Cheap but trendy hostels
Generator Hostel Amsterdam
One of the most popular upscale hostels in Amsterdam, Generator Amsterdam offers travellers luxury at a discount. The building, once part of a university zoological department, combines the historic and the modern with amenities like the Auditorium - a lecture-hall-turned-bar which has kept its auditorium seating and repurposed quirky items left over from its school days. The Nescio Café gets visitors’ creative juices flowing with its locally sourced menu and whimsical wall graphics created by local artists. You can bunk with fellow travellers in shared rooms or spend a bit more to nab a view of the nearby Oosterpark in the Sky Suite, located at the top of the hostel.
Neighbourhood: Oost
The Social Hub – West / Oost
Lively, busy and aimed at millennials, The Social Hub offers the experience of student life for travellers. The minimalistic design carries throughout the rooms and the communal areas, even the complimentary gym. Students set up in the study and work areas, which are designed to minimise distraction but stimulate creative juices. The lounge and game areas are all about keeping the conversation going with bold colours and exciting décor. Rooms are available for students as well as hotel and long-term guests, so the crowd is always mixed.
Neighbourhood: Nieuw-West / Oost
The Hoxton, Lloyd
It’s right there in the name — this hotel is a cultural embassy. The Hoxton, Lloyd Hotel, located in the Oostelijke Eilanden (Eastern Docklands), has undergone many transformations since it opened in 1920. It started its life as a hotel, then became a refugee centre, a juvenile detention centre, a prison and an artists’ studio. It combined its past lives with its present to become a hotel that caters to all. The rooms are as unique as their history. Some feature exposed wooden beams mixed with modern art, while others embrace the hotel’s Art Deco roots. Over 40 artists designed the hotel's interior, who were instructed to reflect the building’s history but embrace its future in their designs.
Neighbourhood: Oostelijke Eilanden
ClinkCoco
If there were ever a place to be called a home away from home, it’s ClinkCoco. Designed to feel just like staying over at mom’s house — with plenty of strangers, of course— Cocomama bundles contemporary design with comfort in every nook and cranny. Each room has a traditional Dutch theme to evoke the history of the Netherlands in modern detail. Surround yourself with the art of Tulips, Delfts Blue and Van Gogh (though quirkier Cheese or KLM themes are available for particularly creative travellers) in private double rooms or dormitories.
ClinkNOORD
Located in Noord, ClinkNOORD occupies the space where a 1920s laboratory once stood. The rooms are sparse, but it’s in the communal areas that the artistic design comes through. Walk along the bright yellow staircase and path to the lounge area, decorated with a contrasting turquoise that stimulates the mind. The hostel has installed art features in and around the hostel to create conversations. A grand stained glass window looks over a staircase, while industrial knobs and pipes line a nearby wall. Outside, a picnic table painted in the style of Mondrian provides a place for likeminded creatives to eat and socialise.
Neighbourhood: Noord
Hotel Not Hotel
Every room at the Hotel Not Hotel is an adventure. Designed and created by a group of designers from the Eindhoven Design Academy, the rooms are unique not just in their interior, but their entrance, location and overall idea. Spend a night in a transformed tram cart in the middle of the busy communal space or hide behind a secret bookcase. Wherever you’re located in the hostel, all guests are invited to indulge at Kevin Bacon (the bar, not the actor). Some rooms, starting at €75 a night, are intended to provide as much interaction as possible with fellow travellers, while others let you maintain much-needed privacy.
Neighbourhood: De Baarsjes
Stayokay - Oost / Vondelpark
Stayokay Oost is in the characteristically lively district called the 'Indische Buurt', surrounded by trendy shops, hip restaurants, world-famous museums and lively markets. Within 15 minutes, you can reach the city centre by tram or bicycle. The Oost location has its own restaurant, The 5th, and guests don't even have to leave the building to enjoy a movie or theatrical performance. The Vondelpark location is just a stone’s throw from Amsterdam's shopping streets, museums and nightlife, and the atmosphere reflects the liveliness of the rest of the city.
Meininger - Amstel / West
It does not matter whether you're on a business trip, family holiday, class trip or going solo, Meininger Hotel Amsterdam Amstel ensures all guests will have a good time. The modern rooms, the friendly staff and the central location are the perfect ingredients for a relaxing stay in the capital. Those who want to escape the bustling city life can relax in the nearby Prince Bernhard Park and Park Frankendael. Or, head out to the West location, which is conveniently situated next to Sloterdijk Station. Meininger Amsterdam City West offers modern rooms with free Wi-Fi. The hotel’s facilities include a bar, a guest kitchen where you can prepare your own meal and a spacious lobby decorated with traditional Dutch art.
Volkshotel
Volkshotel, located in Amsterdam Oost, is truly for all people. Standard rooms range from the aptly named Miss Petite to the Mrs. Massive and everything in between. The rooms’ wood, glass and concrete décor acknowledges the building’s former history as a newspaper headquarters while keeping a streamlined, modern design. Those with a larger budget may try out one of the nine Special Rooms, each specifically designed with concepts such as a Japanese spa or a cabin in the woods. Wherever you want to go, you can find it at Volkshotel. On the roof, sweat out your troubles in the barrel-shaped sauna with a view of the city or party until sunrise in the basement bar, Doka, or the rooftop terrace, Canvas.
Neighbourhood: Oost
ClinkMama
A sister hotel to ClinkCoco, ClinkMama (formerly Ecomama) combines conscious living with luxury. Each aspect of the hotel is designed with sustainability and connectedness in mind, with a green roof, water-saving system and commitment to repurposing everything it can. The rooms, stunning in their simplicity, seek to provide “just enough” of the basic amenities to encourage travellers to share spaces and connect with each other. The communal areas evoke the down-to-earth spirit of the hostel, even featuring a real tepee for quiet conversation or a brainstorming session.
Neighbourhood: De Plantage
