Owl Hotel

A great hotel in the heart of Amsterdam. Whilst a little dated, it is a friendly hotel with spacious, clean rooms. The staff were so friendly and welcoming. The common area on the ground floor was a nice place to relax on an evening. Its location was perfect for walking to all the main tourist spots. Good value for money and would stay again.

Great experience! The reception staff was very friendly, and the place was very clean. I rented a single room — it was a bit small, but honestly, it was exactly what I needed, so no complaints at all. The bed was comfortable, and the bathroom had a good shower. The breakfast didn’t have a lot of variety in my case — I’m vegan — but there were still some options. I had tea, fruit, and granola — everything was delicious. The location is ideal, very close to the city center and tram stops. Special mention to their cat — super affectionate and totally stole the attention of the guests. <3 I would definitely come back!

A boutique hotel with very friendly staff and a cool cat named Basil. Enjoyed our stay there largely due to the convenient location and cheerful staff. Main downsides are the stairs down to the hotel lobby which are not luggage friendly, the tiny and unconventional lift (not complaining though as having a lift is better than not having one) and a perceived lack of security. As we were required to return our room cards when we leave the hotel each time and retrieve them when we are back, we were handed wrong room cards twice in our five-night stay by two different staff. Otherwise, the room was clean, comfortable and fairly spacious. Would highly recommend if you travel light as it’s a really great location accessible to local transport and the museums.

I had an amazing stay at the Owl Hotel! It’s a great value for the price, especially since each room comes with a private bathroom. I was traveling solo and booked a single room, which was compact but perfectly sized for my needs. I had enough space for my luggage and could move around comfortably without feeling cramped. The hotel is in an older building, and while the furniture shows some age, it really adds to the charm of the place. Everything was generally very clean, though the carpet could use a deeper clean (not a big issue since I rarely go barefoot in hotels anyway). The bathrooms looked recently renovated; modern, bright, and spacious. I appreciated the provided shampoo and body wash, though a small shelf for personal toiletries would’ve been nice. My room had a shower only, but that suited me fine. The lift is small and a bit dated, but again, it fits the hotel’s character. Just keep in mind it’s quite compact, about enough space for three adults snugly or one person with two suitcases. Noise levels were low, and other guests were very considerate. The hotel is on a quiet street but conveniently located — just a short walk to public transpo, Vondelpark, the major museums, a few convenience stores, and a bike rental shop. The continental breakfast was tasty, though a bit pricey; I’d say you’re paying for the convenience more than the quantity. The staff were friendly and helpful, and I really appreciated being able to store my luggage for a few hours after checkout. Overall, it’s a fantastic option for solo travelers who want something more private and comfortable than a hostel, but still affordable. I’d happily stay here again!

The reason why this location only gets 3 stars is the rooms are very basic as well as the breakfast. What is excellent is the staff which are very helpful and attentive. The location is ideal and very safe. About a 30 min walk to the inner harbor area, 15 minutes to Heineken Experience, and 8 minutes to Rijksmuseum. Lots of food options nearby. Also the small elevator after a long day of walking is lovely.

I had a great stay at the Owl Hotel in Amsterdam. The reception team was incredibly friendly, every single person was welcoming and helpful. The breakfast was good and more than enough, and the croissant was amazing! The rooms were clean, comfortable and had everything I needed. Definitely would recommend.

