The Hostel Market in Amsterdam

What do backpackers spend and what is the market value of the hostels?

Jesse van der Vaart (062101) Nationale Hogeschool voor Toerisme en Verkeer International Tourism Management December 2007 Table of Contents

Summary 04 Word of thanks 07

Chapter 1: Introduction 08 1.1 Background 08 1.2 Thesis goal and approach 08 1.3 Research questions 09 1.4 Methodology 10 1.5 Structure of thesis 11

Chapter 2: Theoretical Framework 12 2.1 Tourism Product 13 2.2 Market Value 14 2.3 Spending Power 14

Chapter 3: The backpacker market in Amsterdam 15 3.1 Backpacker market in general 15 3.1.1 History 15 3.1.2 Backpacker market in definitions 16 3.1.3 Travel career ladder 16 3.2 Backpacker market in The Netherlands 17 3.2.1 Backpacker market in Amsterdam 17 3.2.2 Characteristics of the backpacker market 18 3.3 The structure of tourist accommodation 19 3.4 Hostels and the chamber of commerce 21 3.5 Department for research and statistics 21 3.6 Other initiatives 22 3.7 Conclusion 23

2 Chapter 4: The market value of the hostels 25 4.1 Number of beds 25 4.2 Prices and room types 26 4.3 Actual market value 26 4.4 Hostels versus hotels 29 4.5 Expenditure based on accommodation type 30 4.6 Reasons to expand 30 4.7 Ownership and legal form 32 4.8 Financial results of BV’s 33 4.9 Conclusion 35

Chapter 5: The spending power of the backpackers 36 5.1 Research style 36 5.2 General information 36 5.2.1 Undertaken activities 37 5.3 Outcomes 37 5.4 Spending 39 5.5 Conclusion 40

Chapter 6: Conclusion 42

Bibliography 45

Appendices

Appendix I Overview of all hostels in Amsterdam 47 Appendix II Map overview of all hostels in Amsterdam 64 Appendix III Market-Analysis hostels in Amsterdam 65 Appendix IV Article: city soft spot 68 Appendix V Questionnaire for backpackers 69

3 Summary The thesis is written for the commissioner Stayokay hostels. Stayokay is a Dutch hostel chain with in total 30 hostels in the Netherlands. The goal of the thesis is two-fold. The first goal is to determine the market value of all hostels in Amsterdam. The second goal is to find out through research what the backpacker spend in Amsterdam, e.g. the economic value of the backpacker. Why to determine the market value of all hostels? One of the answers lies in the marketing plans of the local municipality of Amsterdam (gemeente). The gemeente promotes Amsterdam with specific theme years. The goals of these theme years is to communicate Amsterdam more directly and specifically towards the travel industry. A second goal is to generate more visitor numbers. Stayokay would like to see that the theme years are more focused towards the backpacker market. Some theme years will not reflect the interest of this type of travel. Stayokay also would like to get a good in-depth insight in the hostel-market in Amsterdam. The total hostel market has been analysed for Stayokay, which gained the company a good insight into the market. The market-analysis (appendix III) is already used by the sales and marketing department and during meetings.

After the thesis statement, a number of research questions come up. The answers to these questions can be found back in the last chapter.

1. What is market value? 2. Why is it important to determine the market value of all hostels in Amsterdam? 3. What is the chain of the ‘Amsterdam Tourism Product’? 4. What is the target group of the different hostels? Are there different target groups for different hostels? 5. What is the economic value of all the overnight stays in the hostels in Amsterdam? 6. Are clients of hostels of any value for the municipal of Amsterdam? 7. Why do backpackers go to Amsterdam, and how much do they spend?

Research have been conducted to come to answers. A lot of data concerning the hostels has been collected through desk research. However, information like total amount of beds was more difficult to find. This information is retrieved through interviews by telephone. This way, the different prices for different rooms have been found. The goal was to find out how many beds each individual hostel has, and for which price. This information is useful, together with occupancy rate, to calculate the total market value.

4 A total of 35 hostels have been called to retrieve this information. In some cases the hostel- owner did not want to give the needed information. In this case the researcher called back a few days later, and with a false story about a group booking, came to the answers anyway. Interviews by telephone have been chosen because this was the only way to get the information needed. Total bed numbers is not such a form of information that hostel owners put on their website.

Questionnaires have been used to collect data concerning backpackers. The specific target group where backpackers staying at a hostel. Most of the questions where closed, in this way the researcher could do more quantitative research. One time is asked for an opinion, this is a form of qualitative research. Questionnaires have been chosen because it reaches many recipients in a short period of time, in a way that the information from the questionnaires could be used Excel. The original plan was to set out 350 questionnaires across seven hostels. Unfortunately, only three hostels decided to cooperate, resulting in 150 questionnaires from which 94 got back. The data is processed in Excel. The questions are put down in a horizontal way, (column 1 and 2) under which all the answers are represented in a vertical way (column A till BD). The second sheet is used to add up all the data and to calculate percentages of the total population.

The Vietnam War, the students revolutions in the 1960’s and the Grand Tour are often named as the start of backpacking. The term backpacker is simultaneously used with other definitions like global nomads, drifters, travellers and tourists. In general backpackers are young people, at a juncture in life, college educated and not just aimless drifters.

Backpacking started in The Netherlands in 1929 with the establishment of NJHC. Amsterdam has a total of 35 hostels located in and around the near city centre. Different hostels attract a different clientele. Some hostels are just a good place to sleep, with (strict) rules regarding alcohol and cannabis. Tourism in Amsterdam is growing. Especially Amsterdam’s budget sector booked a lot of success in 2006, with visitor numbers and overnight stays rising quicker compared with the overall growth.

The major players in the hostel business in Amsterdam are: the Stayokay hostels, Hans Brinker the Flying Pig hostels, Inner Amsterdam and The Bulldog. The total number of hostel beds is around 4.400 beds. The 6 major hostels provide more then 56% of all beds. The number of

5 total ‘Stayokay beds’ in Amsterdam is 1224. This is 27.8% of the total beds. Most hostels offer different types of rooms. The average price for a bed in a dormitory is between €25,- and € 30,- Market value is calculated by multiplying the total amount of beds, times occupancy rate, times average price per bed. Ten hostels are worth more then a million euros, another eighteen more then € 500.000,- and the final seven less then € 500.000,- There has always been more marketing efforts towards the hotels compared to the hostels. In total 80% of the visitors stay at a hotel. These guests account for 87% of total expenditures. The average spending is higher of hotel guests compared with other guests. Although only 1% of all visitors stay in hostels (100.000 people) and although their expenditure is lower compared with hotel guests, it is still advisable to expand the hostel market and spend more marketing effort and money on this sector.

