Oh my, I loved staying at BUNK Hotel Amsterdam. I was first attracted by the good reviews of this young hostel/hotel hybrid, booked it far enough in advance for an early bird discount, and just a couple of days into my seven day stay, I realized I'd truly gotten a great deal. BUNK Amsterdam is fantastic! Ugh, where to start? I rented a pod, which is in a large room containing about 50 pods. Pods are preferable to bunk beds or other kinds of barrack-style hostels. There is privacy, there is enough space for you to get comfortable, change your clothes, the mattress is fine, the blanket and pillow are very cushy and cozy, the curtain is thick and heavy. The lighting situation inside the pod is unique, one of those switches with a lot of color and tone options, so you can really light the pod to your mood. I slept very well considering I was in a room with 30-50 other people at any given time. You also get a private locker beneath your pod that can fit a suitcase and a backpack with relative ease, unless you've overpacked.
The bathroom is non-gendered, all the stalls are very clean and private. As a guy, it felt weird to use the bathroom while women were in it, so I blasted music in my earbuds to tune the world out while I did my business, ha. The showers are in a separate room and also very private. The water pressure is great and the showerheads are waterfall style. They have towels available at all hours. If you don't see any on the rack, just ask and there they shall be.
The biggest surprise for me here was the restaurant. The restaurant attached to BUNK is basically a 4-star restaurant with 2-star prices. They have a full bar with well-priced drinks and very skilled, very handsome bartenders/baristas who can craft a wide arrays of cocktails. The chefs are also highly skilled, and the servers are attentive and kind. The menu is diverse, ranging from avocado toast to an interesting Indonesia beef stew-like dish that I can only describe as mind-blowingly delicious. They also featured a ”taco” that was very tasty despite really not being a taco at all. My favorite breakfast (and perhaps favorite overall meal) was their Eggs Bennie with fresh smoked salmon. For dessert, on multiple occasions I ordered their popular Snickers dessert, which was peanut ice cream with caramel and shards of chocolate and brittle. I meant to do more foodie tourism during my week in Amsterdam, but the food was so good I wound up taking a good percentage of my meals in the BUNK restaurant. I snapped some pictures of the food I mentioned; it should go without saying that I am not a pro photographer.
The front desk is manned (or womaned) 24/7, so anytime there was an issue or I had a question, someone was available. They are very attentive with regards to customer service. I should also note with their keycard system and network of entrances and hallways, I felt very safe. They care about security there and take proper, non-intrusive methods to make sure everyone is comfortable. I should also mention the facility is just beautiful. It's built within a very old church, there is a library, plants everywhere, a calming vibe throughout, and a quiet room for work or study.
BUNK is located in the North section of Amsterdam (Noord). Noord is the quieter part of Amsterdam, suburb feeling as opposed to the city vibe elsewhere. It's extremely easy to get to the Central area from here though. There is a ferry about a 10 minute walk away that takes you to the central area, as well as a tram a five minute walk away that takes you directly to Centraal Station.
I really hit a home run choosing this place, BUNK Amsterdam truly delivered the goods. Great building, great amenities, great staff, great restaurant, great location. I would recommend this to anyone traveling solo or as a couple/small group. Very small group. It's great to stay for a couple of days or a whole week. I loved my experience here and would stay again if/when I return to Amsterdam. Great place.
