Looking for the best hotels in Rotterdam? I’ve stayed at three different star rating hotels in Rotterdam. Check them out here.
If you’re looking for some of the best hotels in Rotterdam, don’t fret! I’ve been to Rotterdam five times now and have stayed at a variety of really awesome hotels in various price points and star ratings.
Whether you’re on a budget and want something down-to-earth, vintage, and gezellig (Dutch for ‘cozy’ or ‘heartwarming’), or you want a more modern, design hotel with very reasonable prices, you’ll be happy with one of these to rest your head.
With such good rest, you’ll be able to shop all day and eat at some of the best places to eat in Rotterdam.
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Best Hotels in Rotterdam
4-star Hotel: citizenM Rotterdam
See my Rotterdam and/or citizenM stories on my Instagram highlights.
If it’s your first time in Rotterdam or you’re only there for a couple of days, then staying right in center is a good idea because most of the must-sees of Rotterdam are in this area.
The citizenM Rotterdam hotel is one of the best hotels in Rotterdam because of location, location, and location.
- Location: The entrance to the citizenM hotel is about 500 feet off the the Rotterdam Blaak stop, which is one stop after the Central Station stop. My train from Amsterdam went all the way to this stop making it super easy to get to the hotel. Of course, if your train brings you to the Rotterdam Central Station stop, then you are only one stop away and also near a couple of tram lines like #21 and #24.
- Location: This hotel is right across the street from the Markthal, which is a modern architectural marvel with an indoor food hall and many dining options, and the cube houses, one of the most popular tourist attractions in Rotterdam.
- Location: CitizenM hotel is a 20 minute walk from Central Station, an 8 minute walk from the Cool District, the commercial shopping area, and a 20 minute walk from the Katendrecht neighborhood, which reminds me of Williamsburg 10 years go.
Of course, location is clearly the highlight of the hotel, but the design, comfort, and price are major bonuses. There are so many things I loved about the hotel, but if I had to narrow it down, here are a few:
- Oh so comfortable and huuuuge bed + black-out curtains = best sleep you’ll ever have.
- Everything is controllable from the iPad they provide you. That’s right– you can change the mood lights of the room or watch TV from the tip of your finger.
- The shower is magnificent. There are two shower heads: the rain shower head and the handheld, adjustable one. Even the one that’s adjustable has a large head so you are fully covered in warm, massaging water.
- The room is small, but because the bed is big, and everything is so well designed that you won’t notice it. Some of the well thought out touches include the EU, US, and UK plugs in the wall, and the switch that turns everything off at once when you leave the room.
For what you get, the prices are very reasonable, but don’t take my word for it. Check out the rates for citizenM Rotterdam yourself here.
Booking.comYou might also like: The Ultimate Netherlands Travel Guide
3-star Hotel: the James Hotel
Book The James Hotel directly on their website or on Booking.com.
I stayed at The James Hotel during my recent visit to Rotterdam and was amazed at the design of this hotel.
Because of its modern and elegant design, it’s one of the best hotels in Rotterdam because it feels much more luxurious than a 3-star hotel.
They call themselves “the best 3-star hotel in Rotterdam” and it’s quite true. Besides design, the hotel itself is quite accommodating in many ways:
- The bed is comfortable, which I noted many visitors pointing out in their reviews.
- Each room is stocked with a refrigerator, safe, coffee machine, and kettle for tea. Note that tap water in the Netherlands is safe to drink.
- There’s a gym on the second floor.
- The lounge area feels like your own very living room and is a great place to relax after a long day exploring Rotterdam.
One of the reasons why The James Hotel is one of the best hotels in Rotterdam because of its 24-hour self-service market. At any point of the day, you can buy anything from craft beer to fresh salads and phone chargers to feminine products at very reasonable prices. For example, a small bottle of wine was about €7.
In the morning, there’s hard boiled eggs, croissants and even gluten-free bread, which is plenty for a hearty breakfast.
All you have to do is go to the terminal, either scan the items you’re buying or click on their corresponding button, then pay with your card.
I’ve seen prices for The James Hotel range from €80-130 on average so it is quite affordable for everything you get.
Of course, the best perk of them all is that The James Hotel is right across the street from the Grand Garden Dim Sum restaurant, which has amazing dim sum and Chinese food!
I guess the more logical thing to mention about location is The James Hotel is in right in the middle of the vibrant streets, Coolsingel, the Meent and the Lijnbaan, and is very convenient to get to by metro or tram.
Book The James Hotel directly on their website or on Booking.com.
Booking.com2-star Hostel: Hostel ROOM Rotterdam
Hostel ROOM is not one of the best hotels in Rotterdam. That’s because it’s a hostel!
If you’re looking for your home away from home in a beautiful national monument building, and a place to meet like-minded travelers, then Hostel ROOM is calling your name.
It was built by two sisters who themselves had traveled for many years before opening up this down-to-earth hostel with cool themed rooms, a friendly staff, and a chill lounge area to hang out in that feels more like your own living room.
Hostel ROOM is only a 15 minute public transportation ride or 25 minute walk away from citizenM, and as a result, all the sites right near citizenM, but Hostel ROOM has its own location benefits too.
It’s right in Scheepsvaartkwartier, a fancy neighborhood in center, and close to the National Fotomuseum, stunning architecture, and hip places to shop, eat and drink like POSSE Rotterdam Restaurant Gallery (a restaurant/bar), Kopi Soesoe (a bar), and Witte de Withstraat, which has vintage clothes shops.
Notice that rose artwork in one of the frames. A traveler we met on the train gave us that, and we thought it fit in so well with our art room that we stuck it in the empty frame- hehe. I wondered if they noticed!
As for this cheap accommodation in Rotterdam, it’s clean, relatively quiet, and chill. The staff is quite friendly and helpful, and the hostel gives you towels and sheets for free!
Best of all, the shared common space, which I like to refer is as the living room, is really comfortable to hang out in.
After we came back from the North Sea Jazz Fest, instead of going out to bars, we just grabbed local craft beers and tea from Hostel ROOM’s own bar and chilled there. They play great music like Radiohead, which added to why we loved hanging out there so much. Good music is key!
Aside from all that, the hostel offers free wifi, breakfast, lockers, theme nights, budget guides, group trips, and more. We were too busy to take part in all the activities, but they seemed really fun and a great place to meet people!
Lastly, the reason I picked this place over another hostel I was looking at is because the room sizes are small. Another hostel had 30 bed rooms! No thank you!
Check to see if Hostel ROOM has any availability in their cozy hostel right here.
Booking.comDon’t forget this key item for Hostel ROOM!
So it’s been awhile since I stayed at a hostel, but I forgot a major item: flip-flops! Flip-flops are so key for taking a shower. Although Hostel ROOM was clean, the idea of going barefoot where other people took showers too kind of skeeved me out. But I had to shower so I just bared it, and it turned out ok. Don’t be like me though. Pack flip-flops!
Also if you’re a light sleeper and you have a snorer in the room, you’ll want ear plugs and an eye mask to block out the light when your roommates come back late and shuffle through their stuff to find their PJs.
Thanks for making it all the way down to the end of this post.
If you found it to be helpful, you might like what I share on my Instagram @sarchetrit.
Till then, thanks for stopping by, and have a great day!
xo,
Sarah
Doctear
Tuesday 19th of December 2017
Hey Sarah,
I've always wanted to see Rotterdam. I love that you shared about citizenM and Hostel ROOM!! They're awesome! I don't mind having a small room as long as it is clean and complete, I am good.
Thanks for sharing :)