Besides market value, spending power has been researched in the form of questionnaires. 56% of the respondents were male, 44% female. The average age of the respondents is 24 years. The youngest person was 15, the oldest 67. This reflects the idea that there are different target groups within the backpacker segment. Besides the ‘official backpacker’ e.g. young adult, who finished university and is in a gap year before finding a job there are other groups to be found. The main reason to travel to Amsterdam was exploring a new city, just a holiday and nightlife and smoking. Other answers included ‘to find out if the stories about Amsterdam were true’ and on a business trip to visit a congress.

The questionnaire also asked the backpacker to estimate the average he or she spends per category per day. Most is spend on accommodation. Next to accommodation it turns out that the interviewed backpackers spend most of their money on shopping followed by café/bar/clubs. Very interesting to note is the fact that they spend more on museums and attractions (€ 12,20) than in the coffee-shop (€ 10,50). Dinner scores a 64% on the activities list, translating in a average spending of € 11,40. Not much is spend on breakfast, the main reason being that this is included at most accommodation providers. In total the average spending is € 120,- per day.

6 Word of Thanks This feels like writing once you’ve finished a CD. If you read through such a CD-booklet you always find the artist thanking many people, and this time its my chance to thank people.

First of all I would really like to thank my mum, Elly Ottens, for always guiding me. From the MAVO to the HAVO, to Australia up to the HBO. She’s always been by my side, supporting me when necessary. Thank you.

Next I would like to thank Rene van Schie for giving me the opportunity to write for Stayokay. The following people I also would like to thank. Anske van den Berg, my commissioner from Stayokay for supporting my thesis, the time she made free to meet and discuss the thesis with me, and for making full use of all the facilities at Stayokay. Also thanks for all the financial back-up such as printing, binding, calling, copying etc.

Thanks to all my colleagues supporting me and handing out my questionnaire to the backpackers. Special thanks to Mikaela for reading my questionnaire and perfecting it on my English. Thanks to Jim Zielinski and his colleagues and the Bulldog Hotel, for taking care of my questionnaire over there, and the pro-active approach.

I also like to thank Art for getting useful information out of my questionnaire. I’d like to thank my proofreaders Iza, Judith and John for going through my thesis. Thanks for all my friends like Marieke, Dymph, Verena and Renske for reminding me to finish my thesis. Finally I’d like to thank my supervisor Marjolein Visser for the clear information and structure I’ve been given.

7 Chapter 1: Introduction

This introductory chapter will explain what the problem area and thesis statement is, and how the researcher will arrive to its answers. Next the research questions and methodology will be described.

1.1 Background From the four ITMC specialists area’s I have chosen for a topic which originated from the hostel Stayokay in Amsterdam, or a so called ‘company based topic’. Stayokay would like to know what the total market value of all hostels in Amsterdam is. The market value can be presented in total overnight stays in all hostels and total turnover of all hostels per year.

Stayokay is a Dutch hostel chain with in total 30 hostels in the Netherlands. Stayokay is a foundation (stichting) but they do make profit. This profit is used to strengthen its position and to, for example, open up new hostels or refurbish older ones. The 30 hostels are divided in three categories namely: city-hostels, water-hostels and green (area) hostels.

1.2 Thesis goal and approach The goal of the thesis is two-fold. The first goal is to determine the market value of all hostels in Amsterdam. The second goal is to find out through research what the backpacker spends in Amsterdam, e.g. the economic value of the backpacker. This leads to the following thesis statement:

The market value of Amsterdam hostels should be determined because it is important to know where the Amsterdam hostels are standing in the chain of the Amsterdam Tourism Product and it is important to know the ‘spending power’ of the backpacker visiting Amsterdam.

Chapter two will visualise the thesis statement and will explain market value and spending power in more detail. To determine the market value of all Amsterdam hostels, we first need to explain what a hostel is, and which hostels will be included in the report. Chapter three will give an in-depth insight in the hostel situation in Amsterdam. Market value can be described as; the total market price of a given quantity of a good 1 and a second definition is; the amount that a seller may expect to obtain for merchandise, services, or securities in the open market.2 In this report the market value will be described as the total turnover of all hostels per year.

1 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Market_price 2 http://www.answers.com/topic/market-value 8 One might think that research has been done towards the market value of hostels in Amsterdam. But the Department for Research and Statistics categorises ‘hostels’ under the heading ‘remaining’. More about this ‘missing part of research’ can be read in chapter three.

Why does the researcher want to determine the market value of all hostels? One of the answers lies in the marketing plans of the local municipality of Amsterdam (gemeente). The gemeente promotes Amsterdam with specific theme years. Examples are; Architecture and Design (2004), Amsterdam Water-City (2005), Rembrandt 400 (2006) and Feel the Rhythm (2007). The goals of these theme years is to communicate Amsterdam more directly and specifically towards the travel industry. A second goal is to generate more visitor numbers.

Stayokay would like to see that the theme years are more focused towards the backpacker market. Some theme years will not reflect the interest of this type of travel. For Rembrandt 400 a total of € 280.000,- has been spend on marketing and promotion. The main sponsors of the theme years are The Amsterdam Diamond Group and Canal Bus.3 The interest of the main sponsors is high, so they most likely have a great influence on the theme years.

1.3 Research questions After the thesis statement, we arrive to a number of research questions.

Questions 1,2 and 3 will be answered in the next chapter and are also explained in thesis goal and approach. Question 4 will be answered in chapter 3; The backpacker market in Amsterdam. Questions 5 will be answered in chapter 4; The market value of the hostels.

3 Rembrandt 400 ‘Evaluatie Themjaar 2006 voor gemeente Amsterdam, economische zaken’ 9 Finally, questions 6 and 7 will be answered in chapter 5; The spending power of the backpackers

1.4. Methodology How will the goal to find out the market value of the Amsterdam hostels is, be achieved? First, we will define what a hostel is, and by desk research map out the hostel situation in Amsterdam; next will be determined which hostels will be included in the report.

The hostels will be compared by desk research. Points to look at are amount of beds, location of the hostels, and the price charged by the hostels. By being a NHTV-student, I can also access a lot of data-bases, which can hold a lot of interesting information. The third step will be to retrieve financial information at the chamber of commerce.

Other sources of interest include: data available from the Amsterdam Tourist office, Statistics Netherlands (cbs), Amsterdams Department for Research and Statistics, and the Amsterdam Leisure Consultancy.

The second question of the thesis statement is ‘to determine the spending power’ of the backpacker in Amsterdam. This can be done by primary research. I have chosen to hand out questionnaires to backpackers, which they can hand back at the reception of different hostels. More about the research style can be read in chapter five. I can compare the outcomes of my research with the outcomes of the research done by the Department for Research and Statistics.

