Brussels Royotel

The location is right downtown, with everything about a 15 minute walk away, and a room with a bathroom of your own for a low price is a good deal. I’d suggest the fifth floor for the great view. The place is a bit neglected, and breakfast isn’t much to look forward to. I wouldn’t bring a family here, but for a solo stay or a trip with a partner when you’re past the hostel stage, it works well if you keep expectations low.

The internet was a major problem. We complained several times and still had no connection for most of our stay. The room also didn’t match the photos, and the heating never worked, so we were stuck in the cold. It was a four bed shared room, but the bathroom had no lock. Reception was unpleasant: although check in was at noon, they bluntly told us to wait until 12:30. The next day they left just two new towels for three guests. When I asked for another, the man questioned why I needed one and gave me only a small towel. That was really weird.

The beds creak, and you can hear everything through the walls. The rooms are smaller than they look in the pictures. In the toilet, a pipe runs through the room and you can hear water moving when you use it. There isn’t a proper door, just a makeshift one with no lock, even though it’s meant to be a four person room. The WiFi kept disconnecting and barely worked.

It felt like a place a hundred years old, with hardly any proper facilities. The shower was very weak, the hairdryer didn’t work, and there was poor lighting. There weren’t even plug sockets for charging phones. The lack of basic things really spoiled the holiday mood.