Rue de l'Eléphant 4, 1080 Bruxelles Metro Comte de Flandre Tram 18 Tel (02) 410 38 58 Websitewww.laj.be Emailbrussels.europe@laj.be
Price Dorm bed €18.50-20.60 (€15.50-17.60 HI/LAJ) Single room €33 (€30 HI/LAJ) Double room €50 (€44 HI/LAJ)
Prices include breakfast Prices are in local currency and are inclusive of all taxes.
i stay in a 8 bed en-suite dorm. 13.50 euro per night. it was great for the price. the toilet and the shower room are clean. the staff is nice. and the hostel provide a lot of facilities. you can do your laundry with only 3.50 euro. and there is a small garden outside.i agree that the location is not very good but it is not very far to walk to the city center. it takes about 15 min walk to the metro and the tram stop. and about 40 min walk to the city center.the hostels is in a slum area but it is not that bad. the people is quite friendly.i was lost one night and a lady brought me back to the hostel.i wrote this review because i think it is not as bad as it sounds in some previous reviews. so, if you have booked this hostel, don't worry, it is not bad.:)
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2 people found this review helpful
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(Review ID: 1642)
no bad experiences except from the location, April 18, 2005
Reviewer:
Peter
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I stayed there last summer, and I can confirm the last reviewer in that extent that I had no bad experiences. Security seemed very good, the room was clean, and the breakfast was good with substantial sizes. My only concern is the neighbouring area. It is a real ghetto (no matter what other reviewers say about Brussels present population). And, what's more, it is really far for the city centre (and even the closest metro station is not so close).So, go there only if you are prepared to walk long distances under suspicious security conditions, but once you have entered the door, everything is all right.
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(Review ID: 1643)
For backpackers, March 30, 2005
Reviewer:
Sul
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I was worried after reading the reviews here. After I arrived it took about 2 seconds to realise the people that have posted negativly about this hostel must have had some uniquely unfortunate experience.The security is among the best of any hostel I've ever stayed in - Europe, US, Latin America, etc. The foyer and rooms are clean, the staff as helpful as can be expected for such a big hostel.I stayed in both 4 and 8 bed dorms. Definitly the 8 bed is more crowded; and I also only had 4 lockers in that room. Go for the 4 bed dorm though (2 euro more); and you'll have a super comfortable stay.The neighbourhood is definitly colourful. Enjoy it. Nice people; perhaps the real side of Brussels. I heard 30% of Brussels is Islamic. I walked about the suburb alone at all hours without any sign of anything suspicious.
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(Review ID: 1644)
Clean, safe, friendly staff but bad location, February 24, 2004
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Anonymous
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I got to read all the bad comments of this hostel only after I booked it and was not sure whether it was a good idea to stay there. However, when I really stayed at the place, it's opposite to what people said. Yes, the hostel is not in a very good location as it's a bit out of town and in not a very nice area. But once you get inside the hostel, you will feel differently. The bed, bathroom and toilet are all clean and staffs friendly. The breakfast is not that fantastic - only bread and cornflake- but it's reasonable with the price. I feel sorry for this hostel thinking of all the exaggerated bad comments. I think this place is very ok and would love to go back there again.
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(Review ID: 1645)
This is a warning! Dont go here!!!!, January 4, 2004
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Anonymous
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i've never seen a worser youth hostel than this and I visited a lot of yh in europe. People are using drugs (even in the room, near wooden beds and closets) there is a shower with a handicap seat so you cant easily take a shower. Its presented in brochures that it has the most up to date security but the closets (4 closets on a room of 8 people 1 broken), but thats not true everybody can walk in and walk out easily through the whole building. Its situated in an area where a lot of muslims/African live -> ghetto. Police vans are 24/24 on the centersquare of this Brussels suburb and one policevan is driving whole day through this suburb. I only went here coz there was no other cheap place to stay, next time in Brussels I opt for a hotel and will choose to pay more. I recommend also opt for a hotel if you stay only for 1/2/3 days and want to sleap, coz of the time I stayed in bed between 22.30 and 7.30 I slept less than 4 hours.....
