Intercityhotel Leiden

I travel a lot for consulting and have met hundreds of receptionists, but Nadia at IntercityHotel stands out. Her warmth, genuine care and bright smile are second to none, and her professionalism is rare. My partner owns hospitality businesses across Europe and the Netherlands. Nadia, if you’re ever looking for a new challenge, please get in touch. We’d love to have someone with your ability grow with our team. 😊

The hotel was so quiet that, apart from hearing a scooter below a few times with the window open, I could almost have thought I had the place to myself. The room was compact but comfortable, with a full-height window that let in lots of daylight and a small window for fresh air. I liked that the lighting controls were reachable from both sides of the headboard, so after a long day walking I could collapse into bed without getting up to switch off the lights. Getting there was funny: I walked away from the crowd at Leiden centraal to figure out where I was, looked up, and realized I’d already arrived. Check-in was easy, the desk staff were fluent in English, and they gave great food suggestions about five minutes south.

I was in Leiden on a business trip for eight days, and the staff helped me every day with a need that mattered a lot to me as a working mother. I’m still breastfeeding and needed somewhere to keep expressed milk. There’s no fridge in the room, but reception kindly let me store my breast milk in their freezer throughout my stay. The hotel is also well placed, about a three-minute walk from Leiden Central Station and roughly 1.5 km from Leiden University. The staff were friendly and accommodating. I really appreciated their help, and recommend the place.

The Wi-Fi issue is why I won’t book here again. To use it, I had to sign up for the “H Rewards Programme” and agree that Steigenberger Hotels GmbH could send me advertising. The manager confirmed that was the only way, and I never got the problem resolved during my stay. Otherwise I’d have recommended the hotel. It’s very close to the railway station, the staff spoke excellent English, and my room was spacious, clean, quiet and nicely decorated, with furniture in very good condition, a desk and a chair. I arrived before check-in and could leave my suitcase with reception for a receipt; there were tables and chairs in the lobby. Breakfast was very good, with a buffet where I could choose what I wanted, though 19.50 € is a lot to pay. The room was cold when I arrived because the air conditioner was running, which didn’t make much sense in the Netherlands in September. Opening the window brought the temperature back to normal, and the issue was fixed the next day. People smoke right outside the entrance, so when I left I got a face full of cigarette smoke. Smokers should keep ten meters from the door. On my last day, the housekeepers entered at 9:30 am, a few minutes before I was planning to leave.