Hotel Vondel – Amsterdam, Netherlands
When I booked our last minute trip to Amsterdam only a few weeks out, first I thought we’d just stay at the same hotel we stayed at last year because we really liked it. But after searching, they had really low availability so I decided to try something new. I found the Hotel Vondel first because I loved the photos of the eclectic boutique hotel and after seeing the price, booked it immediately. After staying there however, it’s not a hotel I’d choose to stay at again and here’s why!
LOVE
Location– One of the few things I actually liked about this hotel, the location was great. Within a 5 minute walk to the canal belt and the Nine Streets, it was really convenient and located close to all of Amsterdam’s main attractions.
Comfortable Bed – The bed was actually really comfortable throughout our 2 night stay and we did sleep well while there.
DIDN’T LOVE
Tiny Room – We’ve stayed in some really small hotel rooms over the years, but this one seriously takes the cake. I couldn’t even take a photo of the room it was so small and when I looked on the hotel’s website for a similar image to the room we were in, I couldn’t even find it. Which also by the way, the photos online do not nearly look like the hotel does in person, so this is the closest image I could even find and our room was about half the size of this one.
Inefficient cleaning – Our room on our second day there didn’t get made up until 4:30pm! We were already back in the room trying to take a nap after exploring all day when the cleaning crew came in. And because the room was so small, there wasn’t even any place for us to go so they could really only clean our bathroom.
Loud – From the street to the rooms next door and the hallway, this place is incredibly loud.
Steep stair and tiny elevator – While the small elevator didn’t bother me that much (though there is no way you could fit 2 people and full size luggage in it), what really bothered me as a hazard were the steep stairs. Nick slipped on the way down on our first day and lucky I was in front of him, otherwise he could have been seriously hurt. They are tall and super steep!
Run Down Decor – While the photos online make this hotel look really chic and modern, don’t be fooled. It’s actually really run down inside the hotel and the photos look nothing like the actual space.
TV didn’t work – Not only did the TV mounted on the wall look like it was about 20 years old, it also didn’t even work.
TIPS
Good price, but not worth it – While the price might be a good sign to book this hotel compared to others in the area, I would suggest that it’s not nearly what you pay for.
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