out, a bag was dropped into the room. When the breakfast was served, the waiter took the initiative to return it.

The location of the hotel is excellent, very close to the main attractions, there are many tram stations nearby, and the commercial online stores are quite complete. The only dissatisfaction is: I booked a double room, and the result was a big bed. This was a bit embarrassing. In addition, the hotel actually had to charge an additional fee for luggage storage (there is a special luggage room). This is completely different from the domestic one. Breakfast is relatively simple, after eating once, I changed it to eat in the surrounding small shops.

The hotel is located next to the old castle. It is close to all the attractions. The hotel is very clean and soundproof. It has a good bath and a bath. The disadvantage is that although there is an elevator to the floor, it is necessary to reach the floor. Carrying the luggage and walking a few stairs, a bit strange design, and because of this, I accidentally fell on the air and the foot was injured.

A very disappointing stay at Novotel Centrum. Pros - Location. You can't get a better location. Close to everything including lots of eateries at your doorstep. Cons: Customer service - the customer service was the worst I've experienced in a long time. The staff were disinterested and rude. We checked in and I came down to advise that there were no baby beds in the room even though we had requested them well in advance and in all correspondence with the hotel before arriving. I was greeted with 'Hi, are you checking in' by the same person who checked me in no more than five minutes earlier. I would have accepted this but it happened again the next time I approached the reception desk. It was not a busy period for the hotel. I was rudely told off for asking again when I came downstairs to double check a second baby bed was indeed coming as only one had been delivered to the room in the time between first enquiring. I also made another enquiry during our stay and the staff member said they would provide me the answer but never got back to me. Room The room itself was dark and very old. I didn't want to spend any time in there. The rooms haven't been updated for a very long time and due to this the room felt dusty and not very clean. When the baby beds did arrive, one was in good condition and the other was in a terrible state. The material keeping the bed together was ripped in a number of places and the mattress itself was basically split in half due to being folded up so many times. I understand that baby beds are complementary, but this was not acceptable. When the rooms were cleaned, they only did a very surface level clean. Things weren't replaced and not all the rubbish was collected. Amenities We paid for breakfast and there were enough options. The bar had a good selection of Belgium beers on offer. There is a swimming pool outside that looks maintained but there is no safety fence around it so if you're outside in the bar area or in fact anywhere in the entrance area of the hotel you have to watch your children as they may accidentally walk into the pool.