After all this data collection, recommendations can be made. As stated before, the Department for Research and Statistics has numbers of total overnight stays in hotels in Amsterdam, but not specified in categories of accommodations like hotels, budget hotels, hostels, guesthouses and camping’s. It is the researcher’s task to try and specify those numbers. If it turn out to be to difficult to get access to all these numbers, estimates can be made to come to an answer.

10 1.5 Structure of thesis Chapter two will focus on the thesis statement and is a theoretical framework. Chapter three will focus on the backpacker and hostel situation in general, and specifically in Amsterdam. This will be a mix of literature review and specific research for the Amsterdam situation. Chapter three and four are both about the market value of the hostels. Chapter five will focus on the research done in Amsterdam under the backpackers; e.g. its about the spending power of the backpackers. Finally chapter six will contain conclusions and recommendations, combining the research with the literature review.

11 Chapter 2: Theoretical Framework

The thesis statement is two-fold. The first goal is to determine the market value. The second goal is to research the spending power (e.g. economical value) of the backpacker. The location of these questions is Amsterdam. Amsterdam is the place where the hostels are located and backpackers spend their money. Amsterdam can be seen as; the Amsterdam Tourism Product. This leads to the following visual:

Amsterdam Tourism Product

Market value Spending power

Hostels Backpackers

12 2.1 Tourism Product A tourism product includes many different sectors like; transport to the location, accommodation, bars and restaurants, parks and gardens, local transport museums and other attractions. There are so-called push and pull factors in the decision making process for a particular destination. This can include; the weather, the landscape, local people and the political climate. This leads to the following visual:

weather landscape local people political climate

Clubs Restaurants Arts/Galleries

Club 11 B ars Pata Negra Escape Spiegelstraat Wagamama Melkweg Fifteen Paradiso Meander Le Garage Sugarfactory (Local) Transport Bolle Jan Murphys Amsterdam Coffeeshops Schiphol Airport Tourism Amsterdam Central Product Accom modat ion Train/Bus/Car/Tram/Bike

Hilton Other attractions Krasnapolsky Jolly Carlton Stayokay Mu seums Anne Frank House Markets Pa rks Heineken Exp. Canal Cruise Van Gogh Museum Madame Tussauds Albert Cuijp Market Vondelpark Rijks Museum Holland Casino Waterloo Square Market Stedelijk Museum Artis Zoo

The visual on the previous page includes all the elements which make the Amsterdam Tourism Product. It can be seen as a chain, because all the different sectors have the work together, solely on their own the will not attract as many visitors as all of them together. One can see that Stayokay is only a small element in the whole tourism chain. Also, for the previous named theme years (1.2) the sectors have to work together to get the bests results.

There are many destinations to choose from and a destination has to stand out in order to be chosen. Amsterdam’s unique selling point is the combination of some worldwide known museums like the van Gogh museum and the free nature of the city and its inhabitants reflected by the laws and rules on the use of cannabis. Other attractive points include the old houses and the canals.

13 2.2 Market Value When talking about market value in this report, we are talking about the market value of the hostels in Amsterdam. Market value can be described as; the total market price of a given quantity of a good 4 and a second definition is; the amount that a seller may expect to obtain for merchandise, services, or securities in the open market.5 In this report the market value will also be described as the total overnight stays in all hostels and total turnover of all hostels per year. The market value of the hostels have been investigated through interviews by telephone. First, all hostels have been pointed out by desk research. Secondly the total number of beds have been collected. If we calculate the average bed price with the total amount of beds, we can estimate the total market value.

2.3 Spending Power When talking about spending power in this report, we are talking about the spending power of the backpackers. We can say that backpackers have a lower spending power compared to hotel guests. In general, backpackers tend to travel for a longer period of time, meaning they need to spread their financial recourses over many days, resulting in less expenditures per day. However backpackers mainly save on accommodation and food, which gives them more room to spend money on attractions in the city. Spending power has been investigated through questionnaires for the backpackers. Backpackers have been asked to fill out how much they spend on different categories.

4 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Market_price 5 http://www.answers.com/topic/market-value 14 Chapter 3: The backpacker market in Amsterdam

3.1 Backpacker market in general The definition ‘backpacker’ is simultaneously used with other definitions like: global nomads, drifters, travellers or tourists. But who, or what, exactly is a backpacker?

‘Backpackers can be found in every corner of the globe and carry with them not only the emblematic physical baggage that gives them their name, but there cultural baggage as well.’ (Iyer, 1988) ‘Many backpackers regard an destination as authentic, when its not touched by other tourists.’ (Timmermans, 2002) ‘Therefore they seem to be driven into the far corners of the globe by the ‘experience hunger’ of modern society (de Cauter 1995), which also forces them to be nomadic.’ In Cohen’s (1973) classic typology of tourists the drifter is the archetypal backpacker, travelling to new destinations with no set itinerary.

3.1.1 History ‘The earliest articles devoted specifically to the topic ‘backpacking’ appeared in the 1970’s (Cohen, 1973; Vogt, 1976), but the 1980’s saw relatively few publications on backpacking (except studies such as Cohen, 1982; Riley, 1988; Teas, 1988) In the last 10 years research has begun to pick up, with a growing number of publications’ (e.g Loker-Murphy 1996; Murphy 2001; Spreitzhofer, 1998; Westerhausen, 2002) 6

‘The alienated individuals roaming the world alone, common in the 1960’s and 1970’s were the so-called ‘drifters’ These drifters paved the way for today backpackers and the backpackers are the model for today’s travelers and tourists. Backpackers tend to embrace the ideology of the early drifters (Elsrud 2001: 601) and imitate the style or form of travel characteristic of the drifter.’

‘Backpacking began in close relation with the major social and political upheavals of the 1960’s; the student revolution and the Vietnam War. It could be argued that the failed student revolution drove many Westerns to seek personal redemption elsewhere, having failed to achieve social salvation at home.’ 7 According to Riley (1988) the origin of backpacking lies

6 The Global Nomad, Greg Richards and Julie Wilson (p. 43) 7 The Global Nomad, Greg Richards and Julie Wilson (p. 55) 15 in the eighteenth centuries’ Grand Tour. The Grand Tour became ‘the thing to do’ for persons from a high social circle, to be completed after education in the early eighteenth century. 8

3.1.2 Backpacker market in definitions Backpacking is also seen as a rite de passage (Teas,1988; Mevorach, 1997). Rite de passage stands for a transition, for example a period after tertiary education, before settling into careers, or the transition from late adolescence to early adulthood. In between such a transition, is when most backpackers decide to hit the road. The backpackers ‘exit’ their normal lives for a while and enter into a different live, away from friends and family, before returning back into normal live. On their trip they learn how to become independent and how to makes decisions on their own.