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(Review ID: 1646)
Don't think they've heard of security., October 12, 2003
Reviewer:
Kerry Currie
( corby_gal@hotmail.com)
from Corby, England
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I went here as a school trip, there was 40 teenagers (aged 14-18) and 5 teachers. We were told the facilities were adequate... How wrong they were!When we arrived here, we were informed that one of the male teachers didnt have a room, so he had to sleep on the floor of the bus drivers room! Then when were were given the cards to enter the room, they werent working, so we had to wait 30 minutes to enter the room. Although when we finally entered the room we wished we hadnt! The first impression we had was "What were they thinking of?" There was a huge window, wide open, with the pittoresque view of council flats where people could see everything you were doing, but when we tried to close the curtain, it didnt cover the whole window. And the room smelled like the toilet hadnt been cleaned - same with the bathroom! The facilities were.....poor, and consisted of a can machine, a chocolate machine, access to the internet and a bar - which was open to the public and used regulary by the public at all hours of the night and day! The rooms were minimal, although in our room we were lucky to have a picture of mushrooms glued onto the wall! (like anyone would like to steal a pictue of fungus!) But the art work on the walls of the stairs was....... shocking! Not something you would like to see in a dark corridor!The breakfast consisted of bread!! The area was like a ghetto, although you could get to know the locals easily as they could see u and wave to you when u were in your room. Although it was close to the city centre, but you had to go through small streets, so not very gd for coaches or even cars!!The security is unrealistic! Members of the public can roam around freely and if your as lucky as our group then maybe you'll be offered drugs in the elevator as well, or maybe someone will ask to come in your room as well!!! On the second night of out stay we were told not to leave our rooms, because it wasnt safe enough! If you are wondering to come here, then i strongly suggest to think again! Our group left early because we didnt think it was safe enough to stay any longer. It was a memorable trip, but for all the wrong reasons! I wouldnt even give it 1 star as it isnt even up to that standards, the best part of our trip was leaving!
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(Review ID: 1647)
Aim for the OTHER, closer, Auberge de Jeunnesse, August 17, 2003
Reviewer:
chicken_boo_2000@yahoo.com
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Rooms, beds, facilities are all adequate, quite clean, not uncomfortable. The price is also reasonable. I had one of my bags stolen from my room, something which I feel shouldn't have happened if the staff kept the place properly secure. Also I was on the ground floor and the windows opened out onto the street, meaning anyone could have got in and stolen anything.The staff failed to keep the toilets stocked with toilet paper, the soap dispensers stocked with soap etc. - and this continued day after day (I was there for four days). Basically, I think the staff are a bit lazy and don't quite maintain the place as well as they could.Also neither me nor my girlfriend were asked to produce ID to prove we are Hostelling International members, which I understand is required to stay at des Auberges de Jeunnesse.(Furthermore, clearly no one there understands the meaning of the word 'Jeunnesse', because the place is full of over-40s and families, ie. people who are too cheap to stay at proper hotels and who are taking away potential beds from young people who are travelling on a much tighter budget.)The breakfast is a basic continental breakfast - just like at any hostel in Europe. Its not exceptionally good, its not exceptionally bad.It is located a good 15-20 minute walk from the 'Grand Place' and most of Brussels good stuff, but its a pleasant walk and not overly long. You might not want to do it late at night when you've have a bit to drink though. It is odd that one reviewer should describe the area as a 'slum' - clearly this American fellow hasn't travelled around Paris, Marseilles or other parts of France much, because it's pretty much like that everywhere! Some people have tip-toed around the fact that the area is Arab-Muslim. If you're not used to walking through streets where almost everyone is middle eastern then you might feel uncomfortable, especially with Western-Islamic relations the way they are. It's true that tensions do exist, but you should only feel unsafe walking through the neighbourhood late at night, when young men are drunk and looking for fights - a problem which isn't exclusive to race or class.Acceptable, but don't leave any of your stuff for any amount of time. There are hostels closer into the city of Brussels, so try to stay at them, and only stay at this place as a last resort.
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(Review ID: 1648)
stay here at your own risk, June 26, 2003
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Anonymous
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This hostel is in a horrible neighborhood. I mean, ghetto. Smashed shop windows and all. I felt extremely unsafe walking the ten minutes from the closest subway station. The rooms were decent, but certainly not worth risking your life for. Staff was not particularly friendly and breakfast was not even worth going to.
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(Review ID: 1649)
Clean, safe, secure, good, May 21, 2003
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Anonymous
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I stayed here for two nights with my boyfriend, i found the place clean, safe and the staff were helpful. It is a little way out of town but only about a 10 minute walk fromthe grand place. I didn't have any problems with the place at all and would stay here again.
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(Review ID: 1650)
not perfect, but not exactly horrific, May 4, 2003
Reviewer:
Sam
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ok, i think some of the previous reviewers are exagerrating the faults of this hostel. it is not in the best location, but it's not actually very far from the centre (10-15 minute walk) and it has nice clean facilities. if anything, it's nice to stay in an area that's a little further from the centre because then you get an idea of what other areas of brussels are like. the hostel is in a primarily middle-eastern neighbourhood, and if that to you means "slum", as one reviewer called it, then i think you have larger ideological problems to deal with. other than being a little far from the centre, i didn't have any problems with this place.
