Akira's place is a great way to spend a few days in Ghent. My brother and I were met by Charles, Akira's brother, who was incredibly nice. He talked with us for half an hour about the places to see and restaurants to go to and even called a friend of his to recommend a sports bar for us.
The location itself was great - slightly removed from the main tourist areas but within a 5-10 minute walk to many of Ghent's main attractions.
The place itself was nicer than the photos - newly renovated, very clean and comfortable. Although, the TV only gets 4 channels or so but, we didn't go for the TV :)
I will suggest to walk around the castles at night. They are lit well and it makes for a more medieval feeling. It just looks cooler.