St Christopher's Inn Amsterdam - The Winston

I really enjoyed my stay at this hotel. The location is excellent – very close to the city center, which made exploring so easy. The bar and restaurant were lovely, with great food and drinks. The staff were friendly and helpful throughout my visit. My room was comfortable and clean, though it did get a bit warm at times. It would be even better if there were air conditioning to keep it cooler, especially in summer. Overall, a pleasant experience and I’d recommend it to anyone looking for a central place to stay with good amenities.

Comfortable and Social, But Pricey for What You Get We had a great stay at St Christopher’s. We booked directly through their site, which was much cheaper than on Hostelworld, although the hostel was still quite expensive overall. While there were definitely some positives, I’m not sure it fully justified the cost. We had booked the largest mixed dorm but were placed in a four-bed all-female room in the building next door which we were really happy about and it made the stay much more pleasant. The best part was the beds. They were extremely comfortable and cozy. We also had a fan in the room, which was amazing to have, although it was completely covered in dust and clearly needed cleaning. The layout of the room was great. We had a large sink and table in the room, and the bathrooms and showers were shared. The bathroom area could use better ventilation, since the hallway became very steamy and it was getting moldy. Someone had also left clothes and random belongings in there for our entire stay, which was not pleasant and I would have expected to have been taken out by cleaners. Our room did not have curtains and was a little noisy at night, but with earplugs and an eye mask, we slept fine. The room was lacking hooks and had nowhere to hang towels or bags. The bar downstairs was super fun and lively in the evenings, so it is a great place to stay if you are looking for a social and safe atmosphere. Overall, this is a solid hostel with great beds and a fun vibe, but it is on the expensive side compared to other options. A few basic improvements would make it even better!

To start with, I had booked a room with a private bathroom, but they gave me one without it. When I brought it up, the staff simply said, “At this price, we only sell rooms without bathrooms and we got your booking through Booking.com" But my confirmation clearly showed that I had booked with a private bathroom. There was no effort to resolve it, and since I had already paid, I couldn’t cancel or change places. Before even reaching the hostel area, you have to pass through a noisy bar full of locals. It’s not a party hostel just a bar that happens to have hostel rooms upstairs. So if you're expecting a typical hostel vibe, you won’t find it here. The elevator was out of service, so I had to carry my suitcase up four flights of stairs. If you're coming with heavy bags, be ready it’s a proper workout. There’s no age limit. I shared my room with two elderly guests one was kind and generous the whole time, while the other snored so loudly that getting a full night’s sleep was nearly impossible. The staff were mixed. One receptionist in particular (a plus-sized woman) often gave incomplete answers, she would start telling me something, then just stop mid sentence, as if I was supposed to fill in the rest. Not rude exactly, but definitely not helpful. The one good thing about this place is the location it’s central and easy to walk everywhere. But honestly, Amsterdam is a very walkable city overall. You don’t need to stay right in the center to enjoy it. Staying a little farther out can be quieter and more relaxed, and you’ll still be within walking distance of most places. I wouldn’t recommend this hostel. It doesn’t offer the comfort, security, or proper hostel atmosphere you expect. It feels more like a bar with some beds upstairs. Look for a place that’s actually meant to be a hostel.

Central to the heart of Amsterdam everything is in easy walking distance and there is a party scene going on every night downstairs in the bar if that’s what you are looking for. Security is posted nightly at the entrance to get to rooms so you can feel safe and secure. The staff is very friendly and helpful. An economical way to experience and party in Amsterdam. (Not a place to stay if you are looking for a quiet time!)

Stayed in a six person room. It was so warm the whole time and I don’t consider myself a light sleeper, but our room faces the street and all the noise kept me up even with my personal earplugs + noise canceling headphones. It’s fully busy on the street until about 5 am, but that’s when the seagulls start screaming for the next half hour. Otherwise, the rooms are nice and there are several charging ports built into each bed (including the top bunk). The bathroom was very nice, and weirdly spacious (not complaining, it’s just unexpected). You get a discount for Belushi’s downstairs which is nice. The women working the reception are very nice. The hostel is a short distance from a lot of places, which is nice. Make sure you are cool with the area it’s in though. Edit: just remembered there’s some kind of intermittent loud banging all night (coming from outside possibly) that literally shook the bunk bed I was in. Idk what it was but it drove me nuts.

