Bob's Youth Hostel
Hostelz.com Overall Score
6.6
9 = Extraordinary
7 = Good
3 = Not so good
1 = Run away
Based on 2807 guest ratings.
Features & Details
Free Amenities
Bedsheets
Breakfast
Luggage Storage
Wi-Fi in Lobby/Commons
Fee Services
Lockers in Lobby
Towels
Other Features
24 Hour Security
Bar
Credit Card Payments
Food/Restaurant
Hot Showers
Lounge Area
Swimming Pool
Details
Curfew:
No Curfew
Booking
Photos
+13
Description
The Hostelz.com Review
Bob’s Youth Hostel in Amsterdam is a lively hostel in a lively part of town -- definitely a place to go to get the true Amsterdam experience.
The Location
Bob’s Youth Hostel is in a great location! It is just a ten-minute walk with one turn on a major boulevard from the central train station and on the edge of all the nightlife that the Red Light District provides. The area also has plenty of cheap food and coffee shops around. There is a tram stop just outside the door that gives easy access to all parts of the city.
Rooms and Bathrooms
There are two buildings for this hostel -- the main building with the common area and main desk and a building around the block. The building around the block is safely guarded with both a code to enter the dorm and a security guard at night. Note: There are very steep stairs leading up to the dorms in the second building. There are lockers in the dorms. There is a key deposit and the units are spacious enough for a big backpack as well as some other items.
The six-bedroom dorm we stayed in was clean with nice beds and comforters with one shower and sink attached to the room. The toilet, which is just outside in the hallway, is also clean and well-stocked with toilet paper. There are also sixteen-bed dorms for the same price that could be more shabby and loud.
Common Spaces
The main common area is filled (and spilling out onto the sidewalk) day and night with people playing cards, drinking (beer/wine is cheap and you could bring your own liquor), and (of course) smoking weed. It is a chill, but friendly environment with guests’ drawings along the walls and good music playing. There are two public computers with for-pay internet. The Wi-Fi was not working while we were there and by the way the staff talked about it, may not work very often.
Free breakfast is served until 11 a.m. (the latest we encountered) in this same building and includes toast and hard-boiled eggs (the smell of which in the not-so-ventilated area kept us away!). There is no public kitchen for guest use.
Summary
Overall, the vibe of this hostel is like that dive bar that you really want to be part of -- not glamorous, but a down-to-earth, fun crowd. Checkout is at 11 a.m. but the desk is closed overnight so if you need to catch an early train or plane, you must return the key before you go to sleep the night before. The staff is friendly and willing to recommend attractions/bars, give directions, or just chat, but they are slightly disorganized at times and we had to wait thirty minutes while they finished paperwork to check in the morning when we arrived.
The Location
Bob’s Youth Hostel is in a great location! It is just a ten-minute walk with one turn on a major boulevard from the central train station and on the edge of all the nightlife that the Red Light District provides. The area also has plenty of cheap food and coffee shops around. There is a tram stop just outside the door that gives easy access to all parts of the city.
Rooms and Bathrooms
There are two buildings for this hostel -- the main building with the common area and main desk and a building around the block. The building around the block is safely guarded with both a code to enter the dorm and a security guard at night. Note: There are very steep stairs leading up to the dorms in the second building. There are lockers in the dorms. There is a key deposit and the units are spacious enough for a big backpack as well as some other items.
The six-bedroom dorm we stayed in was clean with nice beds and comforters with one shower and sink attached to the room. The toilet, which is just outside in the hallway, is also clean and well-stocked with toilet paper. There are also sixteen-bed dorms for the same price that could be more shabby and loud.
Common Spaces
The main common area is filled (and spilling out onto the sidewalk) day and night with people playing cards, drinking (beer/wine is cheap and you could bring your own liquor), and (of course) smoking weed. It is a chill, but friendly environment with guests’ drawings along the walls and good music playing. There are two public computers with for-pay internet. The Wi-Fi was not working while we were there and by the way the staff talked about it, may not work very often.
Free breakfast is served until 11 a.m. (the latest we encountered) in this same building and includes toast and hard-boiled eggs (the smell of which in the not-so-ventilated area kept us away!). There is no public kitchen for guest use.
Summary
Overall, the vibe of this hostel is like that dive bar that you really want to be part of -- not glamorous, but a down-to-earth, fun crowd. Checkout is at 11 a.m. but the desk is closed overnight so if you need to catch an early train or plane, you must return the key before you go to sleep the night before. The staff is friendly and willing to recommend attractions/bars, give directions, or just chat, but they are slightly disorganized at times and we had to wait thirty minutes while they finished paperwork to check in the morning when we arrived.
by Juan-Ruvin Marquin Leon
Hostelz.com Staff Reviewer
2011-07-23
Photos taken by the Hostelz.com reviewer — Genuine photos you can trust.
Map
(Location is approximate. You may need to pan/move to find "Bob's Youth Hostel" at Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal 92.)
