The Hôtel Verviers in the city of the same name in Southern Belgium is reportedly the first in the country to accept bitcoins. However, to make a booking with the cryptocurrency you must come there in person.

A programme by the local TV channel Télévesdre covered the “first Belgian hotel that decided to test the technology of this virtual coin.” Marco Wohrmann, the hotel director, explained to journalists that all prices are still listed in euros but customers can choose to pay in bitcoins. The receptionist manually checks current bitcoin/euro exchange rate and reports the amount to be paid. To make the transaction the customer only needs to scan a QR code using his “smartphone, tablet, mobile or any other Internet-connected device.” According to Wohrmann, bitcoins are much more secure than credit cards because with the latter a payment can be annulled and it is the merchant who takes all the risk.

Curiously, when booking a room online, it is impossible to pay it with bitcoins – only credit cards are allowed. When approached by CoinFox, the Chief Receptionist of the Hotel answered: “For the moment it's only possible to pay [with bitcoins] inside the hotel. I hope that in the future it will also be possible through the website.”

The cheapest room for two persons in the Hôtel Verviers costs €69 per night. A business suite with spa or a honeymoon suite would cost €149 per night. It is much cheaper than staying in one of the Dorchester Collection hotels , which also accept bitcoins.

Verviers is a city with a population of 50,000, located in the French-speaking part of Belgium. It was formerly known as “The Wool Capital of the World”. The Hôtel Verviers, according to TripAdvisor, is the best in the city.

Alexey Tereshchenko