Frank's Backpackers

I came from another country and needed just one night before an early flight. I trusted his “concept,” answered the host’s questions, and agreed to follow the rules and leave the place tidy. He confirmed the reservation, took my money, then refused to send the door code. On arrival night, he ignored my calls, leaving me outside with 4% phone battery. I spent the night on the street before catching my flight. If a couple of my answers were a problem, he could have cancelled before confirming so I could book somewhere else. Instead, he kept the booking and abandoned me. People have lives and flights to catch; they shouldn’t have to waste time on pointless questions or be treated as if everyone will trash a place. His reply to my review only reinforced what I said. He admitted Booking.com took the money back because of his actions. That wasn’t him “letting” anything happen; the platform held him accountable. Now he talks about “keeping himself safe from zombies,” but he’s acting like the victim after leaving a guest stranded and insulting them. This was cruel, irresponsible, and completely inhuman. It’s about basic decency, and he failed. Booking.com sided with me. He should own his mistake and apologize. Travelers deserve better. Stay far away from this host.

The owner’s questions after my Booking.com reservation seemed reasonable at first. The hostel concept asks guests to watch a video and follow house rules for a safe, clean stay. I understood the main point: don’t be a slob or leave a mess. But the owner wasn’t happy with my questionnaire answers and asked me to redo specific ones. He also said there was a problem with my passport details. When I asked what was wrong, he didn’t answer or say which responses he disliked. The next time I asked, he just told me to reread his messages. I found that rude and far from hospitable. I tried to reply again, then he blocked my messages. My experience was unfortunately very bad. Even if the hostel is very cheap, I’d advise travelers to avoid it. The owner seems unable to have a normal conversation or deal with criticism. If I could, I’d give it no stars.

The hostel owner’s questions were strange and unclear, and his emails had landed in my spam folder. My reservation stayed confirmed, never cancelled, even though he knew for weeks before I arrived that I wouldn’t be allowed in because I hadn’t answered those questions. When I got there, nobody was present. The phone number didn’t work, emails went unanswered, and no one turned up for six hours. I was left out on the street. The next day the owner said he wouldn’t refund the money, claiming he’d lost money because of other guests. He said I should be glad, since this was a cheap life lesson. Frank, keeping that €45 has seriously damaged your karma. It’ll be nothing compared with the losses still to come. ✌️

The self-sufficiency concept works nicely, and Frank was friendly and helped with an extra request. It’s also close to the NS station. For a hostel, the value is hard to beat in North Brabant, maybe even across NL. I’d stay again.