The Studenthostel Utrecht

I planned to stay a week but left after one day. The elderly lady was rude from the start and didn’t even ask for ID. That makes it feel like a place where criminals could hide out. The building is decrepit and mostly wood. I didn’t see a sprinkler system, and someone had disabled the smoke detector in my room to smoke. There’s a single large bathroom with unisex showers, something I’d never come across before. Across the street, lots of homeless people were aggressively asking for money, and there were plenty of police and ambulances around. The morning bread was moldy, and I’d had enough. Life’s too short to put up with this!

They only let me check in from 5 to 7 pm, and when I came back at 8, the staff were pretty rude about it. I’d first arrived at 3, but couldn’t check in then, and there were no lockers for my bag, so I had to carry it around while I explored. The interactions never felt friendly. Maybe the hostel is better at other times, but after this I caught a train to Rotterdam and stayed somewhere that welcomed international guests and let me check in easily, even late.

The quiet atmosphere made it easy to rest, even though the B&B Hostel is close to Utrecht’s center, public transport, shops, and places to explore. My room was clean, comfortable, and cozy, and the staff were welcoming from the start, always happy to help or share city tips. Breakfast had lots of choice and tasted fresh, with care put into the preparation. I had such a lovely stay and would happily come back, whether traveling alone or with friends.

The female dorm didn’t feel safe. I warned the woman running the place that a man was stalking one of the female guests, but she didn’t act, and later he got into the dorm through a window in the middle of the night to reach her. The owner was abusive to guests, too, and I’ve seen her personally attack people who leave negative reviews. The place is in terrible shape, with black mold, things falling apart, and shared showers that have three nozzles but no barrier or separation between men and women. A man could just walk in while a woman was showering. You have to bring your own sheets. Across the street there’s a homeless community, with police arrests and ambulances there daily; people there may harass you, and they’re hard to avoid. It’s unhealthy and unsafe, the worst hostel I can imagine. I can’t believe it passes building codes. Go anywhere else.