We arrived and our two bedroom (dorm room) wasn't clean. there was hair in the drain...... The shower was black from all the mold, it was gross. We had problems getting clean sheets and towels that were not hard as a rock. So I slept with my clothes on at all times. The matresses had all kinds of stains on them. there was always a party going on in the main lobby of the hostel. the staff was not very happy to be working there. The staff kept to themselves and were not very friendly at all. It seemed like when we would ask them a question, they told us to go look it up on the internet, instead of answering the questions. Don't even try to get service with a smile at the bar, the bartenders expect you to tip them but then you do and still can't get service. We were on the top level so noise wasn't a problem, it was pretty quiet. But the elevator was alway broken so we had to take 3 flights of steps everyday. (which was a pain). You also had to show your card before they would let you enter, which was a good thing, but sometimes you would stand there forever before someone would let you in. there would be a line of several people waiting to get to their room. This place is great if you are there to party and don't care where you sleep. If you plan on passing out every night, then I would stay there. It was pretty cheap too. the other people in the hostel (who we met that were traveling were very nice). The plus was they have free internet use, but only three computers for everyone so sometimes there was a small line to use them. Don't try yo use the phone there it was always broken and no one could figure out how to use it. The staff def. was not willing to help out in that area.
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3 people found this review helpful
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(Review ID: 4508)
Depends what you're looking for, April 23, 2004
Reviewer:
daniela
Pros:
n/a
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n/a
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saw things this way
Maintenance
(3)
Cleanliness
(3)
Facilities
(3)
Atmosphere
(3)
If you are looking to hang out with hundreds of stoned Americans, then look no further. You found your place. You will meet tons of the aforementioned Americans, and, for a little variety, some stoned Brits and Canadians. If you're really lucky you may meet an exotic, stoned, Australian.If, like me, you did not travel 5000 miles and spend 20 euros a night to hang out with people you could hang out with at home, for free, then I wouldn't recommend staying here. I am all for smoking pot and having a great time, but, come on, you could do that at home. Go out and enjoy Amsterdam.
4 of
5 people found this review helpful
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(Review ID: 4509)
Not great..., April 19, 2004
Reviewer:
bradatcsu
Pros:
n/a
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n/a
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saw things this way
Maintenance
(1)
Cleanliness
(1)
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(1)
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(1)
Full of kids who stay stoned and NEVER leave this hostel. Amsterdam is a BEAUTIFUL city, go out and enjoy it! Hotel staff rude... I waited nearly 30mins in line to check in bc the receptionist was MIA. Dorm rooms not the cleanest. My dorm room key never worked. I reccomend the 2 StayOk hostels in ADAM before I book this one ever again.
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3 people found this review helpful
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(Review ID: 4510)
WOW! WHAT A BLAST!, February 18, 2004
Reviewer:
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Anonymous
saw things this way
Maintenance
(5)
Cleanliness
(5)
Facilities
(5)
Atmosphere
(5)
We stopped here for 4 days before heading out to Antwerp last month, and boy do I wish that we could have stayed longer. From the moment I took my pack off they made me feel right at home.The enviornment takes you away the min that you walk in the front door. The common area's are what really gives this place its splendor. My fav was the room up front that you could chill, smoke and check out all the passers by. The Bar area was also great w/ cheap beer and a lively atmosphere. There is also a chill out area where you can watch movies, smoke and just plain relax (which is very nice after 3 weeks on the road). Another Important facotor to consider is Location,Location,Location, and this hostel definatley has that. You can walk to the Pig from central station in like 3-4 min. Many attractions are close by so it will keep your tram expence to a minimum. As far of the rooms are concerned, they are about what you would expect at most hostels in Europe (and I have been to a ton of em). Not overly clean, not overly comfortable, but still decent enough to be liveable. I had heard from other guests that the bathrooms are kinda gross in the bigger dorms, so you may wanna spring for a 4 or a 6, which is what we had. The flying Pig gets a 5 star rating desipte its few flaws for the overall awsome atmosphere and great people and staff. If your a backpacker you will love it, as its packed wall to wall with our kind. everyone have fun!DJ
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(Review ID: 4511)
IF YOU WANNA PARTY IN THE DAM, LOOK NO FURTHER!, January 21, 2004
Reviewer:
Chris
Pros:
n/a
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n/a
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saw things this way
Maintenance
(5)
Cleanliness
(5)
Facilities
(5)
Atmosphere
(5)
Me and three of my friends stayed here a few months back and we had a killer time to say the least. The atmosphere is amazing with awsome comon areas, and a bar that serves cheap beer, so that you can save money later when you go to the expensive bars and clubs. Its very easy to not wanna leave the pig at all. The atmosphere and the people that you are gonna meet will definatley make your trip to the dam a memorable one. It does become challenging if you expect to bring a girl home from the bars/clubs, but if your resourceful, you can pull it off. I would reccomend shelling out the extra cash for a private room or a 4 bed so that you will have a cleaner bathroom. If you insist on saving cash in one of the big dorms, your gonna suffer on the cleanliness factor. As soon as you arrive at the Pig you will be immediatley emmersed in a total party enviornment. There will be people partying and smoking up 24/7 so if you are some religious wacko, or some straight edge fanatic, please stay away, as the Pig tries to embrace the party mentality. If you dont fall into that category, strap yourself in for a wild ride, that will leave you crying when you have to leave.The hostel is also centrally located so that all the emenities of the town are close by, like coffeeshops, pubs, clubs, and the red light distict for those lonely nights that you strike out at the clubs. Also, there are no Lockouts or Curfues so feel free to get your groove on til the wee hours of the morning, every night(which you were probabbly gonna do anyways). The staff are friendly (one of em hooked me up with info on a rave party that was off the hook), and they will answer any questions that you may have. The breakfast sucks ass but i seriously doubt that you will wake up early enuff to eat it anyways. Overall, a kick ass experience that will be heightened by cool people, a nice enviornment, and by far one of the greatest social scenes that I have ever been privy too in Europe.
