The good points of this summer only hostel is that it is very cheap and that is it close to the train station -- but not as close as their advertising says. You get the impression that it is going to be so close to the station it's in the same building or something; this is not the case. They say it's 100 meters away, but it's more like 300 meters. In any case, it's still not far from the station. When you exit the station look for the lime green building on your right and the hostel is behind the green building in a black, yellow, and red building -- they like their colours!
The hostel is closed 11.30am - 5.15pm, but you can wait or store your stuff for free in "Use-it," a backpacker information centre next to the hostel. The price includes a simple breakfast of tea, coffee, bread, butter, and jam. The showers are free and available whenever the hostel is open. Linen costs extra. The bathrooms are ok, but many of the toilets are partially or totally broken. There is a bar open 6pm – 1am and some games to play. There is not much else is the way of facilities -- no internet, laundry, or kitchen.
The hostel doesn't have much of a vibe either. The walls are bleak and tatty and the staff are miserable, with the exception of one young woman, you will know who she is as she is the one who does all the work. Requests met with "wait a minute" or "ask someone else." Requesting a certain area of the dorm is far too big a deal. Checking in takes at lease eight minutes per party and is done with no sense of urgency. If you arrive at 5.15 and are not first in the queue you could quite seriously be waiting for an hour to check in. There is apparently dinner available at the hostel, but it's not really advertised and for some reason the staff don't mention it even if you ask them about where to eat.
You must be out of the hostel between 11.30am and 5.15pm, which can be an annoyance, particularly in Rotterdam's variable weather. If it's hot in the morning consider taking a jacket out with you because it can get cold quickly and you can't go and get a jacket if the hostel is shut. There are only three bedrooms in the hostel but it sleeps 145 people. There is a women's dorm of 24 beds, one twin room "honeymoon sweet," and one dorm for +100 people. There are no lockers, and with so many people around they recommend you keep your stuff in a room behind reception when you are not able to look after it. There are no keys so everyone has to wear hospital style wrist bands with their name and bed number on them.
The "honeymoon suite" is a cheesy decorated love shack for the first lucky couple to ask for it every day. It has two single beds pushed together and a thin wall separating it from the women's dorm. It's not fantastic, but it beats the +100 dorm for the same price and it's probably the cheapest private room in Europe. The conditions of occupancy are, you can only have it one night, it's only for couples in love, and you have to kiss in front of a staff member to prove it (and they really will make you kiss in front of them). Don't forget to sign the guest book!
On the whole Mafkees is ok. The giant dorm is not as bad as it sounds because there is plenty of space and a lot of single beds as well as bunks. The vibe is pretty crummy, you get locked out all day and there are not many facilities, but it is cheap. It feels more like a drop-in centre than a hostel. It would be better if they put some colour on the walls, smiles on the staffs faces, and let guests use the kitchen!
— Recensione esclusiva Hostelz.com
September 2005
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