The term backpacker has over the last decade become synonymous with a travel style that emphasises freedom and mobility. Loker-Murphy and Pearce (1995), describe backpackers as young and budget-minded tourists who exhibit a preference for inexpensive accommodation, an emphasis on meeting other people, an independently organised and flexible itinerary, longer rather than brief vacations and an emphasis on informal and participatory activities.

‘Riley describes backpackers as: likely to be middle class, at a juncture in life, somewhat older than the earlier travellers on average, college educated, and not aimless drifters. They travel under flexible timetables and itineraries. Most expect to rejoin the work force in the society they left.’ (Riley, 1988:326)

3.1.3 Travel career ladder Loker-Murphy (1996) segmented a backpacker population according to their motivational psychographics. Drawing on Pearce’s concepts of travel careers, (1988) she identified four different segments: 9

• Achievers • Self developers • Social/Excitement seekers • Escapers/Relaxers

8 The business of Tourism, J.C. Holloway (p. 21) 9 The Global Nomad, Greg Richards and Julie Wilson (p. 66) 16 Escapers/relaxers refers to the psychological needs of the lowest level and the achievers addresses to the psychological needs of the highest level.

Similarly, Ryan and Moshin (1999) use a leisure motivation scale to examine backpacker’ activities as being reflections of attitudes and motivation. They identified the following four key groups:

• Mainstreamers • Passive Viewers • Explorers • The Not Keen

3.2 Backpacker market in The Netherlands Back in the days, hippies slept in the Vondelpark and on Dam Square. In 1929 the ‘Nederlandse Jeugdherberg Centrale’ (NJHC) was established. In January 2003 NJHC changed its name to Stayokay, and also changed its marketing plans.10 The largest hostel- chain is Stayokay, this organisation alone has 30 hostels scattered throughout The Netherlands. One will find independent hostels only in the larger cities. The most popular city to visit in The Netherlands is Amsterdam, followed by other cities like Rotterdam and The Hague.

3.2.1 Backpacker market in Amsterdam Amsterdam is the capital of The Netherlands, and many tourists visit Amsterdam. Amsterdam offers an abundance of accommodation ranging from 5 star hotels, to guesthouses, bungalows, private apartments, camping’s, hostels, Bed & Breakfasts and private accommodation on houseboats. Important to know is, that not all of this accommodation is legal, but we will come back on this later. This paper will specifically focus on the hostel accommodation. A hostel is ‘accommodation where guest can rent a bed, sometimes a bunk bed, in a dormitory and share a common bathroom and kitchen’.11 The largest difference between a hotel and a hostel is the fact that in a hostel you share accommodation with strangers, whereas in a hotel you will have a private room.

10 http://intranet.stayokay.com/a7rubriek.php?id=155 ‘NAAMSAAMBEKENDHEID & PROPOSITIEBEKENDHEID 11 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hostel 17 3.2.2 Characteristics of the backpacker market Some hostels are part of a larger hostel chain. Stayokay hostel is part of a chain with in total 30 hostels, of which 3 are located in Amsterdam. Another chain is the Flying Pig hostels, known for the vibrant party atmosphere. The third chain are the two Christian hostels, known for its quiet atmosphere, and the only hostels with a curfew.

The above-named hostels chains (Stayokay, Flying Pig and Christian hostels) decided to join forces and work together under the name ABC-hostels. The Bulldog Hostel is the fourth hostel within this cooperation. The Amsterdam’s Best City hostels (ABC) offers good quality for a low price on their website www.amsterdambestcityhostels.com. ‘The ABC hostels: 4 famous names, 8 hostels, joined forces for 1 purpose: to give the customer the very best.’

Some hostels are either more a place to have a good nights sleep, while other hostels profile themselves more as places to party and smoke. Of the 35 researched hostels, a total number of 9 hostels present themselves as place where a party is possible and smoking is allowed. Yet another 8 hostels present themselves as smoke free hostels. The way the hostels profile themselves will also influence the type of backpacker they will attract. Some backpackers will visit Amsterdam solely to experience the ‘free nature’ of the city, including the legal use of marijuana, while others choose for a mix and will also visit some cultural places like one of the many museums.

The large majority of the hostels are located near central station and the Red Light District. A second concentration of hostels can be found to the south, near Vondelpark. Only two hostels are located more in the east of Amsterdam.

18 3.3 The structure of tourist accommodation Wilsons (1997) states that low-budget tourism provides a major economic contribution to the local economy, unlike the current trend towards the ‘high-end’ tourism. The accommodation sector involves many different suppliers of accommodation. We can distinguish between a commercial sector and a quasi/non-commercial sector. Within those two sectors we can make a division between serviced and self-catering. In some cases it is not so easy to tell if a accommodation-provider is strictly commercial or non-commercial. ‘Youth hostels, for example, are not necessarily attempting to make a profit, but merely to recover their operating costs’ We can see this is true for the Stayokay hostels, the Christian Youth hostels and Hans Brinker. All the other hostels do run as a profit-making business.

Figure 3.3.0 The structure of tourist accommodation 12

12 The business of Tourism, J.C Holloway, Chapter 10 19 Tourism in Amsterdam is growing. In 2006 Amsterdam saw 4,7 million hotel guests arriving to the capital, with a total overnight stays of 8,7 million. In comparison with 2005, the amount of visitors rose with 6%, an increase of 269.000 visitors.

Figure 3.3.1 Total guests (light blue) and total overnight stays (dark blue) ‘Especially Amsterdam’s budget sector booked a lot of success in 2006. Guest stayed especially longer (2,32 nights) in this type of accommodation. The total amount of guests staying in budget accommodation rose with 5%. The average bed-occupancy in the budget sector have risen to 79% in 2006. The second and third quarter are the busiest times for the budget accommodation. During the winter months the budget sector is less occupied compared with the other accommodation provides in Amsterdam’ 13

So overall, one can see that the total tourism market for accommodation is growing, but that this development is mostly notable in the budget accommodation sector. The average length of stay even decreased to 1,58 nights in the luxury accommodation sector of 4 and 5 stars. Especially for 5 star hotels, 2006 has not been a good year, with a total loss of 0,4% of guests and 4% loss on overnight stays.

More marketing efforts and monies should be spend towards the budget providers. As can be read in chapter five, backpackers do spend money on cultural institutions, as well as on nightlife and food. Backpackers try to save on accommodation which enables them to experience (and spend) more in the city. Stayokay sells tickets for the number one tourist attractions; the canal boats, but also to the major museums, bike rental, Madame Tussauds and more. In this way, its made very easy and approachable for the backpacker to spend their money in Amsterdam, on a wide range of products and services.

