Thuis bij Schell

The mattress and pillow were badly worn and lumpy, and there was a loud physical fight in the men's section one morning. I could see the owners meant well, but the hostel crossed what I felt were basic boundaries for paid accommodation. My booking had mistakenly put me in an all-male dorm, although I'd booked an all-female one, and they moved me promptly to „Mammas“ room. Most of the women there seemed to be staying for a while and knew the owner fairly well. She spent much of her time at a small table just outside the dorm, with guests coming and going. The dorm door stayed open until 22:00, which didn't feel very secure. She also came in and out to use the mini fridge, talking loudly until at least 00:30. Around 23:30 one of her friends had a loud phone call in the dorm while some of us were clearly trying to sleep. The owner was nice to talk to, but the distinction between paying for a bed and couchsurfing at your aunt's seemed to be missing for her.

My bed was occupied by someone else when I got back from a night out, and things get stolen here. The staff are rude, the beds are bad, and mine wasn't clean. There were no blinds, and the windows wouldn't open, so it smelled really bad. People from the streets come in at night, and they house homeless people rather than travelers. It felt like a homeless shelter. Worst hostel I've ever stayed in. I imagine prison has better living conditions than Thuis bij Schell. DO NOT RECOMMEND.

The bed bug problem was serious, and the place felt unwelcoming. Rooms are small, the stairs are steep, lockers are old and feel unsafe, and there's no microwave. Bathrooms are in poor shape, with broken showers and taps. Guests have to leave their rooms for three hours a day for cleaning, though the reason isn't clear, and the hostel still stays dirty. Reception is open for very limited hours. Staff are no help after hours, and the phone number posted there doesn't work. This was the worst hostel I've stayed in. Paying a little more can get you somewhere cleaner, safer, and more humane.

The receptionist couldn't explain how the door cards worked, and one of the cleaners, who was very kind and also lived at the hostel, ended up helping us with several issues. When my girlfriend and I arrived last week, refurbishment was underway, but nobody had told us when we booked. Three of the four floors were in unacceptable condition, full of workers, tools, machines, and dust. Perhaps it'll be a great place once the work is finished, but they shouldn't have been renting rooms in those conditions.