Balladins Charleroi

You can barely tell the airport is nearby because the planes can’t be heard. The room was warm and perfectly clean, and the mattress was amazing when I badly needed to rest. The price was fair, too. There’s an airport bus from 4 in the morning, then every 30 minutes until late. Much better than I expected, and I’d definitely recommend it.

I’ve stayed here many times, and the friendly, helpful staff are a plus. Service can be slow because there are too few people on duty, though. I also like that the hotel welcomes pets. It’s a good place to leave the car while flying, much cheaper than airport parking, though you have to take the shuttle because of the airport’s location and security setup. Rooms are clean and warm in winter, the secure car park is good, and the room price is reasonable. The restaurant is expensive, about as much as at other local hotels, and breakfast at €11 per person is far too much.

The room was pretty ordinary, and the linens smelled sour. You can’t walk here from the airport because fences and gates block the way, so the shuttle is necessary. Both drivers were incredibly rude: the first wouldn’t speak to us and acted as if we weren’t there, while the second dropped our bag from the trunk, left it on the ground, and walked off. Don’t stay here. 4 EURO per person to put up with that.

This only makes sense for €50-60 if you arrive late, don’t need dinner, and leave early. You feel stranded here, stuck with the hotel’s limited food options, which was disappointing since I chose it expecting to have somewhere to eat. The restaurant was overpriced for what it served, with little choice for a snack and pretty poor food. The basic room was okay and clean, with separate toilet and shower, but the bed was spongey and there was no soundproofing. There was also an adjoining-room door that couldn’t be locked from inside, which made me uncomfortable. A taxi to the airport costs €4 each way for a three-minute ride, and walking isn’t an option, so add that to the cost.