13 Gemeente Amsterdam, O&S, nummer 6, juli 2007: Groei toerisme zet door 20 3.4 Hostels and the Chamber of Commerce Hostelworld.com is a booking site through which one can book a hostel. You first select the country you wish stay in; followed by the city you wish to stay in. All available hostels will come up. Hostelworld.com has 35 hostels in its database of Amsterdam. An explanatory overview of all these hostels can be found in appendix I. The numbers of the hostels correspond with the location on the Amsterdam map, which can be found in appendix II. These two appendices give a clear overview of the hostel situation in Amsterdam.

Not all of these hostels are listed on the site of the Chamber of Commerce. To be a legal business, you have to obtain a Chamber of Commerce registration number. ‘In the Netherlands registration in the trade register is compulsory for almost every company.’14 There are six hostels with not such a number, meaning they are illegal. Another seven hostels do have a registration number, but there location is either replaced or raised. The final twenty- three hostels are correctly registered. As a business you have to pay tax towards the government. It is also important to know the ‘zoning plan’ of the building or location where the hostel is located. The local council of Amsterdam plans the function and use of every building and piece of land in Amsterdam. In appendix III a complete market-analysis of all hostels in Amsterdam can be found.

3.5 Department for Research and Statistics ‘O+S, the Department for Research and Statistics, was founded in 1894, and is the research facility for the municipality of Amsterdam.’ 15 There are 16 different sectors in which O+S does research. The sectors interesting for this thesis are sport & recreation and economy & harbour. ‘There was more travel, to, in and via Amsterdam compared with previous years. This can be seen both in the activities at the harbour, the airport and in the tourism sector. For example, the number of hotel guests rose with 5% in 2004. The total overnight stays only rose with 4% because people stayed a bit shorter compared with previous years. Especially the cheap hotels and hostels were in favour. The increase was here with 10% much stronger than average.’16

14 http://www.kvk.nl/sectie/sectie.asp?sectieID=102 15 http://www.os.amsterdam.nl/english/1060/ 16 http://www.os.amsterdam.nl/themas/werkinkomeneneconomie/economie/inleiding/70416 21 The problem with the figures of O+S is the fact that they do not make a difference between hotels and hostels. As you can see in the following table, all hotels not classified as a 5, 4 or 3 star hotel is called ‘remaining’. This thesis will give an answer on the question on how many beds are specifically hostel beds.

Core figures hotels, 1996-2005 guests average (x Overnight stays average duration hotels rooms beds 1.000) (x 1.000) bed occupancy of stay 2005 5 star 18 4287 8167 1179 1813 0.61 1.54 4 star 34 3997 7971 976 1720 0.59 1.76 3 star 86 5763 11861 1372 2572 0.59 1.87 remaining 202 3907 10254 990 2094 0.56 2.12 total 340 17954 38253 4517 8199 0.59 1.82 Figure 3.5: Core figures hotels, 1996-2005 In the year 2005 there are a total of 340 hotels located in Amsterdam, together good for 38.250 beds. 10.000 of those beds are in the category ‘remaining and youth-hostels’. In chapter four will be explained in detail how many beds are actually hostel beds. This information will be retrieved through telephone conversations and questionnaires.

3.6 Other Initiatives As stated in the introduction of this chapter, the hostels have a lot of competitors from other accommodation providers. The newest trends are the ‘temporary experimental sleeping space’. The entrepreneurs of the website golfstromen.nl ‘want to run a website listing temporary sleeping spaces in empty buildings throughout the town.’ ‘We’ll price it below the budget hostels and get people to the weirdest places.’ 17 But of course, rules and very strict, and it might be difficult to pull such a project off. It will however be a great potential competitor for the hostels in Amsterdam. The article about the temporary sleeping places can be found in appendix IV.

Second potential competitors are the organisations www.couchsurfing.com and www.hospitalityclub.org. Through these websites people can offer a couch (or sleeping place) where travellers can sleep for free. It is not just about a free sleeping space, but also about making connections with people throughout the world and experience different situations. Couch surfing has a total of 300.000 members from 220 countries and was set-up in 2003. It is free to become a member and by means of credit card details and personal references, trust and security is ensured. Hospitality club (HC) is a similar organisation with 320.000

17 Amsterdam Weekly, Volume 4, Issue 17, article ‘City soft spot’ page 4-5 22 members. Couch surfing was founded in The United States and Hospitality club in Germany in 2000. HC also makes use of security checks by means of passport information that has to be given. The mission of HC is to strengthen intercultural relationships and try to build peace with the exchange of hospitality. 18 19

3.7 Conclusion There are several different opinions when backpacking started. The Vietnam War, the students revolutions in the 1960’s and the Grand Tour are often named as the start of backpacking. The term backpacker is simultaneously used with other definitions like global nomads, drifters, travellers and tourists. In general backpackers are young people, at a juncture in life, college educated and not just aimless drifters. Backpackers travel under a flexible timetable and itinerary.

Backpacking in The Netherlands mainly concentrates around the large cities of Amsterdam, Rotterdam and The Hague. Backpacking started in The Netherlands in 1929 with the establishment of NJHC. In 2003 the named changed to Stayokay and they are nowadays the largest hostel in The Netherlands.

Amsterdam has a total of 35 hostels located in and around the near city centre. Some hostels are part of a bigger hostel-chain, like Stayokay, the Flying Pig and the Shelter hostels. These hostels also work together under the name ABC hostels. There are also numerous independent hostels besides the hostel-chains. Different hostels attract a different clientele. Some hostels are just a good place to sleep, with (strict) rules regarding alcohol and cannabis. Other hostels profile themselves more as a place to party, where sleep comes at a second place and rules are less strict. Not all of the hostels are registered at the chamber of commerce, it is illegal to run a business without registration.

Tourism in Amsterdam is growing. Especially Amsterdam’s budget sector booked a lot of success in 2006, with visitor numbers and overnight stays rising quicker compared with the overall growth. It is advisable to put more marketing efforts and monies towards the hostels because of the strong growth in the budget sector. Hostels exist next to hotels, B&B, guesthouses, bungalows, private accommodation, camping’s and houseboats. This can all be seen as competition within the accommodation sector. However, some accommodation

18 www.couchsurfing.com 19 www.hospitalityclub.org 23 providers might appeal to a different audience then others. Two new forms of competition include initiatives like couch surfing, hospitality club and temporary experimental sleeping space.

This chapter gave an insight in the history of backpacking and the start of backpacking in the Netherlands. Next it gave more specific information about the 35 hostels in Amsterdam and the differences between certain hostels. It also outlined the tourism demand in Amsterdam and especially the tourism demand towards the budget sector. Its suggested that more marketing and money should be spend towards the budget accommodation.