Overall, my stay at this hotel was good. The hotel has a very lovely design and a nice vibe. It’s located in a beautiful historic building on a cute, peaceful, and quiet street very close to central Amsterdam. For example, walking to the Red Light District took me about 25 minutes, and I highly recommend the walk. Honestly, I consider it almost a crime for tourists to use public transport in Amsterdam, because the city is beautiful everywhere and you really don’t want to miss anything by not walking. There are some cafes, restaurants, and grocery stores within a 5-minute walk from the hotel. Inside the hotel is decorated nicely, and you can definitely feel its historic charm as soon as you enter. My check-in was fast and easy. I absolutely loved the front desk daytime staff – all the ladies were extremely sweet, friendly, and nice to me, always chatting with me every single day when we saw each other. Two big minuses of the hotel: the very small and slow elevator that barely fit me and my luggage, and the narrow, steep stairs, which are actually dangerous. Be extremely careful if you carry luggage, because it’s easy to slip and fall! But to be fair, these are common issues in historic Amsterdam buildings, and many of them don’t even have elevators, unlike Owl hotel. I booked a Single Room and was happy with the one I got (#48). My room was on the third floor and had a lovely street view, with lots of natural daylight coming through the big window. I also loved being able to open the window for fresh air. Unfortunately, the room was not very soundproof – I could hear some noise from the street (even with the window closed) and from the hallway – but it wasn’t too bad and didn’t bother me much. The design of the room was simple, and the size was tiny, but it still felt fine for one person and was comfortable overall. The furniture was mostly in good condition, and everything was clean. The single bed was very small, and I really wished I had more space, but at least the mattress and pillow were nice. I liked that the closet was a separate section with a door; inside it had a safe, a big fan, a luggage bench, and even a warm blanket. The biggest issue for me was the electric plugs situation. Only one outlet by the bed worked, and in total I found just four outlets in the whole room. As a result, I had to charge my gadgets one after another, which was inconvenient and very annoying. The bathroom was the most updated part of the room – basic but nicely made and spacious enough. Everything in the bathroom functioned perfectly. The shower stall was large, and the shower’s water pressure was strong. Unfortunately, I really disliked the bathroom amenities – they seemed very cheap and smelled awful. Also, the in-wall dispenser didn’t work well: I had to press very hard, but almost no shampoo came out. On the positive side, the hotel’s Wi-Fi worked very well and was fast during my entire stay. For my stay I paid €125 per night (including all fees and taxes). Honestly, I find this rate overpriced for the basic, small room I had. I believe the price should be about half. To be fair, nowadays it’s almost impossible to find a private single hotel room in Amsterdam under €100 per night. When I was searching and made my reservation, this hotel was one of the cheapest options, and many of the more expensive hotels looked worse and didn’t have such a central location as Owl Hotel. Another small downside was my check-out experience. A day before leaving I asked for a late check-out. They only gave me one extra hour for free, until noon, explaining that my room had to be prepared for the next guest. But the next morning, I decided to call and confirm again with another front desk worker, and surprisingly, I was offered two extra hours – but not for free, they asked €10 per hour. I refused; and the whole situation felt a bit sketchy. Finalizing my review, I can recommend this hotel for a stay in Amsterdam. Even though it’s pretty basic, you’ll still be in comfort. I might return here in the future, but only if the price is more reasonable.

Location is great. Staff was friendly and helpful. Breakfast was simple. Rooms are adequate but walls are thin. Our room was on the 3rd floor and we could hear every word from the room next door and every movement in hallway. Doors shutting shook the bed.

Really nice hotel close to everything in Amsterdam. The staff was very friendly and the rooms were clean!

Charming reasonably priced hotel just 5 minutes walk from Leidseplein. I've stayed here 5 times now so they must be doing something right. There's a lovely breakfast room overlooking the back garden. The breakfast is a good selection of different breads, meats, Dutch cheeses, cereals, eggs, fruit, yogurt and juice. There's a Dowe Egberts coffee machine for hot drink needs. Bedrooms are comfortable if not overly spacious. They do have some single rooms available which is something of a rarity nowadays. Downstairs there is a 24 hour reception and bar with a lounge. A lift serves all floors. Alike many establishments in Amsterdam they do have a resident cat to ensure that the place is free of all the canal based vermin. Would I stay again? Absolutely!

Loved this hotel. My friend and I stayed here for our first two nights in Amsterdam (we're traveling around for spring break). The staff is very friendly, as is the cat that hangs out downstairs. They upgraded us to a larger room that was available for no extra charge! It is walking distance to Vondelpark, the Iamsterdam sign, etc.