Sara's Boutique Hotel in Amsterdam

I rarely write reviews, but what happened during my recent stay was so outrageous that staying silent would feel irresponsible.

This hotel didn’t just fail at hospitality — it failed at basic decency and security.

During my stay, a staff member entered my room and stole items of clothing from my suitcase during the height of winter, ruining my trip and leaving me without clean, warm clothing during what was meant to be a time of respite. Stolen. From inside my room. By someone who could only have been employed by the hotel.

I discovered the missing items after returning from dinner, when I noticed my suitcase, along with all my belongings, was gone. Clothing I had carefully folded had disappeared, along with personal effects and cash within one of the jacket pockets. When I reported it to management, the response was shockingly dismissive. There was no urgency, no sincere apology — just vague assurances and thinly veiled attempts to downplay what is, in any other context, a crime.

At the time, the hotel assured me they would review all door logs and CCTV footage, and that an investigation, along with a report to the police, would be carried out on my behalf. However, after chasing this multiple times, the hotel chose to say they were “unable to find anything,” along with offering other pointless, time-wasting, illegitimate promises — none of which were fulfilled.

The most disturbing part? There was no sign of forced entry. Which means someone with authorized access used it to violate my privacy and steal my belongings. A hotel room is supposed to be a safe space. Instead, it felt like I had invited a thief into my life and paid for the privilege.

Security protocols appear to be nonexistent or grossly mismanaged. Either they don’t monitor staff access to guest rooms, or they simply don’t care. Both possibilities are unacceptable.

Trust is the bare minimum in hospitality. Clean sheets and warm smiles mean nothing if guests can’t leave their belongings in their room without fear of theft.

Until this hotel takes accountability, implements real security measures, and treats guest safety as something more than a talking point, I strongly advise travelers to stay elsewhere. As someone who has traveled to Amsterdam 15+ times, I can confidently say there are many options that won’t leave you feeling violated and ignored.

Points to note:

Also during this time, allegedly another guest pretended to be me and collected the “cash deposit” requested upon entry.

The booking was made through Booking.com, who were equally unhelpful when I requested mediation between myself and the hotel. They failed to update or follow up at every possible stage.

The hotel has attempted to remove online conversations where theft by a staff member was allegedly admitted, presumably to limit liability and exposure. Fortunately, screenshots and evidence were taken throughout.

The hotel appears to have long-term leases with foreign nationals who shout, smoke, and argue aggressively late into the night and early morning.

Summary:

As someone who runs a security company, it is my honest belief that this was (and potentially is) a scheme implemented by the hotel and/or its workers to steal from hardworking guests. It also appears to be intentionally made as time-consuming and difficult as possible to pursue any action, particularly as a foreigner.

I feel somewhat fortunate that my watch, laptop, phone, and passport were being carried around the city due to an uneasy feeling I already had about leaving valuables at this property.

Due to life commitments, it has taken me some time to post this review. However, I felt it imperative to take the time to write this in order to warn others like myself — and especially any families who would be crazy enough to risk staying at this third-world hotel.

Our stay was very disappointing and far below acceptable hotel standards. From the moment we entered the room, several issues were immediately noticeable. The room was extremely small and had an unpleasant smell. There was visible dust on the furniture, including the chair and curtains, which gave the impression that the room had not been properly cleaned.

The bedding was also problematic. The bedsheets appeared dirty, the mattress was uncomfortable, and the pillows were extremely uncomfortable, causing neck pain and headaches each morning.

The bathroom condition was equally concerning. The toilet was not clean, the sink was clogged and overflowed, several shower knobs were broken, and the bathroom door handle was faulty—at one point, we were even locked inside.

We requested a room change and had to wait two nights under these conditions before it was approved. Unfortunately, the replacement room was nearly identical, with only slightly less dirt. The bedding was still not clean, and we found trash under the bed.

Additionally, the elevator was extremely slow, which added to the overall inconvenience during the stay.

Overall, this was the worst hotel experience I’ve had in my travels. With proper cleaning, maintenance, and responsiveness to guest concerns, this property could improve significantly, but in its current state, I would never recommend it.