24 Chapter 4: The market value of the hostels in Amsterdam

This chapter is about the financial side of the 35 hostels discussed in chapter three. The legal form, amount of beds, the owners, the place of origin of the owners and of course the yearly balances will be discussed. The total bed numbers have been researched through interviews by telephone. It is important to know the total number of beds to come to an estimation of the market value. By multiplying the total number of beds by the bed price the market value can be calculated.

4.1 Number of beds Six of these hostels have 20 or less beds. Three of them only have 4 beds. Four of these hostels are actually house-boats, so we cannot even consider them as a hostel. This leaves us with 29 hostels, from which 14 hostels have between 25-100 beds, 12 hostels have between 100-200 beds and another three hostels have 500 or more beds.

The major players in the hostel business in Amsterdam are: the Stayokay hostels, Hans Brinker the Flying Pig hostels, Inner Amsterdam and The Bulldog.

Hostel Beds Stayokay Vondelpark 536 Hans Brinker 513 Stayokay Zeeburg 510 Stayokay Stadsdoelen 178 Flying Pig Downtown 220 Flying Pig Uptown 100 Inner Amsterdam 200 278 The Bulldog 200 2179

The total number of hostel beds is around 4.400 beds. The 6 major hostels provide more then 56% of all beds (2179 + 278 = 2457 beds) , the other 29 hostels share the other 44%.

The number of total ‘Stayokay beds’ in Amsterdam is 1224. This is 27.8% of the total beds. Hans Brinker has 11,7% , Flying Pig 7,3% and the Bulldog and Inner Amsterdam both 4,5%.

25 4.2 Prices and room types Most hostels offer different types of rooms. The largest room are dorms for 20 people, followed by dormitories for 14, 12, 10, 8, 6 and 4 people. The smaller the dorm the higher the price. Most hostels also provide some single and double rooms.

The average price for a bed in a large dormitory is between € 25,- and € 30,-. The cheapest notation is € 20,- euros for a bed, and the highest price asked was € 40,- Prices for smaller dorms (4 to 6 people) float between € 35 and € 40,- euros. The price for a double room is between € 80,- and € 100,-.

4.3 Actual market value The precise market value of all hostels is difficult to determine, because this is sensitive information for the hostels. I have estimated the market value of each hostel individually and added up all those values together.

The table on the next page will give a total overview of the market value of all hostels in Amsterdam. The first and the second column give the total number of beds, and the average price per bed. The third column gives average occupancy rates of all hostels. We arrive to total yearly overnight stays by multiplying the total beds times 365, times the occupancy rate. The total overnight stays of the Stayokay hostels are known, and the figures are close to the official ones. Official early overnight stays for Stayokay Vondelpark and Stadsdoelen are 165.980 and 53.376 respectively. The calculations on the next page show 166.294 and 53.275 This shows that the estimates made are correctly. Finally, we multiply the yearly overnight stays with the average bed price to come to the market value.

Ten hostels are worth more then a million euros, another eighteen more then € 500.000,- and the final seven less then € 500.000,- But market value is more than just the price of the yearly overnight stays. Backpackers also spend money on other categories besides accommodation. This can all be added towards the market-value. In chapter 5 the outcomes from the questionnaires will be discussed. All 35 hostels generate in total 1.249.885 overnight stays worth in total € 35.224.418,-. Tourism also supports other sectors which make profits from tourism.

26 (times) No. price of per Hostel beds bed Occupancy rate Total yearly overnight stays (is) market-value 1 The Globe Center 100 30 80% 29.200 € 876.000,00 2 Aivengo 60 25 78% 17.082 € 427.050,00 3 Amigo Hotel 60 35 76% 16.644 € 582.540,00 4 Amsterdam Cribs 18 35 86% 5.650 € 197.757,00 5 Hostel Cosmos 25 30 79% 7.209 € 216.263,00 6 Bob’s youth hostel 144 21 80% 4.205 € 883.008,00 Budget Hotel 7 Tourist Inn 85 35 74% 22.959 € 803.548,00 8 Durty Nelly’s Inn 72 25 83% 21.813 € 545.310,00 9 Euphemia Hotel 79 30 85% 24.510 € 735.293,00 Flying Pig 10 Downtown 220 30 80% 64.240 € 1.927.200,00 11 Flying Pig Uptown 100 25 80% 29.200 € 730.000,00 12 Hans Brinker 513 23 78% 146.051 € 3.359.175,00 Heart Of 13 Amsterdam Hostel 80 35 80% 23.360 € 817.600,00 14 Hostel Linda 94 20 80% 27.448 € 548.960,00 15 Hostel Orfeo 100 35 80% 29.200 € 1.022.000,00 Hostel boat Anna 16 Maria II 50 35 85% 15.513 € 542.938,00 17 Hostel Annemarie 20 35 83% 6059 € 212.065,00 18 Inner Amsterdam 240 22 80% 70.080 € 1.541.760,00 International 19 Budget Hostel 52 30 85% 16.133 € 483.990,00 20 Jonas Boat 4 50 74% 1080 € 54.020,00 Marie-Anns 21 Houseboat 4 50 74% 1080 € 54.020,00

22 Marnix Hotel 90 25 75% 24.638 € 615.937,00 Passenger Ship 23 Maria Alberta 10 25 70% 2555 € 63.875,00 24 Shelter City 150 24 79% 43.252 € 1.038.060,00 25 Shelter Jordan 100 24 79% 28.835 € 692.040,00 26 The Winston Hotel 170 30 80% 49.640 € 1.489.200,00 Stayokay 27 Stadsdoelen 178 26 82% 53.275 € 1.385.150,00 Stayokay 28 Vondelpark 536 30 85% 166.294 € 4.988.820,00 29 The Bulldog 200 30 80% 58.400 € 1.752.000,00

30 The Friendship 4 35 74% 1080 € 37.814,00 31 White Tulip Hostel 80 30 80% 23.360 € 700.800,00 Youth Hostel 32 Meeting point 110 25 80% 32.120 € 803.000,00 33 Abba Overtoom 70 40 75% 19.163 € 766.500,00 34 Stayokay Zeeburg 510 25 78% 145.197 € 3.629.925,00 35 Sphinx Hotel 80 30 80% 23.360 € 700.800,00 1.249.885 € 35.224.418,00

28 4.4 Hostels versus hotels There has always been more marketing efforts towards the hotels compared to the hostels. Stayokay would like to see more overall marketing towards the hostels. In 2005 there are a total of 340 hotels and hostels with 38.250 beds. 10.000 of those beds belong in the category ‘remaining and youth-hostels’ After the interviews by telephone to all the hostels, it was found out that around 4.400 beds are actually hostel beds. This is 44% of the category remaining and youth-hostels. From the total amount of beds (38.250) this is 11,5%. According to the NBTC: ‘Within incoming tourism, the hotel-sector is the most important, 4 out of 5 guests stay at a hotel, a total of 81%. Out of the other accommodations, the bungalow parks are mostly visited with 10%, followed by camping’s 8% and finally, group accommodations with 1%.’ 20

CBS counted a total of 10 million visitors to Amsterdam. This means that the group accommodation sector (e.g. hostels) still accounts for 100.000 people visiting the hostels in 2005.

