Tulip Inn Antwerpen

I booked through booking.com. The good points were the cheaper price compared with other hotels, friendly reception staff, clean rooms, towels and bedding, and car parking. It’s about a 15-20 minute walk to the restaurants and train station. Breakfast wasn’t worth the money, with very little food to choose from, no juice option for non-coffee drinkers, and no warm milk for the cereal. The restaurant manager was rude. The hotel also seemed to be under renovation, and the corridor carpet was disgusting. The pillows were awful, more like mountains.

At half past two in the morning, about 45 minutes after we’d arrived, the man came knocking at our room door demanding direct payment. We’d booked on the hotel’s own website and entered all our card details, but at check-in they first asked us to pay again. I explained I’d paid online and offered to settle it in the morning, which he accepted. His payment machine wasn’t working, so I left my ID card as a deposit. There wasn’t even an apology in the morning, and breakfast was terrible for €16. We arrived after midnight. This was my first and last stay here.

At €110 a night for a double room, this wasn’t cheap, and I definitely wouldn’t return. We were part of a group booking, but with no family room available, we had to split into two double rooms. Our room smelled awful. The cleaning lady knew about it and said the smell comes up from somewhere below when it rains, and there was nothing she could do. The hotel was fully booked, so they couldn’t move us. I had to keep the window open for fresh air, but then the nearby motorway was extremely noisy. If maintenance knew about the smell, why give us that room and hope it wouldn’t rain? The buffet breakfast wasn’t great either. The single beds had wheels, which may make cleaning and moving them easier, but they slid forward as soon as you leaned back against the wall.

At Tulip Inn Antwerpen, basic upkeep was clearly lacking. The shower gel dispenser was empty, as was the tissue box. I asked for an iron and ironing board but was only offered an iron. When I asked about the board, they suggested I improvise an ironing surface somewhere in the room, which was impractical and inappropriate. The room itself felt neglected and unhygienic, with stained duvets, dirty curtains and visible cobwebs in the corners. Staff replaced the duvets when I asked, but the overall condition still made this one of my most unpleasant hotel stays in years. I stayed from 24-26 September and was thoroughly disappointed. I won’t return, and I’ll avoid any establishment run by this company. If you’re thinking of booking, read recent reviews and weigh your options carefully.