Smartflats Premium - Palace du Grand Sablon

We booked two apartments for eight people over a Christmas weekend. At midnight, one was absolutely filthy and hadn't been cleaned. The property couldn't help us then, so all eight of us squeezed into the other apartment, sleeping on the floor without towels or duvets. We'd specifically asked for the dirty apartment to be cleaned first thing the next morning. Nobody told us when it would happen, and it wasn't cleaned until 5 pm, when we were due to check out the following day at 11 am. We happened to drop by in the early evening and found the cleaner, who said she'd done it. That apartment had no hot water or heating, so we couldn't use it anyway. When we asked for a refund, JOVANA kept saying we could only get 50% of the first night's cost. We didn't use it that night, and couldn't use it the next night because of the lack of heat and hot water. She hasn't helped us at all. This was poor and ridiculous. Stay away, don't book if you expect a stress-free stay or decent customer service.

Smartflats offered us a 15% discount on a future Brussels visit after we emailed them about many of the problems. Their reply didn't say either “We're sorry” or “We'll come and fix things immediately.” Judge their response by integrity, service, and grace, then decide whether you'd stay here. There were no entrance codes when specified, so I had to call and ask for them. The foyer was dark because the lights didn't work, and narrow, with large tubs of linen left there throughout our stay. There was no mattress protector. The lift was broken, and cleaners said it hadn't worked for two months. Some stair lights were also out, which made carrying suitcases hazardous. Inside, the lounge lights flickered on and off and wouldn't switch off. The fridge door wouldn't close because its magnetic catch had failed. Most blinds couldn't be raised because their cords were damaged. The shower head was broken and only usable as a handheld shower. The pedestal fan in the room was broken and unusable. The facts speak for themselves. What do you make of anything Smartflats says about these observations?

We arrived to find the apartment filthy and still dirty from the previous guests. We couldn't use it. We called at 11 pm to explain, but they didn't get it cleaned until the next day and now won't return our money. They took our payment without providing accommodation. Disgusting that they can get away with it. Beware, don't book! JOVANA is handling the case, but she doesn't read the emails and keeps replying, “the decision is final.” Absolute con.

The worst night of our whole trip was in this apartment. The sofa bed was so uncomfortable that you could feel the entire metal frame through the mattress, and your body lay unevenly. My husband and I couldn't sleep there, so I messaged them on Booking at 2 am. They don't answer my calls, email, or messages through Booking. The mattress had lots of urine marks on both sides, and so did the blankets. The sink still had beard hair from previous guests. There weren't enough spoons, and there were no bins, so we had to go from the bathroom to the kitchen to throw away dental floss and cotton pads. For four people staying two nights, they provided coffee pads for only one day. The walls were very dirty inside the apartment and along the whole corridor. The fan in the living room was just dirt. The phone and WhatsApp don't seem to exist, so there's no way to speak to a guest. It seems intentional. I travelled with my parents, who aren't so young anymore, and this flat was the worst of the trip. As if that weren't enough, we had to take the stairs because the elevator was broken. They were filthy too, and there was even number two on the stairs by the second floor!