The Neufchatel - Brussels, Belgium     

This was one of the best budget-priced hotels I stayed in during my month long trip in Europe. The hotel has a lift. The room was cheerfully decorated, had a TV with some English language channels, and the en suite bathroom was awesome. The shower was one of those deluxe kinds with six additional sprayers. I think the room had recently been redone. The location wasn't bad. Not central, but easily accessible by tram and Metro. THe directions on the website are incomplete (only gives you the tram stop and doesn't tell you where to go from there) and that was a bit of a bear. (Exit Janson stop, turn left on main road -- Charlesroi, I believe) and the hotel's street is about 2 blocks down). The hotel is in a more local area than touristy which is a bonus I think. There are several restaurants in the area. The manager isn't the warm and friendly type but very efficient which was all I really needed for checking in and out. The price was really good for Brussels and I would absolutely stay there again.

First of all, disregard the directions on the web site for getting to the hotel from the train station. The directions indicate you can take either tram 81 or 82 and get off at the eighth stop. Do not, I repeat, NOT take #82! We did, and found ourselves out in the boonies with no clue where we were. We ended up dragging our stuff down a hill until we came to a police station, where we were able to get a taxi. As we came to learn, however, even though #81 would have been the correct tram to take, the closest stop is still several blocks from the hotel. We would not have had a clue how to get there even if we had been on the right tram. The hotel is situated in a residential neighborhood -- and carries the inherent noise. It was very warm during our stay and the hotel is not air conditioned, so we had to sleep with the window open. Although our room faced the back, we were nearly eye to eye with the owners of the flat next door -- who, unfortunately, hosted a party on their outdoor porch our first night there. It was still going strong at 2:30 am. Two nights later (a Saturday night), a group of young people on the nearby corner decided to serenade the neighborhood from 1:30 am to nearly 3:00 am. Moral of the story: pack earplugs! The hotel itself is adequate, though nothing special. The best thing I can say about it is that the entire hotel is non-smoking. There are fewer than 10 rooms in total. Our room on the third floor (there is a very tiny lift) was good sized, but rather shabby, with very worn carpet and a bedspread that was faded and stained. The bathroom was small and shower barely big enough to get into (it had obviously been "fixed" with a supplemental panel, held in place with cardboard shims). The first day we were there, our room was not made up or cleaned. The next day the bed was made (but not changed). We did get fresh towels daily. Whether he is the owner or manager, the man who runs the place is very strange, and has absolutely NO personality. He never smiles! He speaks English, but never initiates a conversation, and only gives brief replies (even when I spoke to him in French). He puts out the breakfast daily, consisting of croissants, rolls, cold cereal, yogurt, meat and cheese, orange juice, tea and coffee. Adequate, although I was pretty grossed out when I saw him take an uneaten roll from someone's plate and put it back on the platter! There are only a few places to eat nearby, but we especially liked a small Italian place called Santa Maria on the main street above the hotel. But be prepared: the owners do not speak English and take only cash.