The Bulldog Hotel

The bulldog hotel/​hostel is right on the canal and also beside the red light district. Location is second to none and you are within walking distance from the Central station, the Anne Frank museum and the shopping area.
Staff are super welcoming and everyone is quite chilled. Breakfast is included and while quite basic it’s good to fill up as the prices around Amsterdam are rather expensive.
There is also a coffeeshop next door but don’t be expecting coffee, cakes and such as coffeeshops are often where you can buy your weed/​cannabis and smoke it. Smoking regular cigarettes indoors is illegal so some might find it strange that you can smoke weed but hey!
I found the dorm to be kind of annoying, the first night girls were busy coming and going throughout the night, 2 came in at
and another 2 at
with the first two leaving at
and the second 2 an hour later!!! They spent about 45 minutes showering, packing, whispering and putting on makeup etc while others around them tried to sleep. I can only guess that they had early morning flights to catch.
The following night was a bit better, except for one girl that came in at 3am and turned the main light on. I promptly told her to turn it off! I think I forgot I was in a hostel and thought it was one of my kids but still inconsiderate. Anyway there are little lights at every bed so no need to go waking everyone up.

Bulldog is right on the Canals. It’s in the Red Light District which is full of action at night and convenient to the Main Central Station. The rooms and beds are practical. My one complaint is how smoky the restaurant is so just go outside to eat for better food and service.

This is the hostel that made me realize I’m not a «hostel person.» We arrived and had the sweetest woman help us out, and I really appreciated her help and warmth because after Germany, some kindness was great.
But then we got to our 12-​bed dorm at around 4pm, and there were 6 or 7 guys sleeping, the room smelled like wet dog and the lights were off.
I immediately didn’t feel welcome and I knew I didn’t want to be there. We went back downstairs and changed our room, there were no private rooms available unfortunately. We told one of the women at the desk our situation and she looked at me like I was an idiot and I’m pretty sure told the other nice lady who did end up helping us not to put us in a different room. But the one lady completely understood and let us switch rooms no problem.
So we got a new room and this one was better. Someone left a window open so it wasn’t musty, but fresher and I really liked that.
The toilet room was cleanER that the other one but I wouldn’t say fresh or clean. Then the shower room was better than the first room, also. It didn’t smell like a men’s junior high locker room.
But when I went to take a shower, it was damp. Nobody leaves the door open to let it air out and the circulation in there is nonexistent. They really need a sign on the door so people know that the room needs to air out. So anyway, I didn’t dare take a shower without flip flops because I’m pretty sure I would have gotten athletes foot just by looking at it. While I was showering, I noticed black spots in between the tile. Now I’m not an expert or anything of this kind of stuff, but I’m fairly certain that was mold. How could it not be? People take showers then seal off the room.
Also, after turning on the hot water, you can’t touch the hot water handle. It’s way too hot! I burned my arm accidentally touching it just while doing normal shower things. I had to get my towel wet because I couldn’t touch it with my bare hands.
The breakfast was not worth it. Go have a pancake or something, somewhere else.
Overall, let me tell you… I would never stay in this place again. The whole thing is musty. It smells like wet dog in the hallway. The elevator doesn’t work well and the stairs are so steep and thin you have to walk sideways. The entire lobby smells like weed, which I understand but connected to your sleeping quarters was not ideal, and the people you’ll stay with will most likely just want to party so don’t plan on getting a decent night’s sleep.
I understand that they can’t control who stays here, but this is very much a party hostel. So if you’re looking for a clean bathroom and a comfortable bed, this is not the place for you.
I will not be returning back to this hostel, I’m surprised there are so many good reviews because even the guy sleeping next to us switched rooms because the bathrooms were so disgusting in a different room than we switched from.
This place needs a few of those huge fans to help it dry out and maybe some house keepers to clean up. My boyfriend and I literally spent money so we wouldn’t have to sleep there for one night. We didn’t get our money back for the second night, which we expected, but we preferred to pay for another hotel room instead of staying in this glorified jail.
I wanted to warn the poor girl checking in for a week that she should get a different hotel.
The pictures from the hostel online are misleading and the place is not as cool or interesting as shown, maybe they have one of two very cool rooms– but that’s not the norm.
Just don’t stay here. It’s not worth it. Pay a few extra euro and get a nicer hostel.

The place looks very young, cool and is super central. Specifically made for young people. Hotel is just around everything what’s close and worth a visit.
The lobby/​lounge area is quite dark. Smoking tobacco is not allowed but weed is. That is quite annoying if you don’t like the smell. I never went to the bar due to that. The rooms are on suite which makes things easier. Shower and toilet are separated-​also a nice thing. On the fourth floor is a terrace open from 11am-​11pm. Cool for having drinks in the evening.
The staff is friendly and speaks English fluently. No issues with that all.
Breakfast and wifi is included in the price and towels are available at the reception-​for FREE! Very nice.
Overall: cool place for someone who comes to smoke weed and wants party. Not for someone who wants a chilled relaxed place.

