Hostelle

Review: I stayed here for a week and had a terrible experience. Due to a booking issue, which the hostel staff themselves did not realise until 1 a.m., I was confronted by three staff members (all Spanish women). Instead of handling the situation professionally, they mocked me in their own language, treated me as if I had done it deliberately, and then tried to force me out alone into the street in a very unsafe area at night. I explained I was a vulnerable woman who had already taken medication to sleep, but they showed no care at all. Their behaviour felt like bullying and possible discrimination. The situation became so serious that the police were called, and even the officer told staff it was also their fault for not checking earlier and that I should not be put out in the middle of the night in an unsafe area. The hostel itself is also extremely dirty – with blood stains in the toilets and mice running around the kitchen. For a women-only hostel this is unacceptable and dangerous. I left feeling distressed, humiliated, and unsafe. I strongly warn other women travellers to avoid this hostel.“Dirty, unsafe, and discriminatory”

The Hostelle is comfortable and most of the staff are friendly and welcoming. It is clean, with shower rooms being cleaned each morning. Towels are offered (SMALL) for €2.50 to rent, so if you prefer large towels you would have to bring your own or buy one in the mall close by. The area is a bit far out from Amsterdam Centraal, about a 35 minute metro ride with 10/11 stops. This is fine during the day and if you plan to be out all day without returning. If you wanted somewhere you can drop in and out of quickly while exploring the city center this wouldn’t be the place. The area at night however feels unsafe and there are lots of men who linger in the Main Street, both during the day and at night. The curtain above my bed had lipstick stains all over which was off putting, but the bed lined itself was spotless. The kitchen is well equipped and I was able to leave luggage in a luggage room when I checked out until 5pm which was good. The cages under the bed are useful for keeping things safe, bring a sturdy lock with you or you can buy one there. There is a Lidl nearby which is very handy if you’re on a budget, you can cook meals in the kitchen instead of eating out.

When I arrived at Hostelle I got a bit of a strange atmosphere in there. There seems to be a lot of long term guests there which I understand is necessary for some people at this time but just creates a strange atmosphere that I've never felt at a hostel before. Most of the staff were very friendly and helpful when I was asking questions about sightseeing etc. The kitchen is large and well stocked but not a huge amount of room to sit and eat your meals if the place is busy. Unfortunately my bed was not the most comfortable and the pillow I got was flat and felt like it was stuffed with cotton wool so perhaps it might be time to upgrade some of the bedlinnen. However I did feel safe there and it was very very clean and an easy short commute to Amsterdam City so overall I would say I had a positive stay.

Such a beautifully organized place with friendly staff. Bonus for being a women's only hostel. Train/ metro stations are also really close as well as so many markets and places you could eat at. Would definitely go back!

The best hostel I have ever been to, the fact that it is ONLY GIRLS is a huge bonus. The kitchen was very big and easy to share, fresh coffe and tea was for free. The bathrooms were very clean and large. The beds were very comfortable and there was a locker in the room for each person. The employees were very nice and helpful.

The guests here seemed to treat it more like an apartment than a travelers hostel. Many have been staying there for months. Not necessarily a bad thing, but something we weren't aware of when booking. It just gave the place a different vibe. The biggest issue we had was with the room theme. From the pictures they all look bright and cheery but we were put in the Fifty Shades of Grey room. This could've been triggering for some people, as there were whips and handcuffs all over, and should be disclosed to guests at or before check in. Pros: kitchen was well stocked with cooking supplies, close to train station, nice shopping center, staff seemed nice but we only interacted with them at check in so I can't say how helpful they are beyond that Cons: my locker was broken, the lockers were only big enough for a backpack, the blind on the floor to ceiling window in the room was broken and wouldn't close, mold in the showers, the showers splashed water out into the rest of the bathroom and the hall, many stores in the shopping center (Albert Heijn included) didn't accept any credit cards or cash at self checkouts