Smartflats - City Center

Someone got into our apartment one night and stole money and designer sunglasses. Since cleaners, receptionists and the tech team all know the door codes, and there's no way to lock the door from inside, we felt unsafe trying to sleep. Our friends in another apartment were covered in bedbug bites. The terrace apartment was filthy: the floor looked unvacuumed and the furniture was stained. The shower leaked and flooded the bathroom, so we asked for fresh towels on day two to dry the floor, but none were replaced during our four-day stay. The lift was broken the whole time, despite the receptionist blatantly telling us at check-in it would be fixed the next day. Avoid these apartments.

Between having my card information stolen, the state of the room, and being thrown out at the last minute in a storm, I think this is either a terrible company or crooks trying to scam people. Please don't book with them. I booked through booking.com, and before arriving got an extra link asking for my card details. It ended up stealing my credit card information, though luckily my bank spotted it and I cancelled the card. Finding the building was difficult because the directions didn't match online maps. I arrived for the late 4pm check-in, let myself into the run-down building and found the apartment. The beds were unmade, towels were all over the floor and table, the place looked about to fall apart, the toilet and bath were filthy, and the door looked as if someone had tried to break it down. I sent photos and was told they'd get back to me about the bed and other things. After 5pm, in a rainstorm, I got a WhatsApp message from one of four company numbers they kept changing, saying the apartment was blocked for technical reasons and asking me to request a free cancellation through booking.com. I called because it was already 5pm in a storm. They said the heating and hot water didn't work. I checked, and both did. The person then said I could stay after I explained I didn't want to find a hotel at the last minute in a storm. After I hung up, they messaged again saying I had to leave because the apartment was blocked and work needed to be done, and that the reservation would be cancelled and I should request a free cancellation. I was furious. When I called, they confirmed I had to go. Near 6pm, I had to find another hotel in a capital city during a storm. The service was terrible, and booking.com struggled to get the company to confirm anything. On the way out I met other guests who said they'd had similar awful experiences and planned to ask for all their money back.

More than four months later, I've taken time to make sure this review wasn't just an emotional reaction. Please avoid booking with this company. I paid for a three-bedroom apartment in Belgium, but it had only two bedrooms and didn't match the booking.com photos. They said the room they provide isn't always the one listed, but why list the two-bed option at a cheaper price than the three-bed one? It felt like they were covering their tracks. The place was damaged and dirty too: the microwave was broken, the floors were dirty, and the table by the TV kept falling over. Communication was almost nonexistent. We said we'd take it up with booking.com because they weren't replying. booking.com refunded us, but Smartflats then charged money to my account without telling me or discussing it. That was a serious breach, and my bank has blacklisted the company. Be careful with any security deposit. They say they don't have your card details on file, yet somehow they charged extra amounts beyond the deposit. My bank transactions show booking.com refunded me, Smartflats charged me, then there was a dispute. They also charged more than booking.com had. At checkout, I asked to speak to a manager, but he was unavailable, so another woman tried to resolve things and offered 40% off. I asked for 50% because of the poor communication and the trouble it caused for our group, so we could settle things fairly and part ways. They wouldn't agree or let me speak to the manager. I had to dispute it with my bank; after about two months, the decision went in my favour. They lied about what they could offer and didn't want to resolve things. My bank found no valid reason for the way they misrepresented the apartment. I'm sure they'll come up with a false response, but I've got the receipts. @smartflats, I'm sure you'll agree we did try to settle this. William at the front desk was extremely rude and didn't seem to understand what Smartflats had done wrong. He said, 'but you still stayed at the property', even though they'd have known why if they'd checked the many emails we sent asking for an update and help moving us. We came from London to Brussels, so where were we supposed to go? Prices for alternative hotels rise closer to the booking date, which made this a huge inconvenience. We needed Smartflats to provide a three-bed apartment for the people in the falsely advertised unit. The key pickup location also changed. We first walked 20 minutes to another office after being told very late on the day to collect them there, then were told the keys were at the original place and had to walk all the way back. A huge waste of time. Do not book here. Scammers.

The two-storey, two-bedroom option isn't worth it, and I wouldn't stay at a Smartflats property again if this is how they manage their apartments. It has a large space and a central location, with major sights, bars and restaurants easy to reach on foot. But it's also beside two casinos on a busy street, and every night we heard drunk people yelling and screaming between 3 and 5am because the soundproofing was so poor. The place was in disrepair: knife marks on the walls, a toilet seat broken in half and nearly coming off, a leaking shower head, and a broken built-in fridge replaced by a small separate mini fridge. Hot water was inconsistent, half cold and half hot. There was a smoky smell, possibly from a former smoker or from casino and street air coming in. The spiral stairs creaked and bent, with little support, and felt dangerous to use. Customer service was polite but did basically nothing. It felt like a big corporation that didn't care about this property. I'm not sure if these problems apply to every unit in the flat, but I'd definitely avoid this two-bedroom option.