Hotel Aristote

You get what you pay for here: a relatively cheap, basic two-star hotel without frills. The room looked old-fashioned but was clean, and although a few bulbs needed changing, I managed fine. Reception staff were friendly and helpful, but their card reader was out of order, so I had to walk 200m to an ATM and pay cash. Breakfast was good, and the location is handy for the sights.

I knew the reviews were low but booked anyway because this was one of the cheapest hotels in Brussels. The room was bearable for me as a solo traveler, and the price might justify two or three stars. But nearly everything was worn out, very old, or broken, with rust and dirt that clearly hadn't built up overnight. It felt like the owners hadn't bothered to spend even a little on basic repairs.

For this price in Brussels, it would be hard to find a better option. The rooms are clean, though small, as most rooms here seem to be. The location near the center is almost perfect. The rooms are fine, just don't expect anything fancy.

The noise went on all night, with banging, shouting, and music blasting from some rooms. The doors might as well have been plywood. There was no light between the lift and the corridor to the room, so we had to walk a few feet in darkness before reaching the automatic light, which was beyond a staircase. An absolute disgrace of a place. Saving a little money isn't worth putting yourself through this hellhole.