We stayed here one night in a twin which turned out to be bunk beds with wait for it plastic mattrass. The dopy girl on the desk was bored and she even charged my friend for a map of town. She suggest the only intesting thing in Brussels was the little pisser. You have to be hope at 1 or they lock the door and they kick you out at 10 in the morning. The bar downstars stank of piss and was full of realy drunk dutch boys called Cock and Flem.
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(Review ID: 1574)
Good, Clean, Cheap, Well Located, October 8, 2003
Reviewer:
Steve Murray
( s_v_murray@yahoo.co.uk)
from Stoke-on-Trent, UK
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Although I found this hostel a little difficult to find, it is well priced, clean and actually well located. The street is quite small, so local shop owners, etc, were unsure of its location. A taxi driver was soon on hand to guide me there. So it is recommended that you have a good map/directions.The hostel is easily reachable on foot within 15 minutes from Gare du Midi, and 5 minutes from Gare Centrale. It is also just 5 minutes walk from the Grand Place, just head towards the tower of the Hotel de Ville (which will soon be spotted from one of the nearby side streets).It is important that you call the hostel on the actual day of arrival, if you will be arriving after 4pm. Otherwise your reservation will be cancelled. There is no entry to the hostel between 1am and 7am, and it is also closed for cleaning between 10am and 2pm.I stayed in a 6-bed dorm, which was warm and clean, with 2 sinks, small storage closets and a good size table with 4 chairs for planning the days activities. The shared showers and toilets were good and clean. There were no lockers in the rooms, but they were available in the reception area. There was also facility to leave valuables at reception. A lounge area is also available on each floor.Simple breakfast was included in the price, served between 7am and 9am, comprising: Cereals, Bread, Spread cheese, Jam, orange juice and a choice of tea, coffee or hot chocolate. Dinner was also available between 6.30pm and 7pm for an additional cost of 7,80.There is a small bar in the basement with a basic selection of reasonable price drinks, with a happy hour between 8pm and 9pm. Music is also played (including karaoke on request), along with a small dance floor. Internet facilities are also available at 2/hour.All in all, although I only stayed for 2 nights (in early October) and I would have preferred lockers in the dorms, I would consider this to be a pleasant place to stay.
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(Review ID: 1575)
Not exactly customer friendly, September 30, 2003
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Anonymous
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This hostel is an easy 15 minute walk from the main station and major sights, and the place itself gets the job done. It just isn't anything special. The front desk staff were definitely lacking in friendliness. They were gruff with me and downright rude to the Japanese girls ahead of me who didn't know much English or any other language the woman knew. The other big problem was that the place was getting fumigated, which no one knew ahead of time. Everyone had to move all their stuff down to a storage room, which was a major inconvenience. A discount would have been nice, but an apology would have sufficed. The rooms were ok. There are sinks in the rooms, though there was no light in this area for late comers or early risers to do their thing without disturbing the others in the dorm. The main bathrooms are passable. There was a nice garden that would probably be pleasant in good weather. Breakfast was ok.
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(Review ID: 1576)
A good hostel!, August 14, 2003
Reviewer:
Massimiliano De Gaspari
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The hostel is in the center, just 5 minutes by foot from the Grand Place.It's clean and quite comfortable; the bathrooms are clean, too. There are locks for valuables.It's not expensive: it's quite cheap as the whole Belgium is.The only sad thing is that you cannot return after 1 in the night, and you have to be outside the hostel from 10am to 2pm.There is a pub in the basement of the hostel.
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(Review ID: 1577)
Ok but a bit disappointed, July 27, 2003
Reviewer:
Julie
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I stayed in a 4 bedded room in middle of June for 2 nights. The room was OK, it had 2 sinks, a closet, a table and 4 chairs. There was also lockers but it was not possible to lock it. The sinks were situated rear of the closet and there was supposed to be a light over it but it was missing so it was a bit dark. The toilets were just clean not more, the breakfast OK but the diner is expensive (7.80 euros) for what it is, you better go eat outside. The major good point of this hostel is that they are very near the train station Central and the Grand Place. Even if I find it OK I would not go back in the futur. I found the Jacques-Brel Hostel a better place to stay even if it is not near the Grand Place.
