It is a great pity that the enjoyment and warmth created by Andre Rieu and his Johann Strauss Orchestra in concert doesn’t extend to the Town House in Maastricht.
Situated close to the station, this was a hotel we were so looking forward to staying in. In the end we were so glad to leave! I really wanted to write an enthusiastic hotel review but I couldn’t find anything positive to say. Except that the bed was very comfortable. But at 250 Euros a night it should be.
All hotels increase prices when there is a major event on .Supply and demand. And Maastricht is no exception when Andre, Maastricht born and bred, plays in the iconic Vrijthof square in the old part of this lovely city.
Yet for 250 Euros you would expect something at least a little special. Alas “something special ” is a phrase that the Town House doesn’t seem to understand.
Because of the popularity of the orchestra the hotel was full. A perfect chance you would think for the hotel to excel and show how good a stay could be.
First impressions of the room. Where is the wardrobe or chest of drawers or shelving or any storage at all ? No where to store clothes, only a few pegs on the wall, like a primary school cloakroom. Is this supposed to be trendy or am I getting old?
The louvred wooden door to the ensuite stuck rigid when closed. It took enormous effort to open it. And it was full of dust too. As was under the bed and on the rug too. A couple of Quavers, foodie type not musical, could be seen on the floor as well.
Pictures were leaning anyway but straight. I thought my recent laser work had gone amiss but I was relieved to find that this wasn’t the case.
The bed was comfortable but anyone under five foot six needed a step ladder. A pole vaulter would have had no issues but anyone with mobility problems wouldn’t have managed it.
The bathroom was functional – hardly exceptional. Hostel quality not hotel. There was a state of the art radio next to the toilet. I would have preferred a toilet roll .It looked as though it needed a degree in electronics to be able to use it.
A budding Banksy-style artist had been allowed free reign in the hotel. We had a stencilled tie on the door and a coat hangar on the wall. Are they having a laugh? A burger carton painted near the window lowered the tone even more. And a procession of ants had been added to the walls in the corridor. Personally I would have thought the money would have been better spent on providing a wardrobe. I’m sounding more and more like my Dad.
We lived out of our suitcases. There was nowhere to hang our wet clothes except on the end of the bed.
Breakfast was like a bun fight. Having waited 15 minutes to find a table we squeezed ourselves into the only two spaces left on one of the long dormitory tables. Tea and coffee were self-service. As too was everything else. The squabble around the toaster was off putting. Bacon was off the menu at 9.30 – the hotel had run out! The fruit salad had been fresh once but that was a long time ago.
Europeans can be very rude. And today was no exception. Especially the Germans. Believe you me I am not anti-German. We had visited Hamburg recently, and the Rhine Valley last year and everyone we met were charming, polite and helpful. But not today, here in the southernmost city in the Netherlands.
Please, excuse me and danke were not words these German tourists understood.
We had booked a room with a bath, and got one with a shower instead. On asking politely for a room change we were told take it or leave it. A lovely partially sighted English couple from Liverpool had informed the hotel about their disability only to be given a room at the top of the hotel – a small room with sloping ceilings into the eves.
Our room had double glazing but it was still noisy. We were next to the main route through the city, next to the traffic lights. Lorries and buses trundled by all night long and when they weren’t trundling they were waiting at the traffic lights, with music blaring. We couldn’t have the windows open. We finally left the hotel after a two night stay feeling totally exhausted.
So if you want a hotel with threadbare rough towels then stay here.
If you want a room with chairs that looked as though they had been reclaimed from a skip, then book into here.
If you want to pay four star prices for a two/three star hostel , then this is for you.
If you want to be kept awake all night by the traffic , then the Town House is ready and waiting to oblige.
But if you, like us just want a bit of luxury in our later life then go and stay elsewhere.
And finally! If you didn’t want to be disturbed in your room there was the added bonus? of a stuffed bird – I kid you not. Simply place it outside the room door and the staff will leave you alone- though the traffic outside guaranteed you WOULD be disturbed anyway.
I felt like kicking the damn thing down the corridor but as my contribution to European harmony I decided to refrain.
