I actually have to agree and disagree with the above comments.
My stay in Oostende should have been for two nights but I only could get one room for the first night online in advance, as I was late with booking. So my first day I walked into the Empire to ask for the way, but after checking they had a room available for the second night. I was surprised how friendly and helpful the receptionists were and I was even given an invoice for my advance payment. The hotel lobby is small but very inviting as well as very clean.
When I finally checked in the next day I was told that my room wasn’t booked but after showing the advance payment invoice I immediately received my room key and was told of the main extras, for example breakfast and dinner times. The elevator up to the 5th floor was small and scary and made me walk the stairs until the next day. The double room itself is small and fitted only with the basics (bed, chair, table, wardrobe, TV, armchair). Even though it was a smoking room it didn’t smell. Everything looked old, the bed linen in a slight yellow color, the arm chair was broken down, the TV build on the top wall, but so small you had to concentrate to see anything at all and the window was located to a small inside area where the fire escape stairs came right along your window. As a good point though I could leave the window open while smoking and the noise from the street was around zero. The bathroom looked build in, very cheaply made out of plates to save the tiles. It was fairly clean and the bath tub seemed smaller than a normal shower.
Breakfast the next morning was included in the room rate and only available from 7.30am to 9.30am. It offered different breads, sweets, croissants, juices (not fresh), coffee, chocolate, tea, cheese, ham, honey, different cereals and fruits. Basic but all you need for a good start.
FAZIT: For one or two nights a standard single or double is ok considering you don’t spend much time in the room itself. For a longer stay I would book a bigger apartment or different hotel. Even though it wasn’t very clean/updated and had a few take backs, I was very surprised by the friendly hotel personal on different occasions (Even hotel staff has bad days and difficult guests are always nerve racking…) and the very good breakfast. As well the location both to the city centre and beach is fantastic.
- Empire Hotel Ostende
