Sara's Boutique Hotel

I’m sharing this late because of other commitments, but felt I needed to warn other travellers, especially families, about my experience. I’ve visited Amsterdam more than 15 times, and there are plenty of other places to stay. I felt safer carrying my watch, laptop, phone, and passport around the city because I already had an uneasy feeling about leaving valuables here. During my winter stay, clothes disappeared from my suitcase in my room, along with personal items and cash from a jacket pocket. I noticed the loss after dinner, when I returned to find my suitcase and all my belongings gone. A staff member must have taken the clothes, I believe, and the theft left me without clean, warm clothing and ruined what should have been a restful trip. There was no sign of forced entry, which made it seem that someone with authorized access had entered and violated my privacy. When I reported what happened, management was dismissive. There was no urgency or sincere apology, just vague assurances and efforts to minimize what would otherwise be a crime. They initially said they would check door logs and CCTV and investigate, including making a police report for me. After I followed up several times, they said they were unable to find anything. Other promises that took time and effort to pursue were not kept. As someone who runs a security company, I believe this may have been a scheme by the hotel and/or its workers to steal from guests, and it seemed deliberately difficult and time-consuming to seek action, especially as a foreigner. The hotel’s security procedures appear nonexistent or badly managed. Either staff access to guest rooms isn’t monitored, or they don’t care. Trust is the minimum guests should be able to expect. Clean sheets and friendly smiles mean little if you can’t leave your things in your room without fearing theft. There was also allegedly another guest who pretended to be me and collected the cash deposit requested at entry. The hotel said it would investigate and report the matter to the police, but after my follow-ups, they said they found nothing. Booking.com was equally unhelpful when I asked them to mediate, and failed to update me or follow up at every stage. The hotel has allegedly tried to remove online conversations where a staff member admitted to theft. I took screenshots and kept evidence throughout. The hotel also appears to have long-term leases with foreign nationals who shout, smoke, and argue aggressively late at night and into the early morning. Until the hotel takes responsibility, puts real security measures in place, and treats guest safety seriously, I strongly advise travellers to stay elsewhere. It felt like I’d invited a thief into my life and paid for the privilege. This is the worst kind of third-world hotel to risk staying at.

It’s good value for Amsterdam and works well for a solo trip, with a great location and small rooms that have private bathrooms. Don’t expect luxury, though.

The bathroom was in poor shape: the toilet was dirty, the sink was clogged and overflowed, several shower knobs were broken, and the faulty door handle once left us locked inside. The elevator was extremely slow, which added to the hassle. We asked to move rooms and spent two nights in these conditions before the request was approved. The replacement was almost the same, just a little less dirty. Its bedding still wasn’t clean, and there was trash under the bed. The original room was tiny and smelled bad, with visible dust on the chair, curtains, and other furniture. The sheets looked dirty, the mattress was uncomfortable, and the pillows gave us neck pain and headaches every morning. This was the worst hotel stay I’ve had while travelling, and I wouldn’t recommend it in its current state. Better cleaning, maintenance, and responses to guest concerns could improve the place a lot.

The location was perfect, and the receptionist was pleasant and fixed the flashing light straight away. Otherwise, calling this a boutique hotel is a stretch. The room had dusty skirting boards and seemed not to have been vacuumed for a while. There was nowhere to put clothes except a rickety wardrobe that looked ready to collapse, and the tiny bedside tables could just about fit a cup, though there wasn’t one. The bathroom floor was slippery and got completely flooded because there was no shower door or curtain. The shower head was so clogged with limescale that water sprayed everywhere. The bed was lumpy, and the king-size bed only had a double quilt. The floor in the bedroom was non-slip, at least. The hairdryer didn’t work, and the TV was broken and almost falling off the wall. There weren’t any cups or tea and coffee facilities, or even a plastic cup in the bathroom. It wasn’t too expensive, so I can’t complain too much, but the standards should be better.