Belgium - Antwerp

Antwerp is surprisingly old and cool. I’m not suggesting you need to go there or that I need to go back, but still, I was impressed. The Grote Markt (main square) was just as good as most European squares. We had some mussels and some beers and just people watched. The river scene is just fine and walking through old town was quaint and very respectable. They have pedestrian avenues everywhere in old town and to me that is the sign of a good city. My mother was very impressed with the “bacon house” (supposedly looks like bacon) but it was lame. I did not look at, think about, or observe anything having to do with diamonds that I cared about, but supposedly, this is the spot.

People my age, and maybe dudes of all ages will end up visiting “Villa Tinto” while in Antwerp. After dinner it seems that’s where all the drinkers go, however, and much to my dismay, I thought Villa Tinto was an actual club, and it most certainly is not. It’s an area, and to be more precise it’s an area inside an area. Villa Tinto is technically a covered walkway going from one block to the next filled with red light doors. The thing is though, the entire area is filled with red light doors, so I don’t really understand why there is any fuss about that particular walk. But whatever, the girls were smokin. They really were. I was impressed. I also found it perfectly walkable from the old town and the train station (where my hotel was), and I found it reasonably safe. In fact, there’s hardly anything there! It’s ridiculous. You can’t open a proper bar in this area? How about a restaurant? How about anything? Everyone likes to look at hot girls, just give me something to do in between my strolls man.

Anyway, Antwerp was fun.

Most recent visit…

Antwerp zoo was fun and that train station is too cool. The cathedral itself was great, but also man did that area come alive at night. They pack it in that city center. People watching was just tremendous.
The Main pedestrian shopping street and it’s offshoots were fun enough, but maybe Antwerp is just too much of a city.

Villa Tinto was pretty sad and upsetting. It just felt trashy and unnecessarily unsafe feeling. Totally different, just like the world. Don’t go back. You hate it.

We paid 200 to get from Bruges to Antwerp. (private car)
We paid 135 to get from Antwerp to Ghent. (private car)

Notes to self:

-Don’t go back.

Hotel Rubens - Nov 2021

Wow the location can’t be beat. The penthouse suite is the best room by far with the full on porn star shower experience. The tub in the center of the room is always cool but you never really use it. The picture above is only half the suite. The other half is a nice living area with a huge TV etc. The other rooms are pretty standard, still nice, but a letdown after staying in the penthouse.
Amenities are minimal or nonexistent. For example the “bar” is a serve yourself area in the lobby. The included breakfast foods and such worked just fine, but the bland room and tourist feel made me uncomfortable and sad. The guest yelling at me about Covid didn’t help.

Notes

-This was on a list of best hotels in Antwerp. Location is great but otherwise there is no reason to stay here.

Park Inn by Radisson - Sep 2015

Not to be confused with the radisson blu, which dominates the main central square, this is still a nice little hotel right next to the blu. We booked it accidentally actually (moms) but it worked out well, as all we wanted was a decent location, and this one worked very well…literally right outside of the train station, and a quick and cool walk to the old town area.

The room was pretty good with wood flooring and a good bathroom that had a nice glass walled shower. There was pay per view but it was the old style and there were no packages. The mini bar only had a couple waters and some soda in it. The breakfast downstairs was a continental waste of time (get it, hehe), so we didn’t waste it.
The internet worked well and was free. There was no room service and there was no bar.

Notes

-The do give you access to the pool and shit at the Blu, which I guess is nice, but they ain’t exactly connected.