Golden Anchor Houseboat

There was plenty to like for our extended stay with four people in one room. It was spacious and clean, with lots of amenities: a coffee maker, microwave, and fridge. There’s a washer and dryer in the building at no charge, and washing powder was provided too. There was lots of security, and the area felt safe to walk around. Cafes and groceries on the main street were a short 10 minute walk away. The queen bed was fine, but the sofa bed wasn’t very comfortable. Overall, we had a good stay with no issues and would stay there again.

We had a great time with our group of five. The rooms were spacious and had everything you’d need for a few days. It’s right on a canal, fairly close to the central station, and near the tram and bus stop. A great place for a large group.

On the day of our stay, at 1.47pm Amsterdam time and just 1 hour and 15 minutes before check-in began, I got an email saying our extra large studio was no longer available. They offered two separate rooms instead. Our original room was 39 square metres, but the alternative was a 21 square metre medium studio for two nights, followed by an early checkout and four hours without a room, then an “upgrade” to another, smaller room for the remaining days. I rejected that. When they pushed, they offered the medium studio for the whole stay with a 15% discount, or they said they could only cancel the room. In the end, they cancelled it anyway. We were left stranded in Amsterdam without accommodation and had to book something much more expensive at the last minute. I’d booked on December 1st for a mid January stay. They’d also charged me twice for city tax because of an issue with their systems. It wasn’t the end of the world, but I had to pay a foreign transaction fee twice, which was frustrating. I would avoid them at all costs.

The safe failed just two hours before checkout, and because staff are rarely on site, it took more than an hour and several calls to get help. We nearly missed our train. For all that, the reimbursement was only 15%. Before that, after enough complaints, we were moved to a much better room. It cost €200 a night, while the original windowless basement room was €350 a night, so we paid €600 extra in the end to stay in a place with no ventilation. The first room had no AC either, and its wall-to-wall carpet left the whole room smelling like dust. I never thought I’d need to ask whether a bedroom has windows, but after this stay at YAYS Salthouse, I would. Absolutely crazy experience. I won’t be back.