Corsendonk Sol Cress

The morning buffet was well arranged and set up safely, though staff only realized quite late that they needed to wear COVID masks. The rest of the stay was worrying. Our room had exposed loose electrical wires in the main room, which seemed dangerous with a toddler around. There were lots of dead flies stuck to the ceiling, the bathroom smelled of urine, and the hallways had an old onion soup smell. The carpet could use a thorough steam cleaning. The rooms are old, and the teenage staff seemed inexperienced. We were given the wrong room and directed to an entrance with a broken elevator.

It’s an unusual layout at first: the room’s main door opens onto three doors, leading to the bedroom, bathroom, and living room. There’s a spiral staircase inside the living room, which seemed weird at first but turned out to be an interesting idea. The living room has a kitchenette, TV, sofa, and more. Depending on how many people are coming, what you need, and your budget, you can rent just the bedroom and bathroom, add the living room, or include the upstairs area with its two extra bedrooms.

The restaurant booking was awkward. We asked about eating there when we checked in, and were first told we should have booked when making the reservation. The kitchen then said it might be possible, but once we mentioned a party member’s allergies, they said they couldn’t accommodate us because all the food was prepared in advance. That did make me wonder about the restaurant’s standards. Breakfast was plentiful, but the layout was strange, with bowls by the bacon and eggs, cereal by the coffee cups, and plates by the coffee machine. Guests seemed to be wandering around to find everything they needed. The rooms were basic, somewhere between a hospital room and a dorm. In our building, two rooms shared one door off the corridor. If you didn’t enter quickly, an alarm sounded and the corridor door opened by itself.

The best part of an otherwise mediocre stay was a wonderful Moroccan man who worked both at Reception and at the bar. He was considerate and extremely helpful. I stayed in the “new” annexe, which felt very basic. The walls and floors were thin, so noise travelled easily. Most frustratingly, there was no air conditioning. It was hot, and friends staying in the main building said it was way too hot there too. There weren’t any fans available. Really?