The Green Elephant Hostel & Spa

I felt welcome and at ease here. The hostel has some great style choices, and the employees are a big part of what makes it feel so welcoming. It's also really close to the train station, so I could just walk over for my trips to Germany without worrying about having my bike nearby. I loved the “urban forest” 🌳. I didn't know where I could prepare or store food, and nobody explained it. I was hoping to meet a person or two while I was in Maastricht, since I haven't met many people there yet, but the layout doesn't really help people get to know one another. I was annoyed they charged me tourist tax even though I'm a resident of the Social Hub/Student Hotel in Maastricht, but that's a minor annoyance. The bedding was really gross. There were crusted bloodstains on my pillows and other stains on the blanket. It makes you wonder what the H housekeeping was thinking. Trying to get the bedding replaced kept me up at night, and with an 11 AM checkout, I barely slept. The friendly German night receptionist at the hotel next door did his best to help me. The wellness area was a nice addition, and they offered me use of it as compensation. I had it to myself for that hour, which was nice, though I got a little overheated and the shower water wasn't cold enough to cool me down properly. If the employees hadn't been so nice, I probably wouldn't have come back because of the bedding. I was only staying here this week because relatives temporarily needed my room at the Social Hub. Who knows, I might book another stay if I find myself longing to be in Maastricht after my semester ends. Please have housekeeping check the bedding more carefully from now on!

The sleeping pods, or cocoons, in the dormitories are extremely small, and the air conditioning on the third floor is currently out of order. With those conditions, the pods shouldn't be rented out. Even after repeated requests, the hostel operators haven't contacted the affected guests about compensation or any other resolution. The lack of communication and accountability is highly disappointing and unacceptable. This feels like management is disregarding guests' comfort and wellbeing and putting profit ahead of basic guest satisfaction. Reception staff are stuck dealing with guests' complaints and frustration, even though they have no control over the situation.

The location by the station made transfers easy, and the hostel's decoration and style are inspiring. It's one of the best hostels you can stay in, with the standard of a hotel. Very clean and comfortable. You can definitely book and stay at Green Elephant! I'll add photos later.

It's a nice, affordable hostel and very clean. The wellness area is really nice, though it costs about €15 extra. There are some social spaces downstairs, but when I stayed in the low season in early March, it was quiet and there wasn't really anyone around. I didn't have breakfast, so I can't comment on its quality. The location is ideal, very close to Maastricht central train station and about a 10-minute walk from the historic city centre. One downside: when I try to book through booking.com, they often reject my credit card for unknown reasons and cancel the booking. I don't have the same problem at other accommodations. You can book on their website instead, possibly for a few euros less, but it's less easy to change your booking than on booking.com.