Backstage Hotel Amsterdam

I have no idea about their hotel because right before our trip, my best friend and I had an argument, and she went on the trip alone. I was just the one who planned it, but I'm sure their hotel was fine and nothing went wrong for them; otherwise, my friend would have definitely called me to fix it.

The location was terrific, very walkable to everything. The beds were also comfortable, and the river view was beautiful including the flower box right outside our window. The lobby staff I met on the first night (a guy with long hair) was extremely helpful and nice—a wonderful welcome. The extremely tight and narrow stairs are a bit of a hazard, especially for older adults and children, and suitcases are hard to maneuver up to the 3rd floor without an elevator. I’m used to tight Dutch stairwells but this was rather extreme. Also, the room is not air conditioned, which is usually not a problem, but we stayed in 80-90 degree heat so it made sleeping a bit uncomfortable.

bathroom

History and its decorating or the place

History and its decorating

Cute little hotel in a perfect location, surrounded by various bars and stores. It is only around 15 minutes from Bloemenmarkt and the Anne Frank House, while still being located in a quiet and pleasant neighborhood. The room was lovely, with amazing details, and the staff was incredibly friendly and welcoming, including thoughtful touches such as welcome drinks upon arrival. The toilet and bathroom were shared, which I did not notice from the pictures, although it was mentioned in the description.

Convenient to tram. Staff helped us bring our suitcases up when we arrived and held our bags until check-in time No elevator with steep stairs. We knew this in advance.

Amazing staff. Location was great. Superb decor Noisy. People were up n moving all night long making the floor/ceiling making loud sounds. As a light sleeper it was difficult to sleep.

Accurate to the price, very clean, excellent instalations, good location

The music theme

The hotel was centrally located and offered a great rate with a good breakfast.

Nothing we didn't like, but just be aware of the narrow staircase. Especially with luggage. Again, NOT a negative, we loved it, but just be prepared.

Nothing 1 Star - Unacceptable Experience – I Checked Out Within the First Hour As a solo traveler, I booked Backstage Amsterdam hoping for a decent place to rest after a long trip. Unfortunately, this turned out to be one of the worst hotel decisions I’ve ever made. I checked in, walked into my basement-level room, and immediately noticed several serious issues. The window was at street level with no lock and had been left slightly open — anyone passing by on the sidewalk could have easily reached in or climbed through. As a solo traveler, this made me feel extremely unsafe and vulnerable right away. Then there was the noise. The constant, loud construction right outside was deafening — it rattled the entire room. I mentioned to the staff how exhausted I was and how desperately I needed quiet to sleep. Their casual response: “Oh yeah, there’s construction going on.” They even offered me earplugs, which I refused — I shouldn’t have to wear earplugs just to get a basic night’s sleep in a paid hotel room. Besides, the noise was so intense that earplugs wouldn’t have made any meaningful difference anyway. Within the first hour of being there, I raised my concerns about the unsafe window and the unbearable construction noise. Initially the staff had been friendly, but as soon as I expressed dissatisfaction, their attitude flipped to passive-aggressive and rude. They acted like I was unreasonable for expecting a secure, quiet room. I spoke with the manager, explained that I couldn’t possibly stay under these conditions, and he agreed to provide a full refund since I was leaving immediately. However, when I followed up with Booking.com later, they told me no refund request had ever been submitted by the hotel. That felt dishonest and added insult to injury. I did not stay the night — I checked out within the first hour and found somewhere else to go. Bottom line: I strongly advise against booking Backstage Amsterdam, especially if you’re traveling solo.

The bed was very uncomfortable as it basically had what looked to be a slightly oversized mattress pad that felt like it was sliding off all night. The room is tiny with no toilet or shower (as expected when I booked the reservation) but I didn’t expect that the shower would not be on the same floor as my bedroom so I had to walk to a different floor to shower. My last night there consisted of a family with children staying in the room next to me with all sorts of rowdiness and screaming for hours on end. While I understand that you can’t turn people away, this hotel seems more like a hostel and not ideal for families so I was quite surprised to be next to a loud family with children.

Room was lovly x

The bed was softer than I prefer, but it was fine for a short stay.

The steep Dutch stairs were manageable with light luggage,but could be challenging for anyone with heavy bags.

Upon check-in we met Vince at the front desk. He was very friendly and good in recommending places to see and eat. Small talk was also very much appreciated. Our overall experience was very good and we would stay at the Backstage Hotel again.

Amazing staff, fun theming

The property was a very cool old building. Looking down at canal. The outside of it was stunning and the bar was an awesome rock n roll theme. The staff was also amazing. The stairs are a death trap. They are basically straight up, and so small. I understand it is a traditional Dutch building and is historic…but they were not ideal for dragging luggage up or after a couple drinks. Also, found our room to be a little dirty. The bathroom especially was not to our standard of clean. Plus there is not air conditioning so the room was very hot.