ibis Sint Niklaas Centrum

A spotless room and bathroom, a comfortable bed, and friendly, helpful staff in a central location. Good value for an overnight stop. It’s not luxury, but it’s just right for that.

I booked three rooms for one night under the name Leleu. Most of the stay was pleasant, but a couple of things left a bad impression. The door to room 114 didn’t lock automatically, and I had to try several times whenever I went out. It didn’t feel secure. The bigger disappointment was the receptionist’s response when I asked about filtered water. A sticker in the room said, “Prefer filtered water? Available free of charge at the reception.” She said she’d never heard of that sticker at the ibis hotel, despite having worked there for two years and never having had a guest ask for filtered water. As a guest, that wasn’t relevant to me: the hotel advertised the service. Instead of giving me the filtered water promised, she tried to sell me a glass bottle for 6 euros. Dismissing the sticker and making my request sound unusual wasn’t good customer service. It’s a shame, because the rest of the stay was pleasant, but the interaction left a sour impression.

We’ve stayed here three times, always at Christmas for the town market. Even though the hotel is so close, the noise hasn’t disturbed our sleep. We love Sint-Niklaas, and it’s only 30 minutes from Ghent or Antwerp, making it a handy base for seeing the sights without paying hefty hotel prices.

The location is handy for the station, shops and cafes, and it’s a great spot for the Christmas Markets. The staff were especially helpful and friendly, which made us feel really welcome throughout our stay.