HI Brussels Jacques Brel Hostel

By far the comfiest mattress & pillow I’ve had at a hostel. Showers had soap! I’m glad breakfast was included but nothing to write home about.

One tiny (dirty) bathroom for all 11 of us in one room. As it was a loft layout room, it was sweltering hot for being end of September. First time being handed sheets & told to make my own bed too. No community activities besides a bar downstairs.

The hostel is in a beautiful building! The location is perfect! But of all, the staff in the reception were so kind! I had conversation with two of them, both the gentleman and lady were very professional and extended their hospitality to make me feel at ease. Very approachable, even though they looked busy, yet never stopped smiling while answering some questions that they could've avoided. If I go to Brussels again and stay in hostel, I'll choose them again. Thanks so much to the team!

Nothing I didn’t like

Excellent all around

Not much. All good.

Fine enough for a cheap-ish hostel stay. The bathrooms were a good size and the breakfast, whilst basic, was enough.

Check-in staff were incredibly nonchalant (if you could ever find them; most of the time they were out in the courtyard playing on their phones or having a smoke). Our private room was uncomfortably hot during the European summer heatwave; whilst no air conditioning in a hostel can be fairly normal, it’s unfathomable that the rooms don’t have a fan. It made sleeping near impossible. Most private rooms in hostels provide towels; this one didn’t although the rental rate was only €2 which isn’t too bad. For a YHA this place had a really weird vibe; there were families with young kids mixed amongst groups of young people, but the whole place was kind of missing a fun / social vibe.