This hotel seemed to be a glorified hostel. The hallways and rooms - we stayed in a 4 star room - were sparse and still prison-like. The shower in our room left the entire bathroom in a puddle and, since it was exposed and placed between the bedroom and the front door, it was nearly impossible to avoid the mess. On the plus side, the room was rather large, but it was noisy. We could hear other guests drunkenly singing all night long.

Another major drawback to the hotel is the location. One must take a train to get back into the city center, and there is virtually nothing to do in the immediate area.

There are a number of other hotels in Amsterdam that are far more appealing than this 'hostel' with more warmth, better service and that are less expensive as well. Unless you like the look and feel of a prison, I'd skip this hotel.

Lloyd Hotel Amsterdam

Our taxi brought us from the Airport, and as we passed a 3 story table on the corner, we realized our hotel was a bit outside of the center and located in the wonderfully clean and unique design district. (Hint. Take the train from the airport… it is quicker, cheaper, and right on the tram or a short taxi ride from central station).

The taxi driver told us that our hotel was an old prison for children and has been referred to as the Lloyd Hotel for many years by delinquent youth! I was curious how he knew the lingo of these youth… and looked at my partner like ‘what are we getting ourselves into’!

Our anxiety was quickly diminished on arrival. Although it has a distant feel of old school house, the design is clean and comfortable. The rooms range in categories from shared bathroom accommodations to luxury theme suites... The public areas are open and resemble large living rooms or common areas at a rich kid’s school…

Staff was efficient and helpful, we arrived but our reservation hadn't...so they quickly set us up and we checked in for the night without too much delay.

We found our 5star room had all the comforts and a bit of oddities that made it interesting. The beds and linens were soft and comforting, the pillows fluffy down and the amenities were adequate.

The restaurant is ala carte with simple and excellent food cooked to perfection. The main dishes are not overdone with spices or sauces (those you order to your liking on the side). Choices of perfectly prepared veggies, chips and salads are available and the home made desserts are wonderful!!

Free Wireless is the key, allowing us to roam freely in the hotel and work as needed.

The hotel hosts a cultural center, which has cultural nights... our stay coincided with one on Africa (the night before our flight to Africa left!).

Rent the bikes and ride into town, it is close and loads of fun!!

This hotel is highly recommended for those who like unique eccentricities, good service and a great meal.

I also read the reviews of this hotel and anticipated my stay there, arranged by the organizers of a conference I was staying, with great trepidation. There is something very odd about the place including the odd, user unfriendly rooms and somewhat strange staff (when you can find them). In addition it's simply difficult to find the door. It's really not clear where the main entrance is! But if you take advantage of it you can explore a very interesting area of the city. There are a few good restaurants, the walkway along the River as well as the Stedelijk Museum as long as they're still there and in the end..it's simply not that remote. It's on two convenient tram lines and if you're up to walking, about a good twenty minutes to the central station. Not as removed as one might think when first arriving. I regret not changing my room as I was stuck on the sixth floor in a charming but VERY hot room with a small dormer window that barely opened. The long hallways were also a bit creepy. But the feel of the main restaurant, lounge, visitor center etc. was really very nice. All in all a memorable experience. Although I'm not sure that I'd choose it again I don't regret the explore to the up and coming Eastern Docklands area.

I had read all of the bad reviews of the Lloyd here on Tripadvisor. "How bad can it be?" I wondered. I'm completely flummoxed by why people seem to dislike the Lloyd so much. I think it's a great hotel. It begs to be explored and experienced. There are lectures (we attended one on Ubuntu--a South African concept of "humanity towards others,”) there is a tremendous library, crazy staircases and multiple levels and a great restaurant. Yes the hallways are narrow without wall-to-wall carpeting and railings to hold on to. Yes the rooms are sparse, but my wife and I welcomed the lack of some horrible Thomas Kinkade-type painting looming over our bed. The Lloyd exceeds in its efficiency and refreshing out-of-the-boxness. Sure, the bathrooms could use a few more hooks and a shelf here and there, but as the previous reviewer stated, "give it some time." As for complaints about remoteness: If you want to be in the thick of Amsterdam's crowds and frat boy infested center than this isn’t the place. But if you're interested in seeing what appears to be a developing area with lots of great, new architecture and you don't mind a quick tram ride, than it’s just fine. We found all of the staff accommodating and pleasant. I will definitely return and recommend. Thank you. M.Rohan.