Smartflats Budget - Louvain Central

We arrived to find a single box room, no separate bedroom, no sink or other things listed in the description, and exposed wires hanging out of the wall. The listing showed a nice living room with a kitchen and appliances, plus a separate bedroom with bunk beds. The owner refused to help, so we checked out after one night. We barely slept that night because people in multiple rooms were screaming and slamming doors until 5am. The walls are paper thin. If you don’t care about sleep, comfort, or safe appliances, this might suit you. Otherwise, avoid it and go somewhere else.

I had to find another hotel and never got my money back. After several complaints, they gave me a voucher even though I’d asked for a refund. The entrance is hard to find, and the property doesn’t look like a hostel. I booked through booking.com during Corona times, fairly spontaneously because of an emergency. They never sent me a pin code or any other entry information. I emailed several times and sent everything they requested, but still got no code. I was traveling without internet and they seem to have sent more requests while I was standing outside. I called them, or the distant call center, but they still couldn’t help or give me access. The customer service was the worst.

On my latest stay, they couldn’t provide an invoice with the required information, claiming it was technically impossible, even though they had done it successfully before. I’ve stayed here a few times for work. The first time, the TV screen was smashed and bent. Another time, rooms were still being booked while the building was under renovation, and getting through the shared spaces meant crossing what was literally a construction site. From the street, you’d never guess that was the way you had to get to your room.

The room was badly misrepresented on the booking sites. Water leaks down the wall from the roof, there’s no kitchen sink, the bathroom basin is blocked, and there’s no kettle. I reported it right away when they asked about my first night and requested help, but five days later there’s still been no reply or solution. Now I have to spit into the toilet when I brush my teeth. I want a refund and am considering taking a case to the police over possible swindling.