Hotel Orion in Rotterdam

It's more of an old-school B&B than a hotel. It's family owned and managed, the decor inside the rooms is nice, everything is very clean and the rooms are surprsingly well equipped. Mine had an illuminating mirror, a fridge and even a microwave, a kettle, a hair dryer and plenty of electrical outlets. The hosts are friendly and helpful. I arrived late in the evening and they made sure I would have no trouble getting in. The breakfast provided is hearty and filling. Your first impression when you enter will be the architecture, especially if you've never been in a Dutch townhouse before. These are very narrow buildings built up in many levels. You enter a tight corridor to the right of which are the stairs. Well, more a ladder since as you climb the treads get narrower and steeper so that near the top you can use your hands literally as you would on a ladder. You'll climb about 4 floors in a straight line to get to the rooms (there are a few at the lower level but most are at the top). Literally the most reassuring aspect is that the stairwell is so narrow your shoulders almost rub the walls so you can brace yourself if you start to lose your balance. I have to warn therefore that if you aren't limber or if you are cursed with possessions (ie luggage) stay away. I had a single room. Cute decor as mentioned but, continuing the earlier theme of narrowness, in my bedroom I could reach out my arms and touch both side walls at the same time. And the bed was correspondingly tiny, more like an army cot. The toilet on the landing is so small the WC barely fits inside: you have to spread your knees wide to close the door. If you have our legs in front of you the door will not shut! And then the light is on a very short timer. It's a good thing its dark and windowless because imagine if people could see you sat on the pot, waving your arms above your head all the time to keep the light on! A few criticisms. There should be hand washing facilites in the toilet. At the moment you have to go back to your room and use the basin in there. The fact that after using the toilet people are opening and shutting the toilet door, going to their rooms and opening and shutting that door all without having washed their hands is pretty gross. Second, they really should mention in the listing that the stairs are unsuitable for people with limited mobility. And third - I specified on the booking website that I only wanted to see properties that offered car parking. The Orion came up on the first page of the list and yet it definitely does not have parking. There is street parking but it's a residential street and you'll never find a space. The alternative is looking for a commercial parking garage, leaving your car there for an exorbitant fee and then walking or taking a taxi back. This is the second or third time it's happened to me that I booked accomodation only to find that when they claim to offer parking they mean you can park on the street or there's a commer

Everyone will tell you that Europe is quirky. This hotel is like an early 20C working class bedsit. You enter an extremely narrow corridor and the stairs to the rooms are to your right. Sorry, I meant ladder, because these have not earned the right to be called stairs. They are so steep that you literally can use your hands as you would on a ladder, and they go straight up for 3 floors before you have a turn. The separate toilet can barely fit its WC, the light in it is on a timer so its a good thing no one can see you sitting on the throne, waving your arms above your head the whole time. Most annoying for me is I specified in the search critera that I required car parking facilities. This is the 3rd or 4th time it has happened that a property advertises "parking available" when what they mean is "There's a street outside. Park on it if you can - and if you dare." Now for the positives. The host was very responsive when I rang and said I was going to check in late. He made arrangements so I could get to my room even after hours. Secondly the room, although way up at the top of the "ladder" and although tiny - I could touch both side walls at the same time - was actually surprisingly well outfitted with a new fridge, a clean washbasin, a fancy illuminated mirror, tea and coffee, characterful decor elements and a microwave oven. It was also spotlessly clean. The bed of course (you should no longer be surprised) was like a WW1 army cot. very narrow and very short. I'm not upset with the experience. It was cheap and it was certainly one for a future travelogue. I do decry that there is quite a lot of deliberate misrepresentation. Those stairs means you should not have any disabilities or movement restrictions - or luggage because you'll never get it up and down the ladder. I feel these should be mentioned so customers can know what to expect. That and stop saying parking is available when you mean the city has parking on offer, the hotel has no hand in it at all.