Hostel Europa

The smell hit as soon as I approached the room, musk and urine, and possibly feces at times. There was curly hair in the shower, sink, and bed, though I don’t have dark, curly hair. The bed was dirty, and the mattress felt like rubber, perhaps latex, which could be a concern for someone with a latex allergy. I also noticed black mold and bloodstains on the walls. The shower had mold, cracks, crevices, and what looked like small bite marks. I later found out those marks were caused by termites. The sink was partly clogged, rusty, and slimy inside, much like the one in Filip Horak's picture. The floor felt sticky, and my shoes stuck to it and made an unpleasant noise as I walked. My room was on the ground floor. Between 10:00 PM and 3:00 AM on a weekend, I heard knocking at the window and strange sounds, and saw shadows outside now and then. Around 3:00 AM, a stray kitty came over, and it might have had fleas. Meanwhile, guests were expected to keep quiet after 10:00 PM or risk a fine, but at 11:00 PM a small group of men in their mid-20s were drinking beer and partying in the main lobby. The door scraped against the floor and was very loud to open. Its old, rusty lock made it impossible for me to turn the key twice and double-lock it for safety. The water stayed around 15°C even with the shower set to its maximum, 50°C. This was one of the worst experiences of my life. I’d give the place zero stars, or even -5 if I could. I strongly recommend avoiding it. Other 1-star reviews mention the same problems, so I hope you don’t end up in this dreadful place.

The price was fair, and the city centre is a convenient 10-minute walk away. Breakfast was included and nice. Rooms were clean and had private bathrooms. There’s free parking on site, though spaces are limited.

For €35, I got a bed in a six-bed male room for the night, with breakfast included. The breakfast was fantastic, worth every penny, and the best hostel breakfast I’ve had. The bed was comfortable too, but six people had only two charging sockets. The reception girl was friendly, patiently answered our questions, and gave us all the information we needed for our stay. We could also leave our luggage in the luggage room for free. The washbasin was in the room, while the toilets and bathrooms were shared by the floor, with separate toilets for men and women. One of the best budget hostels in Bruges, and I’d recommend staying here. 💯👍

The room smelled extremely bad as soon as I walked in, and that made the whole stay uncomfortable. For a room that’s meant to be clean and ready for guests, that really wasn’t acceptable. Hygiene needs serious work. I hope management takes this feedback seriously, but I wouldn’t stay here again unless the major cleaning and maintenance problems are fixed.