The Anthony Hotel

The location in the West district, in the Lombok area, worked well for me. It’s a pleasant, easy 15-minute walk to Utrecht Centraal Station and the lively city center, while avoiding the noise right in the center. The Anthony Hotel has a distinctive feel, with the historic character of a former Franciscan monastery dating to 1908 alongside modern boutique comforts. The architecture is lovely, from the quiet cloistered corridors to the courtyard, which feels like a calm retreat from the city. I had a spacious loft suite that was clean, quiet, and comfortable. High ceilings and thoughtful design made it feel more like a nice apartment than a temporary room. The bedding was especially comfortable, and the soundproofing helped me sleep well. The little kitchen area in the loft rooms is a smart feature for a longer stay. A special mix of history and space, with great service. I’d highly recommend The Anthony Hotel and look forward to returning.

Avoid this place. We paid for a room online in advance, then arrived to find the air conditioning completely broken. Management already knew about the problem but sold us the room anyway, so in hot weather we had only a basic fan to sleep with. No manager was on duty to help, and they offered no compensation. The next day, they moved us into a much smaller room than the one we’d booked. The AC in that room broke the following day, and we were moved yet again, this time to an even smaller room. They kept downgrading us and offered nothing for the disruption. This felt like bad faith, with broken rooms being sold and no compensation for the inconvenience. Shocking service, and I feel our money was effectively stolen.

The family room worked well, with two bedrooms and a living area, and the beds were comfortable. Breakfast was great, too. This is a charming historic hotel, well located for the city center. With small children, walking into town isn’t very practical, but a bus stop about five minutes away has regular service and the ride takes 5-10 minutes. Booking parking at the hotel was easy, and it was reasonably priced.

I liked the location for getting to my office, but reaching the center meant walking through an Arab quarter. It didn’t feel dangerous, though I’d be uncomfortable walking there alone. I stayed five nights in January. The room had a small living room, separate bedroom, and bathroom. The shower door didn’t close properly, so the bathroom flooded after each shower, and the water pressure was weak. The sink was tiny, nearly unusable, and there was mold on the ceiling. It was very cold, with AC but no heating. The receptionist kindly lent me a portable heater for my whole stay. The coffee table was in poor shape, and the minibar, mini fridge, or cooler didn’t work at all. Breakfast was a weak point, with less choice than at other hotels in the same category. There were no extras like slippers or a robe, which I would have used to sleep on cold nights, haha.