De Draecke Hostel
The only Ghent hostel with private bathrooms in every room — at hostel prices
De Draecke Hostel is the official Hostelling International property in Ghent, set in a converted 17th-century almshouse on the edge of the Patershol restaurant quarter, 7 minutes' walk from Korenlei. All rooms have private en-suite bathrooms — rare at this price point — and breakfast is included with most rates. Couples rate the location 9.5/10.
De Draecke is the most quietly competent hostel in Ghent. It's run by Hostelling International (the Belgian Vlaamse Jeugdherbergen network), housed in a 17th-century brick almshouse on Sint-Widostraat at the northern edge of the Patershol restaurant quarter, and the headline difference from every other hostel in town is that every single room has its own private en-suite bathroom. That feature is normally a 50€ premium elsewhere; here it's standard.
The ground-floor lounge has a small bar (Belgian taps, opens 17:00), a packed shelf of board games, and the most useful concierge desk in town for combined museum tickets, public transit cards, and packed lunches if you're heading to Bruges for the day. Buffet breakfast is included with most rates and served from 7:30 — early enough for a Brussels day trip on the 8:13 train.
What to set expectations on: this is a quiet, family-friendly, well-run institutional hostel, not a party scene. Doors lock at 02:00 (24h key-card access continues), the bar closes at 23:00, and the typical guest is a 30-something solo traveller, a couple, or a school group on weekday mornings (book around them). The Patershol's medieval cobblestones mean rolling suitcases are loud — opt for a backpack if you arrive late.
Who it's for: travellers who want a private bathroom without paying for a hotel; couples on a budget; anyone visiting Ghent with children; weekend visitors who'll spend evenings in the Patershol restaurants 90 seconds from the door. Who it's not for: party backpackers (try Treck), and anyone allergic to slightly institutional decor.
- 01Every room has a private en-suite bathroom, including the dorms — a price-bracket anomaly in Ghent
- 02Buffet breakfast included with most rates and served from 7:30
- 03On-site bar with Belgian taps and a serious board-games shelf in the lounge
- 0490 seconds from the Patershol restaurant quarter and 7 min from the Korenlei canal
- 05Couples rate the location 9.5/10 — quiet, central, and walkable to everything
- Private en-suite bathroom in every room
- Buffet breakfast included from 7:30
- On-site Belgian-tap bar with board games
- 90 seconds to the Patershol restaurant quarter
“Staff was very friendly, rooms and bathrooms were clean, and a very nice breakfast with coffee was included in the price. The private bathroom in our dorm was a huge plus and the hostel itself is right next to the Patershol restaurants.”
“Great location — I could walk everywhere. Check-in was straightforward, the staff were friendly, and the en-suite bathroom in our 4-bed dorm meant we didn't have to queue in the morning.”
“The location was very good — a 7-minute walk to the city centre and a 6-minute bike ride from the bus station. In a quiet area but still next to the Patershol restaurants. Couldn't have picked better.”
- Patershol restaurant quarter90 seconds walk
- Gravensteen Castle4 min walk
- Design Museum Ghent2 min walk
- Graslei and Korenlei canal7 min walk
- Vrijdagmarkt8 min walk
- Sint-Pieters station (tram 1)12 min by tram
