June 1, 2005
Drapes Please!
In the shadow of Brussels and Bruges, Antwerp does not have a lot of budget accommodations (which is a shame since it's such a great Flemish city). My friend and I booked the Cammerpoorte, since it's location was near the old town and transportation. You can't miss it from the street and there is a decent restauarnt on the ground floor. The rooms were small and the beds hard. That's all stuff I can deal with from budget places. The real problem was that there was poor ventilation throughout the hotel. So you had to open the windows to get air, which of course normally is fine. Windows usually have drapes or screens to keep the bugs out. But at the Cammerpoorte the curtains are nailed to the inside of the window. When you open the window the drapes are open too. No protection from biting insects! If you close the window you suffocate. We tried the first night with the window open and we were beseeched by every mosquito and horsefly Belgium had to offer. One of the worst nights of my life! Since we were there for 4 nights, and could not find another hotel, we fastened a blanket on the window while we were out during the day to let the air in, and closed the windows at night. We complained to the staff about this, but they were completely unsympathetic. I LOVED Antwerp and would go back there again, but I will not stay at the Cammerpoorte, unless I have a desire to be desanguinated!
