Hotel Jupiter

The room was tiny, though neat, and the location was good. The staff were friendly. What really frustrated me was the poor communication and lack of flexibility: I booked through a third-party website, and it didn’t clearly say the room had a shared bathroom. If I wanted to share a bathroom, I’d have booked a hostel.

The staff were kind and helpful, and the location was great, close to the centre and public transport. We had a great time here. Our room was cozy, clean, and big enough for our family of four.

We’d arranged to check in at 11am, but when we got there at 11:30 the room still wasn’t ready. I asked where I could leave our bags, and the attendant said I could leave them on the street, then made another bad joke. He was arrogant and rude. The room wasn’t what we’d requested, and the shared bathroom was dirty. Reception didn’t try to help us and was very rude as well.

The location was great, but the stay wasn’t worth it. The sheets had blood stains, and by the time I noticed, the front desk was closed, so I spent the first night sleeping on top of them in my clothes. When I told staff, they claimed the sheets hadn’t been changed because the “do not disturb” sign was on the door. I’d just checked in, so that was obviously a lie. They changed them, but the replacement sheets had what looked like ink and mold stains. Better than blood, I guess. The bed also had hairs and other debris, presumably from previous guests. The bathroom towels were clearly dirty, and the whole room constantly smelled like sewage. With no lip on the shower, water flooded the bathroom. The rooms were extremely hot, and there’s no air conditioning unless you happen to be on the fourth floor. The fan they brought on request was a small desk fan coated in what looked like years of grime. The stairs are very steep and hazardous with suitcases. The elevator only goes to the third or fourth floor, not the second. The door had an outside keyhole for staff but no inside deadbolt, so you have to trust the key card. The “queen” bed was two twin beds pushed together. I didn’t see bed bugs, despite earlier reviews mentioning them, but I wouldn’t be surprised if there were some in other rooms. We left a glass beer mug behind. They offered to send it back for $45, but wrapped it in one sheet of newspaper, so it arrived completely broken. The problem wasn’t just the price, but the careless packing. A single sheet of uncrumpled newspaper might protect a pillow, but it wasn’t a pillow. And we don’t live in Australia. I was irritated, but careful to keep my review factual. I did thank the desk clerk, because he arranged for housekeeping to change the sheets. It wasn’t his personal fault they replaced them with still-dirty ones, and I didn’t see a point in arguing on my way out. The receptionist did his job, and I thanked him. I’m sorry the hotel thinks my notes were exaggerated; perhaps that kind of denial is part of why it gets negative reviews. Please use a proper laundry service for the sheets, or at least bleach them. For less than half the price, I’d recommend staying in Haarlem and taking the bus each morning.