This is a wonderful property. We are a fit couple about 50 y.o. each, and love to shop for food in foreign countries and cook it ourselves. We love coffee, quaint living rooms and playing Scrabble. We LOVE being centrally located, and not have to take a bus or subway to get to the quaint and historic. If THIS resonates with you, then Miertje's property is for you! There isn't much to complain about, and there's MUCH to praise! The bottom line is that we had a great time and have no regrets! We were in a quiet apartment, with loads of natural light, in the heart of historic Antwerp, surrounded by coffee shops, Museums, historic squares and interesting shops. I'll start with whatever I can think of that fell short a bit: 1) The apt. is one just flight up from the street, but the steps are steep and narrow. This cuts both ways, actually. If you want the Building Code of 21st Century America, don't bother going to Europe altogether - particularly the historic districts! This wasn't a deal breaker by any stretch, but be ready to take your luggage up one piece at a time (advice: travel light!) 2) Could Miertje invest in the shower, and make it a bit more luxurious, instead of just average? I don't exactly know what her expense overhead is, but I guess she could. 3) I wish it was just a bit cheaper to rent in late January, but that's Europe, there ARE heating expenses, and it's a competitive marketplace! More than that, I can't think of anything even questionably bad to say! The apartment was 100% clean. There were a good 20-30 new towels. No laundry, but we didn't need any. The kitchen was fine, with loads of things that made life easier (utensils, coffee, salt, pepper, etc). A mixture of antiques and IKEA, everything was just right for a couple looking for a romantic weekend in historic Belgium. We got to know Miertje a bit when we arrived at around 20:30 pm. Miertje is an artsy, creative person who lived in the US for a few years in the '80s. She's a pleasant, happy humanist, with obviously great EQ. She was not in our hair, we didn't see her again, and she even let us "check out" by ourselves at 7 AM, simply by leaving the keys in the apartment and pulling shut the door from the street! Miertje lives in a different neighborhood, so we weren't running into her A gruff landlord can ruin a mood, and we didn't have that experience!
In short, if you want elevators, the hum of vacuums and room service - check into a Marriott! If you want an authentic historic "local" experience in Antwerp - this is The Genuine Article! I'D DO IT AGAIN, EXACTLY THE SAME WAY!