Hotel Bentley

We only needed the basics, but even by my low standards this place fell short. The bed was comfortable enough, and there was a toilet and shower, though the toilet wouldn’t flush properly. The furniture hadn’t been cleaned, and there were stains in the shower and on the sink. The room smelled of cannabis, there was no fire alarm, and the lift beside our room made noise all night, so it was hard to fall asleep. The area was okay, but looked run-down in every direction, much like the hotel. We left after the first night and found a clean place closer to the city centre for just ten euros more per night. I’d skip this one and find a hotel that puts in a little effort.

The room was over 30 degrees, and opening the window didn’t help. There was no air conditioning or fan, and no blanket, just a duvet cover, although I didn’t need one in the heat. Renovations were underway while I was there, so I had to sleep with paint fumes around. The neighbourhood felt very sketchy and dirty, with a smell of urine, rubbish in the streets, “Working girls,” and shops that looked unsettling. I felt unsafe walking there and wouldn’t go out on foot at night. It’s about a 20-minute walk to central Brussels. The room itself was big enough and looked clean, the TV worked, and there were towels and soap and shampoo packets. The Wi-Fi worked about half the time, and there’s a lift. Staff spoke only a little English, but enough to manage check-in and checkout.

Kip. The staff were friendly and polite, but this hotel was shockingly poor. The room was dirty, the toilet seat hadn’t been cleaned, and the pillows were grubby. I saw a cockroach walking on the toilet. There were no towels until I asked, no bin, and some of the sockets didn’t work. The bed was on wheels. The kettle cord couldn’t reach the socket, so I had to unplug the TV. They supplied T-bags in a basket with water instead of coffee.

We couldn’t get the internet to work, and staff told us to restart the router. The room wasn’t cleaned, and it stayed that way every time we returned. There was no toilet seat cover, and the window looked out onto a parking lot with a big, old cabin outside. The listing said there would be a telephone, but there wasn’t one, and there was no freezer either. They don’t sell food or drinks, just have a drinks machine that only takes coins, and there’s nowhere to keep anything you buy. The staff weren’t friendly, and I didn’t feel safe in the location, which is a Turkish neighbourhood. Ten minutes before checkout, someone from the hotel opened our door and told us to leave. I strongly don’t recommend staying here. Spend more for a better place.