ibis budget Amsterdam City South

The room was quiet enough, but another family told us they had problems with other guests being loud at night. It’s a budget hotel, and the guests can be a mixed crowd. At breakfast we saw business people, families, groups of high school kids, and the obvious Amsterdam tourists there for, let’s say, more adult reasons. The hotel is actually in a different city outside Amsterdam. There’s a tram into Amsterdam, but we found it was often taken out of service without notice. Our room was tiny and basic, which would’ve been fine if it had been clean. The sheets and bathroom were stained when we arrived, with hair in the sink and on the floor. We complained, but there wasn’t another room available; they promised housekeeping would fix it the next day, but it never happened. Housekeeping only replaces towels, with no bed making or cleaning during your stay.

The room didn’t seem properly prepared or maintained. A light fixture was missing its lamp, and the wall-mounted shampoo and shower gel dispensers were almost empty. For two guests, they’d left just two bath towels and one bath mat, with no hand or face towels. Those details made it seem like cost cutting was coming ahead of guest comfort and having the room ready.

The room was pretty small, but we found it cozy and enjoyed our stay. All the staff were friendly, and Hazar at the front desk was especially helpful. We really appreciated the service. The Wi-Fi had occasional problems since our room was at the end of the hotel. The shuttle to the airport station made getting around easy, though, and traveling onward went smoothly.

We had a four-bed room that was good enough for all of us, and the location was perfect for our reason for choosing the hotel: it’s within walking distance of my brother-in-law’s house. We stayed twice, in late November and early December, for six nights altogether. Some receptionists were helpful and friendly, parking was easy to find, and you can buy coffee from the machines for €2.50, as they don’t provide sachets in the room. Laundry is €11 a load. But in all six nights, our room was never cleaned, not even the floor. Housekeeping came daily to replace towels and changed the bins on some days, but mostly left them as they were. We complained every night and they only took it seriously on the last night, when they got housekeeping to clean while we were out for dinner at 8 p.m. If you want to come back to a clean room after sightseeing, look elsewhere. I had to wipe the floor every night and even empty the bin myself. I understand it’s a budget hotel, but a room made up daily is the least I’d expect.