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(Review ID: 1578)
decent place, quiet, and affordable, June 21, 2003
Reviewer:
erica
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I stayed in a double room for two nights in this hostel. (early june). It's clean, and each room has a closet as well as sink. The bathrooms were nice as well, separated into girls and guys. Each floor has a lounge area with tables and chairs, and the 2nd floor lounge has a television. The breakfast is decent, cereal and toast with jam, butter, and chease to spread on. Also, unlimited orange juice, which was delicious. We were leaving early the 2nd day, before breakfast, so the night before the staff made up a breakfast to go for us to take. We had the dinner one night as well. A little over-priced at 7.80 euros per person. There's a soup, and the main course was pork and vegetables. There's also dessert and water to drink. The hostel isnt as close to the train station as the web site boasts.
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(Review ID: 1579)
Great location, nice hostel, March 5, 2003
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Anonymous
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The Brueghel hostel was able to lodge my group of two without any problem, without so much as a reservation. It is extremely well-located, near the Burxelles-Centraal train station and within walking distance of all tourist sights. The rooms are fairly comfortable, very well-heated and the shower facilities are adequate. Definitely the best budget place to stay in Brussels!
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(Review ID: 1580)
good, and not-so-good, March 1, 2003
Reviewer:
malo@earthling.net
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When I arrived at Breughel, the sign on the door said "Full", but I thought I'd ask anyway, since I'd sent a last-minute email asking for a single. They had gotten my email and reserved me a single, for the one night one was available, after which I stayed in a dorm. What a contrast! My single room was wonderful, comfortable, and serene, with a great rooftop view of Brussels.The next three nights in a 15-bed dorm were not so comfortable. The room was very dark, and a lower bunk was even more so. There were only cubbyholes for storing possessions, and not enough of them. The mattresses were covered in some squeaky plastic cover, and the sheets slipped and slid.The cafeteria was like my worst nightmare of gradeschool. It was open for very limited hours and cranked people through like an assembly line. Getting a second cup of coffee or a different flavor of jam than the one you'd been handed became a major project. Yet, for all that, I met some of the coolest people in the dorms there, and enjoyed a great beer or two in the bar downstairs with new friends. And it seemed the dorms were the only place for meeting people: I didn't find any rooms or places where people gathered. That lack added to the impersonal feel of the place.But the location is excellent, very convenient to the train station and the major sights. That made up for a lot, for me.
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6 people found this review helpful
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(Review ID: 1581)
Great place to stay - affordable & central!, August 6, 2002
Reviewer:
Lenore
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My boyfriend and I stayed in a double room at the hostel on a Friday & Saturday night. The showers are great (nice & hot), the room was okay (tho twin bunks but we just pulled the mattresses off and put them on the floor) and had a sink which was handy. But most importantly it's central to everything! Less than 10 minutes walk from Gare Central (where we left to go to Bruge for the day) and 15 minutes from Gare du Midi, 10 minutes from Grand Place & other attractions. And... the sheets were fine! The 10am-2pm lockout was no problem because we were there for such a short time we were out all day anyway. Brekky was a bit bland so we opted out on it the second morning. But all in all - a great place to stay at a good price! (P.S. They do tell you when you first book that you need to confirm your booking if you're going to arrive after 4pm otherwise you lose your reservation - we called on the day and arrived without problem at about midnight).
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(Review ID: 1582)
Nice at first but..........., February 10, 2002
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Anonymous
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The Brueghel hostel is in a great location and the staff are friendly. I stayed there for 4 nights and on the last night two guys had just come back from the hospital because the had big rashes on there arms. I'm not saying it is from the sheets cause i don't know for sure, but that last night i stayed a few of us got really drunk cause nobody wanted to sleep in their beds and i ended up sleeping on the floor.