The bar downstairs is cool, really good service. The rooms are okay, but there are some nicer places for a similar price, in my view - like I said, downstairs is cool, and the hostel infrastructure is there, and is decent, but it could be cleaner (my mattress had some stains). The shower was surprisingly good. Bring some ear protection (though there are some downstairs at reception). Bring extra. It's such a busy and intense area all night until around 5am most days of the week, so can be difficult to sleep, even with the windows closed. Toiletries are not provided unless you pay for your own room, but you do get towels. So, bring shampoo etc. Staff are nice, given that it's so busy. Oh, there's a nice restaurant/bar next door too, worth a visit for late night food/coffee. I'd definitely pay for the breakfast (mine wasn't included in the booking originally), as that's worth the money after a long night out!

Do not book if you value your safety, money, or peace of mind!! I (solo female) was put in an extremely uncomfortable situation with an all-male room and told that the only option was to pay an extra 370€ for all four beds in a private room. This was at almost 3am when it was clear the room would have sat empty anyway. All four beds! I would have been happy to pay for one bed because I understand there are costs for housekeeping etc; but I just felt so stupid and cheated overpaying almost 400€ just to have a safe night.

Stayed here for three nights. We tried calling the hostel before our arrival with a question, but no one answered—definitely not a great first impression in terms of service. The restrooms were never cleaned during our stay. One shower even had dirty, bloody socks left in it, which was really unhygienic. Thankfully, there was another shower we could use. The air quality in the rooms was terrible. All of us developed stuffy noses, sore throats, and coughs, and even had difficulty breathing until we stepped outside for fresh air. There was definitely a cigarette/musty smell. Additionally, the location is very loud. The bar located in the hostel is cool but it also drives in a lot of people at night and the noise is apparent. We were placed in a separate side building, which was disappointing since the photos in their advertisements gave the impression that we’d be staying in the main, more modern facility. Overall, it felt like we didn’t get what we paid for.

Not a fan of the Bitterballen from here but the salad was fine! Service is a little slow. Definitely a very social restaurant and bar though. If you want it, it's there!

This place is awesome! Super friendly staff and great location. The bar has great food and ambiance!

I stayed here for my last evening in Europe and it wasn't a bad time all in all. After accidentally booking my reserved room to another customer, Allen (the owner) upgraded me to a deluxe suite free of charge. I had an exceptionally comfortable amount of space, plus my own balcony that looked out over the street. There is a bar and lounge on the ground floor, which makes for a pretty fun time. The crowd was a bit older than some of the other hostels I've stayed in, but it was still very easy to meet new people. The breakfast was fantastic. I couldn't help but laugh at how few people showed up (big surprise in this city), but it was worth waking up early for. Overall, I'd probably stay here again if I had the chance. It was a nice place to end my trip!

Do you like sleeping? This is probably not the right place for you. Look, I know it's a hostel. And I thought I knew what I was getting into. I expected the shitshow at check-in. I expected the sink so small I couldn't wash my face. I expected the mural of a lady bent over, touching herself, directly over our bed.* I expected the grimy shower, the uncomfortable beds, and the scratchy towels. I expected the inability to check in until 2 pm, with nowhere to stash our stuff. I expected and enjoyed the rowdy atmosphere, the bar downstairs, the irreverent staff. I expected that drinking heavily until 3:30 am would be enough to let me sleep through the noise and the night. But... I did not expect and I did not appreciate that some guy would steal some girl's bed in one of the group rooms, and that they would scream at each other for 45 minutes starting at 4 am. And I did not expect that absolutely no one would do anything about this. Since the rate here is actually not THAT much better than the downright luxurious (by comparison) actual hotels (like the DoubleTree), I think I'll spring for one of those next time. I guess I'm old now. __________ *OK, I didn't expect that one: http://imgur.com/gXjqV

