Hotel Atlas Vondelpark

After the initial scare, we had a very nice stay, but I'd only come back if I knew in advance what kind of room we'd get. The first one, room 19, had loose, cracked wallpaper and large patches of mould under the window. We complained and were moved straight away to a much better room for the rest of our stay. We forgot to take pictures of the new room, and it still looked different from the booking.com images, but it was fine, with no mould or damaged wallpaper. That's why I gave it a high rating. Later we found reviews from a couple of weeks earlier mentioning a smaller mould problem in that same room, so we don't know why it was still being rented out. A couple of days after our move, there was a slight chlorine smell, like chemicals used to remove mould, which seemed like a good sign. That room was rented to other guests again. Renovations were still going on during the day; if you're out seeing the city then, you probably won't notice. Room 19 may still be on the renovation list. The reception closes after 19:00, but you can call a video receptionist instead, and everyone we spoke to was friendly and helpful.

I booked this place because the other hotels I wanted were full, and I wouldn't stay here again. There was no breakfast, and somehow not even a fridge in the room. The towels were left on the floor when I asked not to be disturbed. The hotel seems to have turned its old lobby into more rooms, so now it feels like a hostel for adults, and the place has no personality. I paid 700 euros for four days, thinking the location would make it worthwhile: a quiet neighbourhood, close to the main museums. But I barely slept. Every night there were rolling and banging sounds right above my basement room. They weren't extremely loud, but loud enough to keep me awake. I got at most three hours of sleep each night, in 15-20 minute stretches, and was too exhausted to enjoy the city. My room itself was in very good condition, though it was clear they were renovating. Materials sat in the middle of the hall for days, and outside my window I saw rubbish, construction leftovers, and their parking space. With Amsterdam's cold weather, it was painful stepping onto the freezing bathroom floor, which had no heating. On arrival there was also a very unpleasant surprise in the toilet, if you know what I mean. I don't understand having no staff on site around the clock. If you lose your key at night, you're stuck outside because you can't get into the hotel after a certain time, and there's nobody to let you in. There's a self-service machine for check-in, check-out, and keys, but it doesn't work. Then you have to call a virtual receptionist, who can't actually do anything if you have a problem. They should spend that money on someone working the night shift. The place clearly had a lobby before, but after turning it into more rooms, it feels like a hostel for serious adults, with no personality at all. I didn't like Amsterdam much either, it was very expensive. If I want to see a civilized country, I'll go to Switzerland.

The room we were given was quite poor. Booking.com showed two room types under the room we booked, and we got the one with blue accents, which had only one window. There was mould and water damage, and the walls were so thin we heard everything the neighbours discussed. We had no heat on the first night and no warm shower water on the second. Housekeeping took all five towels but replaced only three; one of the towels we got at check-in had a hole in it. The little room book said Netflix was available on the TV, but it wasn't a smart TV. The staff were really nice and tried their best. They made an effort to fix the hot water, even sending someone out in the rain at 10 pm. They also gave us a late check-out. The internet worked well and we had a signal.

We had a really nice mother-daughter trip. The upper floors are reachable by elevator, which was helpful since the stairs are quite steep. Check-in was easy, and they held our bags on the last day. The room had crisp white sheets, plenty of towels, and coffee and tea.