Hotel De Witte Lelie

The bathroom was clean and well maintained, and once we found the place, the location was handy for museums and historic sites. But I left early because the noise made it impossible to sleep. This calls itself a boutique hotel, yet felt more like a budget motel. It's embarrassing to see the Hilton name attached to it. I'd give it negative stars if I could. The biggest problem was the restaurant noise. There was no soundproofing between it and the guest rooms, so I could hear every word from conversations downstairs. Starting around 4am, shouting from the kitchen, clattering dishes, and cooking woke me every hour or so. The restaurant was supposed to close at 9pm, but rowdy groups were served past 11. Cleanup with dishes and bottles went on past midnight, and guests grew louder as the night went on. I complained to staff several times. They shrugged and did nothing. The room was dirty, with hair and dirt around it, including long dark hairs in the food bowls, which I photographed. The pillows were so old and flattened I could fold them in half like paper, also pictured. There is no elevator, so I had to carry heavy bags upstairs. The hotel was hard to find in the dark, with no visible lighting or signage at eye level, just a Michelin sign for the restaurant. You can't enter without someone letting you in, and sometimes you wait in the cold, dark rain because there's often only one person on staff. The poorly lit street made waiting alone feel unsafe. I skipped breakfast, so I can't comment on its quality or service. Still, staff pressed me to say exactly when and whether I would have it, which didn't feel relaxing or boutique. Luckily I hadn't committed, since I was awake all night from the noise. Staff also made inappropriate comments about me when I raised these issues. I spoke in English, but understood enough Dutch to follow what they said, and they didn't even try to lower their voices. When I asked again for help with the noise, they became argumentative and combative. It seemed selling as much alcohol as possible, for as long as possible, mattered more than guests. On a Tuesday at 10:30pm, I watched them open several bottles of wine, and the noise only got worse. Antwerp has better hotels that won't charge boutique prices for a budget motel experience. I recommend avoiding this one.