Hi guys,
I’m sorry to say, after all the great reviews my stay at Sam’s place was quite disappointing. I’ll start with the positives: the place is pleasantly decorated, comfortable bed, good wifi. Reasonably clean. Kitchen reasonably equipped with basics. Sam was mostly friendly. The negatives for my stay. 1. It was cold, the heating did not work. I was there beginning of May when Brussels was going through a cold spell, with temperatures down to around 5 degrees Celsius. I arrived in the evening to a studio which had not been warmed for my arrival and it was coldish. I turned on the heating and went to bed, woke up around 5 and it was really cold - the heaters were cold. The long side of the studio is an outer wall and I guess it is quite poorly insulated. During the day, when the sun shone on this wall and the four large windows, it got a bit sweltering. Then it got really cold again during the night. I only stayed two nights. 2. It is NOT quiet. The studio is on the side of a street where there’s quite a lot of traffic, also late night and early morning. Not well insulated against noise. There is also a construction site close by. So if you’re sensitive to noise like I am, not the place for you. 3. The living area space is very small and it was cumbersome to move around my suitcase on the floor as I had nowhere to put my things (clothes etc) - there is a clothes rack behind the bed but you practically have to climb over the bed every time you want to get to it. So if you’re there for work and have ironed clothes/suits that need hangers, as I did, again, not the best place. 4. Communication with Sam. Delays in replying to messages. No reply to my last message. I arrived at the airport and called him (after having decided on the arrival time) to find out he had to leave and I would need to self-check-in. I don’t mind, I’ve done that several times, however, with clear instructions and pictures sent before my trip so I could get organised. Getting instructions from a person who speaks English with an accent and who is obviously in a hurry, while you’re on the bus and you can’t hear them well is not the best experience for a stress-free arrival after a long trip. Also, knowing your host will not be there in person is good so you can get any questions you might have replied to in advance. In my case, it might have made me think to ask about the heating...