Location/Contact
- Address
- Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal 92, Centrum, Amsterdam, North Holland, Netherlands
- Coordinates
- 52.375717, 4.892623 (accuracy not guaranteed)
- Location
-
- Website
- www.bobsyouthhostel.nl
- Telephone
- +31 (0)20 623 0063
- Fax
- +31 (0)20 675 6446
To add or correct information for this listing, please use the Listing Correction Form.
How is Bob's Youth Hostel rated on other websites?
| Cleanliness | Staff | Location | Atmosphere | Security | Overall | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hostelworld |
51%
|
91%
|
61%
|
65%
|
||
| HostelBookers |
51%
|
90%
|
58%
|
62%
|
||
| HostelsClub |
49%
|
92%
|
82%
|
75%
|
||
| Hostels.com |
56%
|
93%
|
64%
|
66%
|
||
| Average |
52%
|
92%
|
66%
|
67%
|
Hostelz.com Guest Reviews
Good location, but overall awful hostel
Our 18 bed dorm had horrible lighting (like two lights for the whole room). We didn't even have lighting where our beds were, so we were forced to use our cell phone lights during the night just to get into bed. Beds were uncomfortable, and room was hot and humid the whole time. Often woke up sweating during the night. The water barely drained in the shower room, so if you weren't quick in the shower the room would begin to overflow. Not to mention they had nowhere to put shampoo, so your choice was either to put them on the floor or try to situate them on the small sink. During our stay our locker, along with two others', were broken into. The "common room" was very small and dirty. There was nothing to do except listen to music. No kitchen. You could give the staff a bag to store in the fridge, or stuff to microwave. That was about it. By far the worst hostel I have ever stayed in. Would never stay here again. Staff was very unhelpful as well. Only good quality about this hostel was its location. That is it.
Anonymous
Age 23, USA
2016-01-19
Fantastic and Nice Place. Enjoy now.
amal
Age 32, Sri Lanka
2015-10-04
A tad below decent
This was only my second time in a hostel and I traveled with 7 people. Bob's was accommodating by letting us all stay in the same room. We stayed on the top floor and shared a room for 10 people and across the hall from us was a room of probably 4-6 people. We all shared one toilet and two showers that had sinks and mirrors in them. It was surprisingly not as gross as I expected but privacy was very limited and getting ready was a little bit of a struggle for girls I would suggest bringing a mirror to get ready. The beds were comfy but the room was hot but location was good and that's pretty much all we were looking for and that's what we got. The people who work the front desk are just ok and the lounge is very small but the hostel works as a fine place to sleep and the rooms are pretty big (thank god cause so many people are in them).
Lizzie
Age 20, United States
2015-07-20
Best hostel I stayed in in Amsterdam
Let me preface this by saying I made the mistake of staying at two hostels very far from the city center the first two days, so Bob's was immediately better due to its close proximity to everything I wanted to do (many trams stop outside of Bob's and it's a close walk to the Red Light District.) Bob's small reception area makes it easy to meet new people -- spent every day going out with different people I met at the hostel. Free tea/coffee in the morning is nice. Rooms have nice murals, kinda crappy bathrooms. Receptionists are pretty good DJs which is nice.
Jesse
Age 21, USA
2015-06-22
Basic and Small
We booked an 8 person dorm for 6 of us. They ended up screwing up our reservation and ended up in a 10 person room on the top floor with no air conditioning. There was only one toilet for the top floor, which consisted of 16 people in all. They no longer serve breakfast, only positive was that they have good wifi.
Marcus
Age 22, USA
2015-06-07
Decent
I was a little disappointed that there weren't any shared kitchen facilities to do my own cooking, which meant eating simple foods I could put together w/o a cutting board/stovetop or eating out. Not the end of the world, everything else about the hostel was good. I stayed in a very large room, but the lockers were plenty big for my baggage, shower was good as well. Outside of the lack of kitchen I would stay again.
Timothy
(USA)
2012-10-04
AWESOME
This hostel was great if you want a place to keep your stuff safe and also to just chill and smoke in the lounge. The beds were small and bunked. The bathrooms were clean and the shower was very nice. The smoking lounge is by far the best part of the hostel with really nice staff and great music.
Phil
(USA)
2012-05-09
very, very bare bones, but what the hell?
First thing's first: Got off the train at the main rail station and looked at my map. I was trying to find Bob's Hostel. Two very random and beautiful girls asked if they could help me with directions. A scam! I thought. Until I said I was looking for Bob's Hostel. They gave me exact directions (how often does that happen in the states)?
I happened to stay at the annex. 8 people to the room. In my experience it was a bunch of English kids eating magic mushrooms and one spanish guy who was quite cool. The shower was decent enough, though you have to contend with up to 8 people wanting to take showers all at once.
Breakfast is a hardboiled egg, a piece of toast and tea or coffee. This place is very bare bones. Lots of pot smoking in the common/breakfast room.
Location is great. 5 minutes, tops, from main train station. Three blocks over from the Red Light District but you wouldn't really know it. There is a street-car stop right in front of the main entrance.
Over all, it is in a very central location and only costs something like 18 euros a night (2006). Which, if you're only looking for a semi-clean place to rest your head, is just fine.
Devon
(United States of America)
2007-12-04
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