I read all these reviews before going to Hans Brinker, and as a bit of a clean freak i was not looking forward to staying there, i packed my own sleeping bag, pillow, towel and even flash disinfectant wipes!!!
I was shocked when i got there to find it very clean! The tables in the bar, the lifts etc are covered with graffiti, but its not dirty. The rooms are completely basic, just bed, locker, bin and the bathroom. But it was clean. The only thing i had a problem with was the shower, it wasnt exactly a power shower but it still did its job fine!
The free breakfast was fine for me, there was no toaster just bread and a type of round french toast thing, u get butter jam peanut butter, chocolate spread and choco sprinkles, but the bread is soooooo nice!
I was also worried about the rooms smelling of smoke, i dotn know about the other ones but ours was fine and had no hint at all of smoke. The eating areas were pretty smokey which annoyed me. One huge tip: take ear plugs, corridors were very noisy at night and if i hadnt taken ear plugs i wouldnt have slept but i did, with my super ear plugs!
Hooray for hans brinker! x

This was my introduction into Europe Hostels.
I would rather pluck out my own fingernails and dip my hands into salt water, than stay here again.
The place was a dirty filthy hovel.
The bathrooms are disgusting. If I wasn't so terrified of filth would love to take a swab and an agar plate to see just how bad they really were. I am sure they would get into the Guiness Book of World Records as the most bacteria infested dwelling not in the third world.
The staff were rude and obnoxious. Totally unwilling to listen to any requests, or be of any help in pointing out local attractions.
It was noisy until 4am on all 3 nights we stayed.
I can't even say the location was any good.

There is a good breakfast provided but if the kitchen is anything like the rest of the place eat at your peril!

One good thing going for it was happy hour. 2 Heineken for one euro on some nights.
Even that brilliant deal wouldn't sway me again.

Do NOT be fooled into thinking you can handle staying there. I would rather sleep in a canal; it would be cleaner than this filty hovel.

Cheap accommodation, rooms clean, small private bathroom, very noise at night and first thing in the morning, lockers available (some were not working), bar upstairs with happy hour and a club downstairs open until 5am. Good location within walking distance of centraal station, dam square etc. As it is a hostel you get what you pay for, suitable for younger people wanting to party.

Hm-This place was very interesting. We had a goup of 5 staying over New Years and the only reaosn we picked it was it had private rooms avaiable at a normal price for the holiday time. We only had to pay a 50 Euro surcharge per person for the New Years Eve Party.

The place is sort of like a prison as you have to show your key to get in AND out of the place and with usually only one person at the frton desk the line to get out gets a bit backed up.

It is pertty old I would say and in great need of a redo since you can smeel the mold and who knows what else around every corner. One of the rooms had a bathroom we called "Death" from it's rank smell.

There were signs everywhere that mentioned about not leaving valubales in your rooms and to make sure and use the lockers provided. Out of the 2 lockers in our 3 person room only one was not broken open. I have never stayed at a hostel before that I felt unsafe even leaving my clothes in the room and I am an avid traveller.

The did have a cute bar and a neat little club downstairs that had free internet but that was only avaiable from 10pm-4am with not other internet during daytime hours.

I would say make sure and bring your own sleep sheet or sleeping bag and your own towels to safer than sorry....