Among hotels, villas,or apartments which would be better? ; none , I think always be better stay with at friends house.
This is what we got in Ghent .
The place is in a very quiet neigborhood, its like the photos shows, clean, cozy and very well equipped. You have anything you need : kitchen appliances, washing machine, cutlery, etc.
The bathroom with great hot water, towels.
The bed queen size, soft and warm.
A nice patio suited to have a smoke or breakfast or coffe. We didnt very much because we saw bees and my wife is afraid of them.
You have trams only 100 mts or so to reach anyway. We did always by walk to the tourist center of Ghent without trouble.
Train station Sint Pieters is near ten min walk, and there you can go to Brussels, Brugges very easy (ja,ja,ja)