Hotel Notting Hill

The hotel itself is nice, and the staff were welcoming and helpful. But one night someone followed us to our room and listened at our door around 12:30pm. We told reception, and they said they'd check the cameras, but nothing else was said or done. It made the stay uncomfortable.

The hotel exceeded my expectations, as well as those of the friends who came with me. Friends had stayed a couple of years earlier and recommended it, so I followed their advice. It's lovely from reception through to the rooms, the bed was so comfortable I wanted to take it home, and the staff were friendly and helpful. Breakfast was delicious, everything was clean and always smelled good, and the location was great. I'd stay again!

We booked one night at this boutique hotel for my birthday and the Amsterdam Light Festival. We knew the rate was non-refundable and accepted that. But a sudden winter storm cancelled almost all train connections, and a blizzard with severe weather was forecast for our return day, which raised serious safety concerns. We contacted the hotel early, explained politely and asked if they'd let us rebook for a later date as a goodwill gesture. We offered to pay any difference in price. The reply was rigid and lacked empathy: they said the weather was difficult for everyone and refused to rebook. In the end, they kept over 90% of the booking price as cancellation fees, offering only a minimal, disappointing refund. That may be contractually correct, but the way this exceptional situation was handled showed very poor customer service. They were inflexible and unaccommodating. We won't book here again.

The location was convenient, everything was walkable, and I liked the interior design. Breakfast was another bright spot, with freshly squeezed juice and a nice range of fruit, though the salt shakers dumped half their contents onto your plate. One woman at reception was genuinely kind and seemed to care about guests. After a couple of days we moved to another hotel and finally saw what good service felt like. I give two stars only for the location. We were there in June. My partner was traveling for work under a company arrangement, but at check-in the receptionist told us they'd had a "bad experience" with his company, something a guest shouldn't have to hear. At breakfast, a staff member repeatedly questioned whether I was staying in the same room, even though we were both registered. One evening, a dark-skinned man from reception, apparently under the influence of something, ran around scaring guests and asked how I'd entered the building, even though the door needs a key card at night. There was no lounge or common place to sit and work. The room was impractical: nothing dried properly in Amsterdam's rainy weather, there were no proper towel racks or radiators, the windows didn't open, and soundproofing was terrible. Every morning, the cleaning staff shouted across the hall as if they couldn't hear one another. Apart from the kind receptionist, the rest of the staff seemed to follow their own rules, and the whole experience felt chaotic and unprofessional.