Figure 4.4 Number of international guests to accommodation form

A large difference between the hotels and hostels in the period of booking. Over 90% of hostel-visitors book their accommodation more than 3 months ahead of time. At hotels people book relatively on a short notice. 50% books within a month of travel and only 10% books 3 months ahead of time.

20 Destinatie Holland, NBTC Afdeling Research, November 2006 29 4.5 Expenditure based on accommodation type In total 80% of the visitors stay at a hotel. These guests account for 87% of total expenditures. The average spending is higher of hotel guests compared with other guests. Several reasons can be named; the room price is for example much higher at hotels then bungalow parks, camping’s or hostels. Hotel guests are also more likely to be business travellers. Business travellers spend more per person compared with leisure travellers. Visitors staying at hostels spend a total of € 161 million euros, which comes down on € 44,- a day. Visitors at hotels spend a total of € 3.102 million euros, which comes down on € 213,- a day. 21

CBS Figure 4.5 Spending to form of accommodation 4.6 Reasons to expand Although only 1% of all visitors stay in hostels (100.000 people) and although their expenditure is lower compared with hotel guests, it is still advisable to expand the hostel market and spend more marketing effort and money on this sector. In 2006 10,7 million people visited Amsterdam, towards 10,0 million in 2005, this is a growth of 7%. Several reasons can be named for this strong growth in 2006.

Figure 4.6.1 Development incoming tourism, to the Netherlands

21 Destinatie Holland, NBTC Afdeling Research, november 2006 30 First of all, 2006 was the year of the event Rembrandt 400, which attracted a 400.000 extra visitors to the capital. But also the growing number of low-cost airlines routes connecting Amsterdam with Europe is a reason for the rising visitor numbers. The growing numbers of visitors is reflected in the numbers of overnight stays at hotels, camping’s, bungalow parks and hostels. However the camping’s, bungalows and hostels show a stronger growth compared to the hotel-sector.

In 2006 the total growth for the first named sector is 12%, while the hotel-sector only rose with 6%. The good summer, in combination with the convalescence of the German market and the up rise in low-cost airlines routes are the main reasons for the strong growth of the hostel sector. 22 The growth of the hostel market is even higher in the first four months of 2007, namely 17%, compared to 10% for the hostel sector 23

The year 2007 will be another year on record with a growing number of visitors. The economy of the Netherlands and economies of the other countries in Europe will become stronger, according to the IMF.

The positive economic development in the countries of origin will stimulate travel within and to Europe. Besides this factor from outside, two factors from the tourism industry itself will ensure a growth of visitor numbers to Amsterdam. Again, the low cost carriers will contribute to a stimulus of growth. However very recent (September 2007) government plans to put tax on all tickets might disrupt this positives continuation of visitor numbers.

The second factor are the marketing efforts of NBTC to attract extra visitors to Amsterdam. As stated above, Rembrandt 400 created a lot of extra arrivals in 2006, and in 2007 the theme will be Dance & Music. This theme year is not so much created to generate extra visitor numbers, but more to gain extra publicity on The Netherlands and show this part of the tourist product.

The major down point of generating extra visitors in 2007 is the total bed-capacity in Amsterdam. According to the hotel benchmark from Deloitte, the total occupancy rate of the 3,4 and 5 star hotels is high. The high occupancy rate in combination with limited space to expand, means there is little room for growth.

22 Toerisme in Perspectief 2007, juni 2007, NBTC 23 Stijging low-cost verbindingen goed voor inkomend toerisme, NBTC 2007 31

Figure 4.6.2 Occupancy rate Amsterdam hotels per month The development of the accommodation (supply) is not in line with the growing number of arrivals (demand). The high occupancy rate is positive for short term, but in the long term it is quite possible that hotels will price themselves out of the market. According to the report ‘Toeristische verblijfsaccomodaties stadsregio Amsterdam’ from ZKA Consultants & Planners the total amount of rooms need to grow with 50% between 2005 and 2015 in order to accommodate all guests. There will be more rooms constructed (4.000 until 2010) but this will not be enough. The shortage of beds will be structural, which is a great opportunity for Stayokay to expand and realize more beds.

4.7 Ownership and legal form. Interesting to note is the fact that quite a lot of the Amsterdam Hostels are not in Dutch hands. There are even at least eight hostels where no Dutch is spoken. Chinese and Moroccan are the most predominant foreign owners of hostels in Amsterdam. From 5 hotels the legal form is unknown. Most common legal form is the ‘Besloten Vennootschap’ (12 hostels/Private Limited Company Ltd), followed by ‘Eenmanszaak’ (7 hostels/one-men business). Next are ‘Stichting/Non-profit organisation’ (7 hostels/NPO), ‘Vennootschap onder Firma’ (3 hostels/VOF), and ‘Commanditaire Vennootschap’ (2 hostels/CV)

The Private Limited Company (or BV in Dutch) is a legal form, whereby the stocks stay in the hands of the persons who run the business. The stocks are all registered by name, and it is not possible to freely buy and sell stocks. The minimum capital to start a BV in The Netherlands is € 18.000,- This is called the ‘start-capital’. The responsibility of the owners is never higher than the amount of stocks they have put into the business. This is contradiction to a one-men business, is this case the owner can also be personally held responsible. Each

32 year the BV has to publish its yearly financial results. The results of the most important hostels will be discussed in the next subchapter.

The ‘Vennootschap onder Firma’ can be set up by two persons or more. All persons are responsible for their own actions taken, but also for the actions taken by other members of the VOF. All members can also be held fully responsible for all debts created by the VOF. The ‘Commanditaire Vennootschap (CV)’ is a spin-off of the VOF is with there are also ‘silent members’ Silent members can only put money in a business but cannot make decisions about the business. The owners can lose their private money in both legal forms. Amsterdam Cribs and Euphemia Hotel are VOF’s, and Marnix Hotel and Abba Overtoom are CV’s.

A Stichting/NPO is a organization with a certain goal in mind. In the official papers of the stichting this goal is described. A stichting can make a profit, but this profit has to be re-used within the stichting or used for a good cause. Stayokay, Hans Brinker and the Shelter hostels are NPO’s.

4.8 Financial results of the BV’s 24 The BV’s are The Globe Center, Durty Nelly’s Inn, the two Flying Pigs, International Budget Hostel, Bobs Youth Hostel, Inner Amsterdam, The Winston Hotel, The Bulldog and Youth Hostel Meeting point.

