Hostel Linda

It's got a bad press
Ok so this isn't the best hostel in Amsterdam, but it's not as bad as some say it is. We stayed there for four nights and it was perfectly fine. There are a lot of steep stairs to climb and the bathroom was pretty dirty (like a student house) but other than that it was fine. We didn't have to pay for linen. There were lockers. The staff (I only saw them twice) were friendly, helpful, and spoke good English. It's fairly close to the nightlife and museums. Breakfast was included, but we never got up in time. You have your own keys and there's no curfew. If you're looking for a relaxing, quiet weekend away, this is probably not the best place to stay. But if you're traveling or on a weekend away with mates then it's ideal. We met some really nice people and had a great time.

It was horrible. the day we arrived they told us to come some eight hours later because they were not checking people in until a certain time, and then when we came back they moved us to another hostel -- the second one being crappier then the first. so, yeah. very nice of them.

It was only after my friends and I had booked our flights to Amsterdam that we realised it was Queens Day weekend and this hotel/hostel really was the very last option that we had unless we wanted to sleep on the streets. I can see now why they still had rooms available though. Although our room was quite clean there really was nothing on offer from this hostel. The stairs most definitely are the stairway from hell. we were on the very top floor and we counted eighty-one vertical stairs, which is really dangerous when coming home late at night if you are drunk or even just simply carrying your case up. I have stayed in dirtier hostels but at least they were cheap. for €50 a night this was definitely not worth it.

I booked in as a group of eight staying for the weekend of Queens weekend 2007. The owners of the Hostel had obviously got greedy around this busy weekend and had crammed in a load of extra bunks into each dorm making it really cramped. On tp of this it made their room/bed numbering all to cock, so they weren't sure who was supposed to be sleeping where, and they were not even prepared to come up to the rooms to show us where we needed to go. This led to confusion all weekend, and even sometimes finding strangers in our beds when we returned there after an evening out. The rooms had no locks on the doors, there were lockers but these were small and we would have had to hire locks each. The single toilet and shower were in the same bathroom, which was along the corridor, so if someone was in the shower nobody could use the toilet and vice versa. the bathroom was in use by an estimated twenty people, and it stunk. It had not been cleaned at all for many weeks in my opinion. There was absolutely nothing in the room apart from a table and five double bunk beds. No wardrobe, no telly, no towels, no kettle, no curtains, no bedside locker -- nothing! The bed linen was clean. The stairs were an absolute nightmare (fifty-one really steep and winding) but this is not uncommon in Amsterdam, so can't really blame the owners/Management for this. its location is fine, not far from anywhere, yet quiet enough to be not too noisy at night. Overall, whilst I can't speak for the Hotel side of the building (the Hostel part is nextdoor) I would never recommend anyone stay here. Even given the fact it was probably the busiest weekend of the year in amsterdam, the standard of room, facilities, and customer care was appalling. Greedy B@stards!

I don't understand why everyone was so frustrated with this hostel. First of all, chill out -- it's Amsterdam. There were no problems even though I only booked a day in advance, the beds were clean, and the staff was friendly (they helped me carry my bag because i was on crutches). It was close to the Heineken brewery and five minutes from the center of town. Breakfast was good and I had no serious problems. The only downside is the stairway up -- it really is the stairway from hell so its not so safe if you are high or drunk. Other than that, it is a cheap alternative to the center town hostels.

I have stayed in cheaper, nicer, and cleaner youth hostels. This was the worst possible experience imaginable. We won't list everything, because we would surely run out of space. The rooms were disgustingly dirty, the carpets were filthy with fag [cigarette] butts on our bedroom floor. The rooms don't have TV, phones or Internet connection. The staff are rude, deceitful and totally unhelpful. The room was up 38 vertical steps — no lift, no porter! The bed linen and towels were dirty, ripped and had fag burns in. There was no air, the room was boiling hot and very noisy (you could hear the buzzer, voices, keys turning all day/night). There was no wardrobe, only a coat hook, and no towels except hand towels (until we asked at reception). We complained, asked for a refund and we were told "no." We asked to speak to a manager and were told "no." Do not, under any circumstances (no matter how cheap your budget), stay here. There are some really reasonable, very clean and friendly youth hostels in central Mount Plein, which would be a much better bet!

I stayed here with my house mate, who booked online and paid a deposit. We decided on this hotel as it stated it had private facilities. After lots of travelling, we arrived at the hotel needing a shower. Upon opening the door of our room, we smelt stale smoke and we saw the room had a hole in the roof. We searched for the private bathroom. It was not actually in the room. The shower was clean, but it was opposite the room, and the toilet was at the other end of the corridor. When we approached the staff about this, they said the shower and toilet were private and only for our use. Well, excuse me for being stupid, but I thought private facilities meant they were actually in your room. The staff were very unhelpful, and so a toilet down the corridor, a shower opposite your room, and a hole in the ceiling brings a new meaning to "en suite." The stairs are lethal, and the breakfast was poor. Don't stay here.

These guys actually told us on arrival that there were no rooms, even though we'd paid a deposit and received full confirmation for our room. Obviously they double book a lot. When traveling from abroad to Amsterdam avoid this hotel as you may find yourself sleeping on the streets!!!