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Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost? What is included in the price?
I’m old. Can I still stay at your hostel?
What are your opening hours? When can I check in?
How close are you to the university?
How close are you to the airport?
I do not have a credit card. How can I book?
Can I pay in US Dollars/Kuala Lumpur ringgits/South African rand?
What are your cancellation conditions?
We are a small, independent accommodation provider offering both private rooms and small shared rooms/dorms. Our accommodation is informal: do not expect us to wear a tuxedo or shave every day ;-). We do however take a shower on occasional basis. See Wikipedia for more information on hostels.
How much does it cost? What is included in the price?
A night in a dorm starts at 22 EUR. See BOOK HERE for details on availability and prices. Bed sheets, breakfast, internet (wifi and via our computer at reception) are included. We’ll lend you a towel if you’ve forgotten yours.
I’m old. Can I still stay at your hostel?
Yes. Our hostel does not have a maximum age. We do have a young ambiance, however, and many of our guests are young.
You can book up to 14 nights online. Longer stays may be possible but will have to be pre-approved by hostel management.
I’m a visiting student/scolar at the university and need a place for a couple of months. What should I do?
We recommend you book a couple of nights at our hostel while looking for permanent accommodation. 4-5 nights are usually all you need. We regret that we cannot refund you if you got lucky and found a house in less days than you booked and paid for – book what you definitely need and extend your stay if you have to!
What are your opening hours? When can I check in?
Our reception is open from 9 to 11 in the morning and from 4 to 8 in the evening. You can check in during these hours, but we cannot promise your room will be ready if you arrive in the morning (depending on who’s in the room the night before). If your room is not ready yet you can leave your bags in the hostel and go for a walk. We regret we cannot accommodate you if your plane/train arrives late at night. You can book a bed in a bigger hotel with 24hr reception for the first night and still come and stay with us from the second night onwards.
If you encounter unexpected delays while on your way to Leuven, and will not be able to make it before 8pm, please call us before 8pm to see if we can sort something out (not always the case so please do not count on it!). If you do not call and have not arrived by 8pm, we will assume you are no longer coming and cancel your booking (every day people book and never show up…). If you just show up at the hostel after 8pm and have not called, there will be nobody available to check you in, sorry…
How close are you to the university?
The KU Leuven (catholic university of Leuven) has over 300 buildings all over town. The faculty of Arts is in our street, the faculties of Law/Social Sciences/Philosophy/Economics are about a 5 minutes’ walk away. The Engineering faculty and the university hospital Gasthuisberg are about a 10 minute bus ride away. Please note that we are situated in Leuven and not in our French speaking sister city Louvain la Neuve.
How close are you to the airport?
Brussels National Airport (Zaventem) is 12 minutes away on the train. There are 2 direct trains per hour – less on quiet moments. The train station is inside the airport, and Leuven train station is a 5 minutes’ walk from the hostel. Brussels South Charleroi Airport is 2 hours away via bus and train (via Brussels midi train station) or directly to Leuven via the new Airportbus (about one hour). Do note that travelling to Charleroi Airport late at night and early in the morning can be difficult to impossible - you may have to spend a night there.
Your options are:
- Park for free outside the city centre. You’ll have to walk at least 15-20 minutes to get to the hostel
- Park on the street. 1,80 EUR per hour, 9am to 9pm. Many checks.
- Park in Parking Ladeuze, multi-storey parking around the corner. We’ll get you in at half price: 9 EUR per 24 hours. See here for the parking website and here for details on our parking deal.
I do not have a credit card. How can I book?
If you do not have a credit card you can send us an e-mail including what you want to book and your contact details. We’ll get back to you as soon as possible. If you book directly via our reception we’ll ask a 50% prepayment via bank transfer or Paypal. Our website (powered by Hostelworld) does not accept debet cards, only ‘real’ credit cards.
We accept online bookings for up to 6 guests. Bookings for more than 6 people need to be pre-approved by hostel management (via e-mail) and cannot be made online (they will be cancelled if made anyway). Please use the Booking Request Form to enquire about bookings for more than 6 guests. That being said, we usually do not accept group bookings for one night.
Breakfast is included. Other than that: nope. We do have a self catering kitchen and sell pasta and sauces (which you’ll have to prepare yourself); there’s plenty of supermarkets around; and Leuven has many student/budget restaurants. Take a look at Use-It’s Leuven map - no need to print it: we’ll get you a free copy at the hostel!
Can I pay in US Dollars/Kuala Lumpur ringgits/South African rand?
Nope. Euros only. It’s hard these days to exchange foreign currency in Euro country so we recommend you use airport or train station bureau de changes. We do accept all mayor credit and debit cards at reception.
What are your cancellation conditions?
Online bookings for individuals (up to 6 guests): Hostelworld’s cancellation conditions apply. You’ll get an e-mail with the full details, but basically you can cancel free of charge up to 24 hours before your indicated arrival time. The 10% prepayment you paid cannot be refunded unless you buy Hostelworld cancellation protection (on the booking site). If you cancel less than 24 hours in advance or don’t show up, we will charge the first night to your credit card.
Bookings for individuals via reception (up to 6 guests): if you cancel up to one week in advance we’ll refund the prepayment. If you cancel less than one week in advance we’ll keep the prepayment.
Group bookings: special cancellation conditions apply. These will be stated in your reservation contract. In brief: cancellation up to one month in advance: only 50 EUR cancellation charge. Cancellation between one month and 2 weeks in advance: cancellation charge is your 50% prepayment. Cancellation less than 2 weeks in advance: full price of cancelled beds will be charged. Please note that all cancellations and changes to bookings must be made in writing via info@leuvencityhostel.com .