Compared to other hostels, St. Christopher's is on the higher end and better than most. The interior was nice and aesthetically pleasing and everything in the room seemed clean. The rooms are decorated by local artists and the designs differ from room to room and are...interesting to say the least. The cost of a bed in a six person room was pretty pricey at the time, but only because it was over a period that included King's Day. I'd say this is definitely a hostel for the younger crowd. It's in the heart of everything, party-friendly and smoker-friendly. Almost right next to the Red Light District. Free Wifi and breakfasts everyday. There's a bar there (Belushi's) and as a guest you get 2 for 1 drinks there. Next door is their nightclub which is open on Friday and Saturday nights. If you're visiting Amsterdam on a budget and want to socialize and meet new people, this is your place. I'd stay here again, but might pony up to get a single or double room.

We could not have asked for a better hostel! The location was absolutely perfect, the beds were comfortable and the bathrooms were clean. I called right after making my reservation for 6 of us to make sure we all got placed in the same room, which they happily did for us. We were pleasantly surprised to have a balcony off our room as well as lockable cages under each bunk to store our belongings. The bar/club downstairs were great and the staff was friendly for the most part. The only thing that I was not too thrilled with was a very rude girl barging into our room while we were all sleeping yelling at us to "Get out!! You need to check out NOW!" I told her that we were booked for one more day and she argued that with me. She finally left after I told her several times that we still had one more day. About an hour later, someone else came in and said the same thing. So I finally went downstairs to make sure that everything was still OK, and the gentleman at the front desk seemed a little annoyed that I would even be asking and showed me a paper saying that yes, we were still booked for one more day and that it was a mix up on house keeping part. Other than that, our stay was absolutely fantastic! I have already been recommending this hostel to so many people!

Great place met some lovely people. Clean and nice, toilet was a bit small and you couldn't rip a good one cause everyone on the room would hear it that was a bit disappointing you couldn't relief yourself freely but overall great place with a good 25% discount on the restaurant where they made some mean burgers delicious.

I stayed here twice during my three trips to Amsterdam this past summer! This is a great place. Staff is friendly and helpful. Rooms are small but that's expected in Europe. Food is delicious! I'm from the south in the U.S. and they have Louisiana Hot Wings on their menu. They are the best wings I have ever had! Period. The fresh made dill sauce is just splendid as well. I like the bar and club vibe. Me and my bf utilized the smoke room quite often. It gets packed so sometimes hard to find a seat but nevertheless it was the best place to stay in Amsterdam. When I go back, this is where I'll stay!

This is one of my favorite places to come and hang out when I'm Straight Outta Centraal. They have a decent selection of (bar) food and great drink specials. If I haven't mentioned the drink specials already - they are great...which is why I like this place so much because of their 2For1's. For you Cool Kids, the ambiance is cool, sorta like poor-man's Hard Rock Cafe. I don't mean that as an insult, but there's is a definite Rock and Roll vibe reminiscent of the Hard Rock sans the commercialism. There is also a hotel/hostel and it's a hop, skip and a jump from the Red Light District, so you can drown your sins away...anyway I'm going off on a tangent. Did I mention the Drink Specials?? If not, they are the BEST!!

Decent hostel! We stayed here for a few nights and they were really accommodating. Great with directions and you're right in the red light district. Our bunkmate brought in some bed bugs from her travels and they took care of the entire situation really well! Definitely took the issue seriously.

I walked in around 7pm and watched a heap of people asking for a room get knocked back because it was fully booked. The guy at reception was really nice. He was Australian too so we chatted about Melbourne for a bit. Heaps of people were checking in at that time so he did a pretty good job. The bar played good music. Everyone who works there is a tourist from somewhere which is cool. When I asked for a Hoegaarden pronounced correctly he had no idea what I wanted, but when I said in my most Australian accent, Hoe (like the prostitute) gaarden (like the garden) he understood. Place lost a star cause the bed was super uncomfortable, and the venue is a bit dingy. I had some awesome roommates as I was staying by myself. We were all in bed by midnight (party-poopers) I kind of wish I was staying here again tonight but they're fully booked.