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12 people found this review helpful
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(Review ID: 4512)
cool place, crazy place, January 13, 2004
Reviewer:
jacques
Pros:
n/a
Cons:
n/a
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Maintenance
(4)
Cleanliness
(4)
Facilities
(4)
Atmosphere
(4)
cool place, crazy place...... I'll be back
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3 people found this review helpful
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(Review ID: 4513)
Not so great, December 12, 2003
Reviewer:
Maggalicious
Pros:
n/a
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Maintenance
(2)
Cleanliness
(2)
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(2)
Atmosphere
(2)
This hostel was actually pretty gross. The showers & bathrooms totally grossed me out! The only good thing about it was that the bar area was fun & a lot of people hung out there. But if you are concerned with your hygeine at all.....try someplace else!
1 of
4 people found this review helpful
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(Review ID: 4514)
The name says it all, September 20, 2003
Reviewer:
Bernie
( bgeurope@hotmail.com)
from United States
Pros:
n/a
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n/a
Imported Review
saw things this way
Maintenance
(4)
Cleanliness
(4)
Facilities
(4)
Atmosphere
(4)
After smoking up some weed for awhile in the laid back lounge, that is exactly what you'll see.....Flying Pigs.Only a hip-hop-and-a-jump from the Central Train station. I've stayed in other hostels in Amsterdam, but the FP definately has the best social scene. They make it so 'cozy' there, you don't want to leave. Bar, pool table, lounge, kitchen, TV room, definately has all the amenities, and having the bathrooms in the rooms is a big plus. Only thing is that you have to get there early in the morning to get a room.
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(Review ID: 4515)
Let's define a hostel, September 7, 2003
Reviewer:
Pros:
n/a
Cons:
n/a
Anonymous
saw things this way
Maintenance
(5)
Cleanliness
(5)
Facilities
(5)
Atmosphere
(5)
OK, it's a bit dirty. The smell of piss in the bathroom is a bit off-putting; sandals in the shower still ain't gonna save your feet and the beds aren't all too comfortable. There is one main reason why this shouldn't matter: it's a hostel... in AMSTERDAM! This is a really cool place to come, meet people, smoke, shroom, chill out and enjoy yourself.. and that's what the Flying Pig provides for! There's a great bar upstairs, with (by Amsterdam standards) cheap drinks, nice places to sit and chat and a nice atmosphere. There's also a cushioned chillout area underneath the window so you can gaze out and people spot on the main shopping street right outside. Downstairs: there's a fully equipped kitchen from where you get the free breakfast each morning (don't bother setting your alarm to get it) and where you can cook your own food (they have all the necessary utensils). There's also the happy room with a benched smoking area, tables to eat at, a TV (with VCR, videos to rent upstairs) and couches. I stayed in the much talked about room 01, and I didn't think it was that bad: although hygiene could do with being improved and how about some beds that don't creak erratically. One of the great things about the Pig is that it IS its own world, you really don't have to leave. Room 01 had a little outside patio area with a bench where I played chess. People just come and go as they please: there's ALWAYS someone asleep if you're in a large dorm, people party when and where they choose to. I didn't see my room lit up for the first 48 hours I was there because someone was constantly snoring away in bed! It shouldn't be a problem though, sleep came easy to me every night! My biggest criticism of the Flying Pig is that the staff were quite unhelpful and rude. They're making A LOT of money from this business and they should treat their customers with more courtesy and politeness. Overall, however, it's a great place and if you aren't a moaner: you're going to have some great times at this place.
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(Review ID: 4516)
Very pleased, August 27, 2003
Reviewer:
David
Pros:
n/a
Cons:
n/a
Imported Review
saw things this way
Maintenance
(4)
Cleanliness
(4)
Facilities
(4)
Atmosphere
(4)
Stayed in a 4 bed dorm which from what I have gathered from other reviewers can be very much worth them extra euros given the size of the dorms and perhaps most importantly the state of the bathrooms. We had our own en-suite which was most satisfactory. The Pig is a great place, large open bar - and of course you can smoke - and then there's the "chill out" lounge downstairs where you can watch DVD's. If you're on the road travelling, it can be very relaxing to just spend a night in front of a good film - you can do that at the Pig - they had about 6 DVD's (popular films eg. Reservoir Dogs) available for rent. Location perfect too, bang in the centre of Amsterdam on the Nieuwendijk, everywhere within walking distance.As you can gather from everyone else, if you're going to Amsterdam on a budget, it seems as though The Flying Pig Downtown is your best bet.
