Hotel Sebel is a fantastic option for anyone who is travelling to Den Haag and looking to stay within the city centre without the excessive costs of a chain hotel.

Located in the Zeeheldenkwartier, the hotel is only a ten-minute tram ride from the station and sits opposite a circular plaza with some rather artistic fountains and benches. Within the vicinity, there are also a number of convenience stores, cafés and snackbars (particularly on the nearby Prins Hendrikstraat). Another positive aspect about the hotel's location is its proximity to the beaches of Scheveningen and Kijkduin - it's only a short walk to either relevant bus-stop (one located at the Vredepaleis, the other just off the Laan van Meerdervoort), with each bus ride being only about twenty minutes.

The staff at the hotel are certainly some of the friendliest hotel staff I've met. From the moment my friend and I arrived, I could tell that the hotel had a very welcoming and pleasant atmosphere. During my stay, I required a number of documents (including a rather lengthy document of ten pages) to be printed off and the staff were extremely helpful with this matter.

Our room, a twin, was very comfortable and clean, equipped with a flat-screen television (including both Dutch channels and BBC 1), a wardrobe large enough to accommodate the luggage of both my friend and I, a desk with a fan and bed-side tables. According to the placard in the room, kettles can be requested from the reception desk. Our room was particularly large, (actually larger than those offered at some chain hotels at a much higher rate), as was the bathroom, which had a bath-tub equipped with a shower-head. When my friend and I travelled the weather was particularly hot, so we were glad to see that the windows of our room were able to open all the way. The trams don't run throughout the night and as the local area is residential the nights tend to be quiet, allowing for a peaceful sleep. A big bonus about the rooms is that they include free wi-fi and the entire hotel is smoke-free.

Breakfast included various breads, cheese, cold meats, fruits, cereal, scrambled egg, bacon and pastries, which made for a light start to the day. Throughout the day, you can rent a bike from the hotel, which is useful as The Hague doesn't have as many bicycle rental shops compared to a more tourist-geared city such as Amsterdam.

Finally, a particularly nice feature about the hotel is its design. The building dates from the late 19th Century and features original Art Nouveau details. As some reviewers have already mentioned, the stairs are steep and the lift can only reach certain floors; however, it's worth noting that such stairs are very common in traditional Dutch buildings (I would even say that steep stairs are the true mark of a real Dutch buildings) and considering the age of the building, I don't imagine it's possible to install a lift that would reach all the floors. Regardless, I imagine the staff would be more than happy to provide a guest with a room that can be reached with the lift, if necessary.

Overall, a great family-friendly hotel.

Reasonable value, pleasant place in a nice neighborhood.

Rooms were very plain and nothing to write home about,either positive or negative. We stayed one night which was acceptable, but probably wouldn't stay there for multiple nights. Reception friendly, rooms clean, TV with a good coverage, breakfast quite good.

Key drawback was the stairs. Never in my life have we seen such steep narrow stairs to climb up to the rooms. Main attraction of the neighborhood was a 'coffee shop' with quite a wide selection of reefer and hash. We could not resist sampling which made negotiating the stairs that much more interesting (even the next morning).

Hotel not recommended for elderly, young families with children, or people with large bags. Note that we were two men on business trip.

+:
First glance of the hotel was excellent - a nice mix of an old building with modern interior design, and the stickers of TripAdvisor recommendation, and Michelin recommendation etc. The location was convenient enough, tram line directly to the central station; a great square next to the hotel, especially nice during summer for the terrace.

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We stayed for one night in a double room. The bed was good. But the toilet was smelly and it killed all the good feelings of the hotel. It was so bad that we had to shut the toilet cover and bathroom door during the night, and I wanted to leave as soon as we could.
Breakfast was included in the price, which was very nice, but the quality was poor except the coffee.

I've stayed at the Sebel several times now, for both work and fun, and I'm always assured a warm welcome, good wifi and friendly staff. I tend to skip the hotel breakfast and head around the corner to Crunch- a cute little cafe which does everything from a full English to homemade soups and cakes, and is popular with the Hague's many expats. The Sebel does recommend some local restaurants which offer a discount for Sebel guests, and there's plenty of choice in the area, but my particular favourite was the Chef India Express on Prins Hendrikstraat 54, a British Indian eat-in/takeaway located 2 mins walk away- just call to place an order and they'll tell you when to come and pick it up.

To get to the Sebel from DH Centraal, just hop Tram 17 (direction: Statenkwartier) to van Speijkstraat and walk back across the circle.

My only warning is regarding the stairs- I'm fine with them, and there is a lift in part of the hotel, but potential guests should make sure to check they have a luggage-friendly room if they're bringing a lot of stuff with them.