XO Hotels Blue Square

We got back from Amsterdam yesterday evening. When we arrived early, the staff let us leave our bags in the luggage room, so we could head straight into Centraal. I was a bit nervous because we booked through wowcher and hadn't seen great reviews. The room was clean, the bed was comfortable, and there was a fridge and safe. The bathroom was lovely and clean, too. We were glad not to be right by Centraal, since the hotel was so quiet and we could relax and sleep properly. It was lovely coming back each evening to find the bed made. We had a really nice stay and would book again.

The rooms and bathrooms were clean and hygienic, and a decent size. The lobby is very spacious. The hotel also arranges day trips around Amsterdam that are worth trying. Breakfast is good if you eat meat, though there aren't many vegetarian choices. Food delivery is easy to get. The hotel is a 30-minute drive from the city center, but public transport is frequent, safe, and punctual. There's a bus stop about a 5-minute walk away, and the tram is around 7-9 minutes on foot and goes straight to the center. A supermarket and medical store are nearby for essentials. If you're arriving by train, try getting off at Amsterdam Sloterdijk railway station, which is only a 9-minute drive from the hotel.

H O R R I B L E experience. The staff were unpleasant, and hotel cleaners stole from guests. My girlfriend's brand-new, unopened luxury perfume went missing. When we reported it, they didn't want to deal with the problem at all. Our room also went uncleaned for 3 days. THIEVES! Never again with you. I recommend everyone avoid this hotel and not choose it as an option, at any cost.

We were two parents travelling with our 8-year-old child, looking for a place in the area for the windmills and Rotterdam route after visiting Amsterdam city center. We booked this hotel on Booking. In my experience, XO hotels generally offer nice, affordable accommodation around Europe. Here, the room was spacious and clean, the reception staff were attentive and helpful, and they even gave our child a toy panda, which was a lovely gesture. The stay was very affordable. There is a hotel parking lot, but €20 seemed a bit expensive. We found street parking without any trouble, then paid about €12 for 4 hours the next day when we stayed longer. To get downtown, we walked about 5 minutes to the main street and caught bus 21. It takes around 35 minutes to Amsterdam Central Station. We bought single tickets in the GVB app for about €3.4 per person for the trip there and back. There are other packages, too. You can also pay with a credit card, but every passenger needs to tap a separate card. We explored for about 4.5 hours before heading back. We skipped the hotel's breakfast because we planned to eat in the city center, so I can't comment on it. It was a nice accommodation experience. And don't forget to enjoy fries, waffles, and coffee!