It’s not often that I rave about a hostel.
Usually, I opt for a basic, comfortable place to stay, safe in the knowledge that I won’t be spending much time there (let’s be honest, I can’t resist a bargain either). But my recent weekend in Amsterdam was a bit different.
We were a group of eight hoping for a chilled weekend away: I was on strict orders to “go with the flow” (at which I failed miserably) and we were planning on spending more time in cafes and coffee shops than museums. Luckily, after a few failed attempts to secure a house boat (which would have been really, really cool) we managed to find somewhere that suited us perfectly: Ecomama Boutique Hostel – the new initiative from the owners of the popular Cocomama.
Location
Found on Valkerburgerstraat, just a short walk from Nieuwmarkt, Ecomama is situated perfectly between the tourist hotspots of De Wallen (aka the Red Light District) and Rembrandtplein and the quieter areas of Utrechtsestraat and Grachtengordel-Zuid, or the southern canal belt.
Common areas
But it’s not the location of Ecomama that serves as its main selling point – its interior feels like the physical embodiment of a hipster Pinterest board.
Guests firstly enter through the chic little coffee shop Filter, which serves as the façade of the hostel. Walking through to the back of the cafe, you’ll find the Ecomama desk – created from stacks of books (obviously). Opposite, you’ll spy a cosy little seating area with board games, magazines and a record player – naturally.
There’s also a well-stocked kitchen, a huge dining table, a kicker table and the Pièce de résistance, a full-sized indoor yurt.
Rooms & facilities
We paid for an eight-bed dorm and the hostel were good enough to put us all together. The room was fantastic – fairly simple, but lovely and spacious. It was kitted out with everything you need (reading light and plug socket next to every bed) and the beds were sturdy and comfortable (no squeaking ladders to the top bunk here).
The room was also decorated in a load of world maps, so I was pretty happy with that.
Other rooms take the form of converted shipping containers, decorated inside and out for a really unique feel.
In terms of facilities, the bathrooms were clean and modern and the showers were pretty decent.
Price
In total, we paid €76 each for two nights (Friday and Saturday) – including booking fee and city tax. This is a lot more than I’m used to paying for a hostel (though about the going rate in Amsterdam it seems), but I really think Ecomama was worth it – we spent a lot of time hanging out in the teepee and felt really at home.
Verdict
Ecomama embodies everything you’d look for in a boutique hostel: a friendly, easy-going vibe, entertainment options and quirky features. I noticed a lot of other guests spent the majority of their time hanging around the hostel, and I really can’t blame them. The place had a really great feel to it, which I really liked.
On top of which, our rooms couldn’t have been better and the service was great.
I would definitely recommend.
What do you think? Would you stay here?
Comment below!
Disclaimer: Ecomama Boutique Hostel has not endorsed this post in any way.