Hostel St Jacob

I found a dead mouse on the floor, and there were bed bugs that bit me. Be careful about staying here. It was a really disgusting place.

Breakfast comes with the stay at a small bar about a three-minute walk away. Parking without paying is very difficult. The hostel is in Leuven, around 25 km from Brussels, and the location works well since the university city has plenty of services and places to eat. The facilities are old and the standard is modest, but things are decent and, above all, clean.

It's right by the center in a welcoming, one-of-a-kind historic building. The shared bathroom didn't cause much trouble since the place can host only a limited number of guests, though cleanliness was questionable. For the price, it's adequate.

Breakfast is served at the food bar on the eastern corner of the block opposite. There’s also a shared bathroom with the toilet in the same room, and a kitchenette guests can use. The room was clean and everything worked, apart from the WiFi, which was nearly unusable because of its slow speed, a problem in Belgium generally. Entry is unusual: a code opens the main door, then a key is in a locker for the hotel room. We got the individual codes by email after ordering, so it can feel quite private and anonymous.