Never knew they also had a bar/​hotel. You can go in here during the day and it’s like night time atmosphere inside. Dark, loud music, and surprisingly normally priced beer (no tourist ripoff prices)

Good location, free towels… but the room smelled like sewer 24/​7, a huge con in my opinion

In the heart of the red light district, this place is really good value for money. We stayed for 4 nights, had a private room and enjoyed our stay. Room was clean, it was very quiet considering the placement of the hostel. It’s walking distance from the train station, the flower market and other great places worth visiting. Loads of bars and restaurants near by. You can enjoy a drink and a smoke in the hostel bar, which is also very cozy. We will definitely return here when we visit Amsterdam again.

We booked The Bulldog whilst on a ferry from England the night before we arrived in Amsterdam, because it seemed to be the best option in terms of both ratings and price. Our last minute planning turned out pretty well — this place is awesome. Majority of my recent travels I’ve either stayed with friends or Couch Surfers to save money, but The Bulldog Hotel proved to be worth the 35 Euro price tag (I think that’s how much I paid).
First off, it is in a good location. You walk out to immediately see the river, with musicians playing on the bridge. The Red Light District is right around the corner, and you’re able to walk basically everywhere else important. The original Bulldog coffee shop, covered in crazy awesome color and design, is just a few doors down. You could literally have an amazing experience without even leaving the block. The hostel itself is what makes it though — the downstairs bar area is super lively and always had a decent flow of people. All the employees were cool, and I liked that they had a storage area for our things. The rooms were nice too, with decent views. The beds were comfortable, and everything was way clean compared to some other hostels I have stayed at. The hallways had interesting paintings on the walls, which was neat.
I wish I could more fully describe my experiences here, but it’s Amsterdam and I was a college kid on vacation so we’ll leave those out. Just know that this place is full of great vibes, cool people, and is just an overall perfect choice for your visit.

What a great little hotel. Things can really be disorienting in this city but the hotel seems to have a good grasp of everything. The people are very nice downstairs, the private rooms are clean and spacious for European rooms, hot water with good pressure, and a good a/​c system. What more do you need? The wifi is slow but it works and it’s free. Great location. I like this place! Amsterdam is like Las Vegas meets New Orleans, and the Bulldog really brings that out. It’s mostly young people, and you will find them smoking weed and hash out front on the benches, but for the money, location, cleanliness, and overall value this is the place.

After staying at both the Bulldog and The Flying Pig Downtown in Amsterdam, I’ve got to say the Bulldog was my fav. The room was pretty clean, better than most hostels. The bathroom and wash room in my room (6 bed girls dorm) were both great and the views of the canal from my room were pretty picturesque.
Don’t stay here if loud noise at crazy hours is a problem for you. I’m a light sleeper but didn’t have any real issues. I mean you’re in the Red Light District, what do you expect?
The hotel staff were my favorite staff of my whole trip through Amsterdam. Definitely recommend staying here.

Wow, this place is so great. I love staying here when we get a chance to drop into Amsterdam. Not only is it a perfectly located hostel with friendly staff, but the bar/​lounge and attached coffeeshop are some of the best places in the city to hang out, meet other travellers and just soak up the Amsterdam life.
The prices are a bit steep for a hostel, but they’ve really renovated the place in the past couple years, so the comfort level is worth it. Just try to get the smallest dorm room possible to lessen your chance of drawing a snorer in your room!
Overall, great location, friendly faces and awesome spot to explore the ‘Dam from.

I dread the day I’m too old to call The Bulldog my HQ in the ‘Dam.
Absolutely one of the best vibed, cleanest, centrally located hostels (ok, ok, hotel now) in the world. Located right on the edge of the Wallen, it can get a bit hectic on the weekends, but that’s probably why you came to Amsterdam in the first place. Also serves as a great HQ from which to reach other parts of the city, which central location near the Dam and only about 5 minute walk to Amsterdam Centraal.
There are two kinds of hostels: those you try to spend as little time in and just use as a flophouse and those that deliver a whole community. The Bulldog is the second, as evidenced by the lounge that is absolutely packed with people from breakfast until the wee morning hours. It helps that the lounge is so comfy (overstuffed couches, pool table, board games), the bar is epic, they serve food until late and — oh yeah — one of the best coffeeshops is literally next door (also part of the Bulldog).
This is all made better by the fact that they’ve renovated the lounge to not be as dingy as it used to be. Absolutely the place to be in the ‘Dam. I can’t recommend anywhere else.

This place is very clean, offers a great included breakfast, and has beautiful showers. The only downer is the price, because it’s such a touristy spot… but I guess you get what you pay for in such a hip city as Amsterdam.

