Natalye R.
Yelp
The Flying Pig Uptown was... an experience.
It was loud, and crowded, and crazy, but I can't complain about any of that, because it is kind of what I expected.
This location is down a relatively quiet street near Vondelpark, and even though it isn't the downtown location, it was still not only super easy to find and get to, but also within walking distance of everything downtown.
My traveling companion and I opted for a private room, which cost more, but was still cheaper than hotels in the area. This was also nice because we had a place to store our belongings without fear of them being taken.
The room itself was painted a macaroni and cheese colored orange, but it wasn't so bad. The beds were comfortable enough and even though there was only one blanket each, it was clean.
The problem for me was the bathroom. It was kind of mildew-y, not particularly clean. Not dirty, but having a shower that isn't sectioned off from the rest of the bathroom made so that everything in there got wet. Which was annoying at best.
Unfortunately, we stayed here after arriving in Europe - no sleep on the flight or the day we arrived, so by the time we went to bed at just before 7 or 8 p.m., both of us had been awake for more than 30 hours. As soon as I fell asleep, I was OUT. But my friend sleeps lighter than I do, and apparently, she was up part of the night because everyone was so loud.
We checked out the next morning, as we were heading for Belgium, and now in retrospect, I think that a place like the Flying Pig is better for people wanting to stay more than one night. That way, they can really settle in, familiarize themselves with their surroundings, and get to know the other people staying there, which is what I think is one of the more fun aspects of staying in a hostel. Since we missed out on the community portion of things, I would venture to say we missed out on a lot, and that's why we didn't enjoy our stay as much.
Or... maybe we're just getting too old.
Either way, not a bad place, but know what you're getting into.
As for me, I'll likely opt for a hotel of sorts next time in town.