More information about our ‘Student Residence’ in Amsterdam:

For our Winter School students we rent a few floors with standard-plus rooms at the The Student Hotel Amsterdam – West.

Coming with the right expectations is important. One might expect it to be a ‘hotel’ because of the name. However, we (BLC Language Courses) try to avoid the use of the word ‘hotel’ in all our communication, as we think that this word might raise ungrounded higher expectations (with respect to the service level). We think it is NOT a hotel, but rather a student flat, of a higher level than regular student residences in the Netherlands.

Why do we work with them?
Reason 1 – because they offer BY FAR the most attractive price in Amsterdam for a single room with an own bathroom. Please check booking.com for regular Amsterdam hotel prices, or Airbnb… there is no place that comes even close in terms of costs.
Reason 2 – because  they offer extras that you normally won’t find in hotels, but can be very valuable for stays of 2 or 4 weeks, specifically: a shared kitchen and a bike.
Reason 3 – because they are located close to our school – 10 minutes by bike or 2 stops by metro (located right next to the building).
Reason 4 – because it is a place with enough capacity for our students to live together

Why is it different from a hotel:
– Don’t expect the same service! You get 1 set of linen and a towel, that’s it. There is a weekly room cleaning, not daily.
– The kitchen will be clean at arrival, but from then on it’s the joint responsibility of the 12-13 students who share 1 kitchen. Pots, pans and cutlery are provided. But how you keep the kitchen clean, is something you agree with each other. If everybody does the dishes directly after use, this is not a problem.

There is a reception, just like in a hotel, but… the level of management and communication is not always efficient. The people who work there are usually other students who live in the residence, rather than professionals in the hospitality industry. You might encounter situations when reception provides incorrect information or doesn’t resolve your issue immediately (or simply forgets about it). Good to know: there is a ‘hotline’ between BLC and the hotel director to solve mistakes/miscommunication.

Most of our students think that it is a great deal, because of:
(1) comparing the price with other options
(2) comparing the level with other student residences in the Netherlands

(Although the place is aimed at people in their 20’s, our older students usually like the place too.)

However, if you come with the expectation to live in a hotel and get the services of a hotel, being treated like a real customer, then this place might not be for you. No ‘dear customer’ but rather ‘hi guys’ in the communication, and so on…

Good to know:
– not every student in Amsterdam books a course with accommodation, usually 40-50% of the students stay in our residence, while others already live in the netherlands and commute from home, or organise a stay by themselves
– a more communal atmosphere of students studying and living together you’ll get rather at our other location: Drenthe, where basically everybody books a course with accommodation, nevertheless Amsterdam is a great city and the residence is a good place to find fellow students with the same mindset, to spend the free time together or doing the homework together

At BLC Language Courses we aim to provide the best value for money and we think it is a great deal, but we want you to have the right expectation before booking. Feel free to arrange your own accommodation, and book a lessons-only package.