Had to be in Holland on the coast for a work trip so went a day early to Amsterdam. A female colleague booked us a twin room here as male colleagues of ours were staying here. Pros: Paid up for the en-suite and the shower was clean. Room and sheets were clean. Breakfast the following day was a plus (if you could get yourself up to go). Having a bar and restaurant was very helpful. Garden outside. Friendly staff and clientele. Location is great for going out at night. It was definitely the most expensive hostel I've ever stayed in - at Euro 132 for two twins with private bath and shower. I forgot to show the bartender my key jacket and missed the 25% off food. He knew I was staying there from a prior order - so that was slightly uncool and I noticed it the next day. The art is interesting. The re and black painting of what we think is inside a woman's private and a nipple was a bit aggressive too. The biggest annoyance was the policy to turn in your key upon exiting. Once I had to wait a while for my key to go to my room due to one person on staff with several people in queue. Another time, i had an empty desk. All in all, I found the place clean, people friendly, and a good location. And it still beat a hotel price. Oh - just beware - there is a church bell that starts around 10 am on Sunday and keeps going on it's own schedule. Not overly loud but not at whisper decibel.

Stayed one night in the hostel. The room was small and ran down, but was clean and secure and served our needs for the one night. The rest of the place, however, I have nothing remotely bad to say about. The location could not be better. The staff at the bar are all really helpful and very nice. The outside area is a very nice place to chill out, socialize with other travelers. The beers are large and relatively cheap, compared to other places close by. Free WiFi is a major plus. We used this as a central meeting point for the rest of our trip even though we were not staying at the hostel. The club next door was so much fun! We went for drum and bass night, and I danced until they kicked my ass out.

Beautiful hostel and great food and location. The reason for my two star rating was down to bad staffing. I could count 3 nice staff at my stay at Winston. The women staff where lazy(food waiting in hatch for over 15 minutes and wasn't busy at all) also cold and not welcoming. While one male staff member was rude and aggressively emotional with staff and customers while working his shift while most of the male staff (bar a few) had hipster attitudes which came across as uninterested . I hope more welcoming staff are taken on board in the near future, as this hostel has so much potential.

My favorite hostel of the 3 we stayed at in Europe! The location couldn't get better, the staff was really nice and they provide a small breakfast in the morning. There's one picture to the entrance of our floor that I'll never forget! My only gripe was that it got really hot in our room easily, but there was a large fan in the room. There's a large cubby/locker under the bed to safely keep all your luggage - my entire suitcase fit in it! Stay here, you'll have a blast!

Great staff. Friendly people. They made it easy to check-in. Rooms were great and clean for a hostel. Obv the city is loud till late into the night but you can't really fault the hostel for that. Would recommend.

Just back from a great weekend at the winston (or st. Christopher's inn as it is also called!). As a newbie to the European hostel scene, I was pleasantly surprised by my experience at the here. A mighty group of fifteen descended on this small hostel and we were very well accommodated. We had two rooms of 8 right beside eachother on the ground floor which was perfect. As we are all college students, a bit of a ruckus was to be expected and we weren't called out on it at all during our stay so if you're looking for a hostel that is happy to turn a blind eye on a shindig in the dormitory, it's a good shout! The staff were really easy to deal with too and were always on hand to offer some advice on nightlife, local restaurants and attractions. The bar and restaurant do deals on food and drink for residents which is a handy gig! The location is bang on too, 5 minutes from Amsterdam central station and 2 minutes from dam square. One thing that I would have to criticise is the heat of the rooms. At times it was just unbearably hot, granted there was a large number of us but even at night it was just uncomfortable to sleep in. The fan in our room didn't even work which highlighted the problem moreso but that aside, very satisfied with my stay and I would recommend it to similar groups :)

Arrived after a long flight.. The man whom I assume is one of the owners was so helpful and courteous and nice when we saw him in the bar while using the WiFi. Definitely would recommend this to anybody visiting and it is only our first day here!!!