Ghent really is a wonderful place and a good location. It is centrally located between Brugges, Antwerp, and Brussels. It has a lot of pleasant attractions and some of the charm of Brugges without the hordes of tourists.

One disadvantage with using it as a base is that the train station (Ghent-Saint Peters) is a tram ride away from the Marriott. This isn't too big of a deal, but it can be a bit of an annoyance.

The Brussels Marriott is a short walk from Brussels-Central. This station has frequent domestic service and is just a stop away from Brussels-Midi, should you decide to take Eurostar, Thalys, or other international service.

As far as the hotels themselves, I've stayed several times at the Brussels Marriott. This is one of my favorite Marriott-family properties in the world. The associates are wonderful and the rooms comfortable. The breakfast in the restaurant is quite nice. Ghent's Marriott is relatively new, constructed behind historic facades fronting the canal. I haven't stayed there (yet).

I've never stayed at the Renaissance and wouldn't consider it. The location is rather inconvenient and lacks the charm of the two Marriott properties.

All of this talk is making me hungry for Neuhaus and thirsty for Rochefort...