Sleep Well Youth Hostel Reviews

I stayed in this youth hostel for one night in Brussels. Compared to my 20-plus days in other European hostels and hotels, this was probably the worst night of my trip. Location: The hotel is about a five-minute walk from the subway station, but the area around it is quite crowded and feels unsafe. However, the Grand Place is only a ten-minute walk away, and it's bustling with people and tourists. As soon as I walked there, I regretted choosing a hotel in that area. Facilities: The bunk beds offered no privacy, and the curtains were a major drawback. The restrooms were relatively clean, with the toilet and shower separated and located inside the rooms, meaning each room had both a toilet and shower. The biggest drawback, however, was the lack of air conditioning. Atmosphere: My roommates didn't seem very communicative. Two Romans were relatively polite. I also encountered a guy of East Asian appearance who was a complete ****. When I greeted him, he ignored me. When I asked him where he was from, he asked, "What are you doing?" I was completely floored. What could I possibly do? What could I possibly do with you that was worth it? I said I wasn't doing anything, just saying hello. I felt a strong unease about this person. He was the only odd person I encountered during my 20-plus-day trip. But he didn't stop me from remaining open to people and things during my trip, and I even proactively greeted others in a friendly manner. Besides, the people in the other rooms seemed normal. In this hotel, I encountered many European girls who looked like college or high school students. They were all in groups, chatting and laughing, singing and dancing, ordering pizza, and playing games together. The same thing happened around the Plaza Mayor: there were tons of tourists, and there were also tons of European girls in groups. They seemed to be speaking Italian or Spanish, which I couldn't quite understand. Overall, Brussels is less safe than Paris. After getting off the train, I noticed a lot more people of color in Brussels, all of them dark-skinned. They're different from the black people you see in Paris. The black people in Paris look very French, smiling and fashionable. The black people in Brussels are very similar to the black people I see on the streets of San Francisco or New York. I don't mean to discriminate against people of color. I'm simply saying that I did feel unsafe in the city at first, until I saw so many tourists dancing and singing in the Grand Place. I finally felt at ease. The hotel has lockers for luggage, but they don't have locks, and they're sometimes full, making it impossible to store your luggage. If you've checked out and want to leave your luggage at the front desk, they have a place to store it, but they only let you store it, not take care of it. In other words, if you lose something, they won't take care of it. This is a common problem in many European hostels, so consider your own choices. If you're looking for convenience, you're taking a certain risk. By the way, this hotel does have its strengths: a decent breakfast and a lively restaurant. If you're just stopping here for a night like I was, I think it's fine. But if I had to choose again, I'd prefer to stay near the Grand Place, primarily for the greater sense of security.