The House of Edward

The location is excellent, right in the city centre, and the room had everything it promised. Still, it felt overpriced. The photos looked appealing, but the room had no charm or coziness. The toilet, shower and kitchen were each tucked behind cupboard doors, which made the layout feel odd. There’s also a nightclub next door that’s open Fridays and Saturdays. I ended up staying at the lovely River Hotel across the road. As a woman travelling alone, I wasn’t comfortable with a room so close to the street in a hotel without a front desk. That feeling was subjective, and the hotel wasn’t responsible for it. What upset me was how they handled things. A representative came by shortly after I contacted them and said a room change wasn’t possible. He asked how my stay was going. I said it wasn’t great, but I’d manage since I’d already paid through Booking.com. He insisted I should leave, saying the accounting department would refund me on Monday, directly, because I was no longer eligible for free cancellation through Booking.com. I asked if I could at least stay the first night of my two-night booking, but he still insisted I leave. I never got the money back, and my messages were ignored. It felt like the representative lied to get me out of the hotel. Appalling behaviour!

Room 3 was small and very basic, especially compared with the photos. There was no fridge, and the coffee machine didn’t work. Breakfast wasn’t available either. The automatic perfume spray at the entrance was much too strong. It didn’t feel worth the price. On the plus side, the mattress was good and the location was convenient.

I was very happy with my six nights at House of Edwards. It’s right in the city centre, near lots of restaurants, bars and shops, but the accommodation itself was quiet and I didn’t hear outside noise in my room. The room was clean and had all the appliances you could want. I’d highly recommend staying here.

There was a mouse that ran across the floor when I turned on the light, and we could hear people on the stairs until at least 4 a.m. The room had a nice outdoor terrace and a large, comfortable bed, but it wasn’t very clean. The kitchen was missing basics like dish towels, paper towels and a sponge. The shower shampoo dispenser was gone, and the conditioner dispenser was empty and didn’t work. Getting in was a mess too. We weren’t sent the entry codes, and had to call three times before reaching someone. They eventually gave us the codes, but it took well over an hour to resolve. The listing on Expedia says “parking available,” but that meant a lot in front of the hotel where you have to pay every five hours between 9 a.m. and 11 p.m. We were about 30 minutes late coming back from dinner and got a 40E ticket. If you’re on an upper floor, know there’s no lift, and the stairs are steep and narrow. I’d never stay here again. I’d book Ghent River Hotel across the square instead.