Verne Dreams

My wife and I stayed in the Shanghai suite, which was luxurious, spacious, and finished with immaculate attention to detail. After walking around Ghent, the hot tub outside was a great way to recharge. The huge shower room was wonderful too, and there was a standalone bath we didn't use. Best of all was the bed. I haven't slept that well in years, it felt like sleeping on a cloud.

I booked the green Oxford room for its lovely online photos and the glowing reviews, and it did look as beautiful as expected at first. But using the room and looking more closely changed the impression. It needs maintenance: some lights were broken, little pieces of the bathroom mosaic floor were missing, and the toilet door had a 10 cm gap, so there was no privacy. Worst was the bed. The mattress was very soft and poor quality, too small for the wooden bed frame, so I could see the slatted base. The sheets and pillowcases had holes. A room is mainly somewhere to sleep, and the bed deserves at least basic attention, especially at this price. The room was noisy too. I guess that's to be expected in an old house, but it was annoying that other guests didn't seem to care about the noise they made coming home late at night. The sanitation was very luxurious, the bathtub was a real treat, and the room was clean. We could also leave our bags for a few hours after checkout. Please note, there's no breakfast available, despite what earlier reviews say. At €155 per night, asking that much without taking responsibility for maintenance felt like an easy way to make money.

The shared kitchen had tea, a kettle, a pod coffee maker, a fridge, and little chocolates. We made breakfast there and ate in the room before heading out. Nearby, Horn Ok Please and Trollekelder are only a couple of minutes away, with the main square and old town a bit farther on. We slept really well in the green Oxford room. It felt bright and airy despite the bold colors, and the cornice and furniture worked beautifully with the space. The bed was spacious and so comfortable that getting up was hard. The shower was huge with great pressure; I only wish I’d had time to use the bath. The hand wash and shampoo smelled lovely, too. The rest of the building is thoughtfully furnished. Although Verne dreaming is on a busy road, our room was quiet, though it might be noisier with the windows open all night in summer. Vincent kindly let us leave our bags for a couple of hours after checkout. We’ll stay here again when we’re back in Gent.

The Berlin Room was spacious, and its feel reminded me of one of my favorite European cities. The host is an artist, which comes through in the room furnishings, wall hangings, and even the teapots. It’s a two-minute walk to the river and city center. I’d happily come back and recommend it.