I think it’s only fitting that I save my 420^th review for Amsterdam’s first five star hostel in the world: the Bulldog Hotel.
Not really a hotel, but a hostel, I stayed in a private, double room during the «high season» (tee hee) and loved it.
Things to keep in mind:
+The beds are tinier than what I’m used to – I think it was a twin mattress – but it did the job.
+The crowd is a bit on the younger side, so make sure to bring some ear buds if you plan on sleeping.
+You’re in the heart of the Red Light District. This can be good and it can be awful. Plan accordingly.
+Order an absinthe at the bar; it’s definitely an experience.

First of all, the beds and pillows are clean and super comfortable. I stayed in a private room en suite with my friends and everything was perfect! Don’t forget the shower shoes though!
Reception was very courteous and there is security. Great to know!
The hostel has everything. You really don’t have to leave the building to eat or smoke but you should so you could get waffles or other delicacies in the area.
Oh! And the Red Light District is just around the corner. Sweet!
Room Tip: If your traveling with a bunch of people, get a private room.
See more room tips

First things first. Before staying here you need to make sure you are prepared to:
1) Be in the heart of the Red Light District
2) Find people smoking in the lobby, bar, and rooms at all hours of the day (literally)
3) Share very close (and somewhat dirty) corners with strangers from all over the world
But you can also expect:
1) Great breakfast– tasty rolls, meat, cheese, yogurt, fruit, eggs and juice
2) A friendly staff willing to dole out advice, towels, and help when you need
3) Comfy beds
4) Wifi
5) A central location right around the corner from Dam Square
All in all, it suit our needs perfectly for our stay in Amsterdam. I would definitely look into the other Bulldog places for future stays. As long as you know what you’re getting into, you won’t be disappointed.

Now, this is from someone who is admittedly probably a bit long in the tooth to be galavanting through Europe in hostels. But I’ve done my share of backpacking back in the day, and while Bulldog Ho (s)tel is a fine establishment, I wonder on what basis it got the «first five star hostel in the world» title it advertises on its website? It was one of those situations where I may have been more impressed if I didn’t have heightened expectations based on the advertised credo.
Location is pretty central, and the beds were more comfortable than most hostels I’ve been to. The towels and linens were clean, and they have free wifi (which they were having trouble with on my first day, but had fixed by my second). Service is accommodating, and the lady at the reception did her best to take me out of a predominantly male dorm to a more female-​friendly one without me asking.
They offer free breakfast, and while I don’t expect a continental breakfast at a hostel, the small display of bagged bread and ham/​cheese in plastic containers was unimpressive compared to other hostels I’ve experienced around Europe. Not a problem except for my bewilderment at the five star rating. There was one shower and one toilet in a 12-​person dorm (neither of which were very clean or had a mirror), which is less than I’ve seen in most hostels. While the website said they have a hair dryer, the hair dryer turned out to be essentially a high-​mounted automatic hand dryer in the main sleeping area, so any attempt to dry my hair in the morning would have woken up my slumbering dorm-​mates.
Overall, Bulldog seems like a pretty cool place to meet fellow travelers, and the discounts offered at the few bars and souvenir shops under the Bulldog name probably comes in handy. But if you’re simply looking for a place to rest your head, I believe there are slightly cheaper options in the area, and I wouldn’t mind trying those if I find myself looking for budget accommodations in Amsterdam again.
*They have gym-​style lockers that comfortably fit my carry-​on size luggage and jackets, but the lock only accommodates the smaller locks. I had brought a regular-​sized dial lock, and ended up having to purchase a 5 euro lock from the vending machine.
*They say that they require you to show your pass every time you come into the hostel for security reasons, but when I asked the lady at the desk if she needed to see my pass, she said «no, I remember you.» I had never seen her before.

This place is actually a hostel and me and my friends stayed here for about 3 nights a couple years ago. We booked an apartment room and it was SUPER nice. It wasn’t in the main hostel building, just right down the street and up a very narrow and steep set of stairs but the place was a well outfitted and decorated apartment (with a full kitchen, a bedroom and bathroom, a pull out sofa in the living room and another small bathroom). For the price this place was so worth it! Plus it was in a nice part or town– we walked everywhere. There was a bar and smoking room right downstairs and the main hostel building right down the street had a bar and pool tables at it. There was internet and laundry services which both worked well. The front desk was pretty helpful although we never found any really great restaurants while we were there. One downside was there was construction going on back in 2010 when we stayed there and it was impossible to sleep in at all– SO loud. I would stay here again though since it didn’t feel like we were at a hostel at all and it was really affordable.

Neat place! I saw young and old people hang out here!!!

Actually it is a hostel.
Good price, great location (you know that:))
Too bad I am not fun of alcohol.