Both The Globe Center and Durty Nelly’s Inn fall under the same BV; Holla BV. The main owner is Francisus Holla. The personal capital in 2005 was € 1.330.000,-

The Flying Pig BV is the Flying Pig Palace BV. Ronald Selter and Willem Kerkvliet are the owners of the Flying Pig. The both have their another BV which are called Unawatuna BV and Juara BV. The personal capital in 2005 was € 531.600,-

International Budget Hostel and Euphemia Hotel both fall under Visser BV. In the company description one can read that besides the hostels they trade in stocks of properties and money. The personal capital in 2006 was € 1.080.000,-

24 Reports from Chamber of Commerce 33 Bobs Youth hostel falls under Bobs Holding BV. The personal capital in 2005 was €62.000,- Inner Amsterdam BV is in hands of Changyun Shi Holding BV which is Chinese. The personal capital in 2005 was € 111.500,-

The Winston Hotel is also part of a nightclub and bar. The BV is named Hotel Winston BV and the owners are John Gregory Byrne, borne in Ireland and Timothy Roger from the United Kingdom. The personal capital in 2004 was € 130.000,-

The Bulldog is owned by Henk de Vries. The BV is named Leidseplein beheer BV. The personal capital in 2005 was € -690.500,- The Bulldog company comprises of a total of eight companies. From coffee shop, energy drinks, bike rental to hostel. The bulldog was one of the first coffee shops in 1985 on Leidseplein. The final BV is Youth Hostel Meeting point. The personal capital in 2005 was € 500.000,-

34 4.9 Conclusion There are in total 35 hostels in Amsterdam, together good for 4.400 beds. Stayokay provides 56% (2457) of all those beds. In comparison there are 340 hotels in Amsterdam, counting 38.250 beds. The average price for a hostel bed in a large dormitory is between € 25,- and € 30,- and private rooms are between € 80,- and € 100,-. Its difficult to give the total market value, this is sensitive information for the hostels. The 6 major hostels (Stayokay hostels, Hans Brinker the Flying Pig hostels, Inner Amsterdam and The Bulldog.) provide more then 56% of all beds (2179 + 278 = 2457 beds), the other 29 hostels share the other 44%.

Not all those hostels are in Dutch hands. The are at least eight hostels where there is no Dutch spoken. Most foreign owners come from Morocco and China. Most common legal form is the BV followed by one-men business and non profit organisation.

More than 10 million visitors visited Amsterdam in 2005, this is a record which last happened in 2000. Within incoming tourism, hotels are most important, as 4 out of 5 guests stay at a hotel, or 81%. Only 1% stays at a group accommodation, which still counts for 100.000 people. In general hotel guests spend a higher amount of money compared with hostel guests. The main reason is the fact that a hotel bed is much pricier than a hostel bed. Although only 1% of all visitors stay in hostels (100.000 people) and although their expenditure is lower compared with hotel guests, it is still advisable to expand the hostel market and spend more marketing effort and money on this sector. Incoming tourism is growing, and this growing number is reflected in overnight stays at hotels, camping’s and group accommodations. However, the group accommodation shows a stronger growth compared to the hotel-sector. Accommodation should be expanded accordingly, because the stronger growth in the group accommodation sector. The total bed-capacity has almost reached it limits, according to the hotel benchmark from Deloitte, the total bed occupancy rate is very high. The high occupancy rate is positive for short term, but in the long term it is quite possible that hotels will price themselves out of the market. More rooms need to be constructed in order to keep up with the demand. This can be a great opportunity for Stayokay to expand and realize more beds in the future. Another reason for the growing number of group accommodation visitors is the existence and opening of new routes of budget airlines. The strong economy of The Netherlands and its surrounding countries, the low-cost airlines and the marketing efforts like the theme-years of the NBTC are all factors which determine another strong year in tourism.

35 Chapter 5: The spending power of the backpackers

5.1 Research style Two of the research questions are: what is the target group of the different hostels and are clients of hostels of any economic value for the municipal of Amsterdam? In order to find an answer to these questions I decided to take questionnaires from backpackers at different locations (hostels) throughout the city. I would like to find out how much backpackers spend in the city, on why and how long they stay in Amsterdam. I choose for questionnaires because of the high responds rate and to reach many recipients in a short period of time. Personal interviews would also be interesting but not possible within the timeframe. The questionnaire can be found back in appendix V.

350 questionnaires were distributed amongst 7 hostels, so 50 per hostel. Unfortunately 2 hostels decided at the last moment not to cooperate with my research anymore and 2 other hostels had such a low response rate (5 in total) that I decided not to enter those answers in my research. So I basically distributed 150 questionnaires under 3 hostels, Stayokay Vondelpark, Stayokay Stadsdoelen en The Bulldog Hotel. The response rate was high amongst those three hostels. The Bulldog had a response rate of 64% (32 questionnaires) Stayokay Stadsdoelen 60% (30 questionnaires) and Stayokay Vondelpark also 64%. The overall response rate over those three hostels 63% (94 questionnaires came back).

5.2 General information A lot of research has already been done by the Amsterdam Leisure Consultancy in order for the Amsterdam Tourist Board. One of their ‘specialties-reports’ goes more into dept about young people visiting Amsterdam. I will compare my findings with finding from this report.

The research by the Amsterdam Leisure Consultancy has been carried out in 2001-2002 under 4000 visitors of Amsterdam. In the special report about young people, results are shown under visitors in the age-category 15-25 years. A total of 611 young people have been interviewed. Most people came from the United Kingdom, Germany and the United States. Other places of origin include Spain, Portugal, Australia, New Zealand and France. They stayed on average for 5,6 night in Amsterdam. The majority stayed between 2 and 4 night in Amsterdam. 85% of the interviewed people chose specifically for Amsterdam. Other cities

36 mentioned were Paris, London, Brussels and Berlin. Internet and travel guides are mostly used to decide to visit Amsterdam.

The most important subjects to gain information about are: lay-out of the city, followed by culture (like museums and exhibitions) and thirdly about nightlife. This shows that backpackers do not only visit Amsterdam for its marijuana and night-life, but also for its well known array of museums. A total of 40% of the interviewed combine Amsterdam with other destinations. Amsterdam is mostly combined with other cities. Most people stay overnight in Hotels or Hostels. 25

5.2.1 Undertaken activities The following activities are stated by the ‘Bezoekersonderzoek Amsterdam’ carried out by the tourism board of Amsterdam. The activities mostly undertaken are: walking around and viewing the city, (92%) followed by visitation of museums (75%) and visitation of bars (72%). Also very popular are going out for dinner (68%) and shopping (66%). More than half of the interviewed young people (54%) visit a coffee shop and around 40% makes a canal tour. Also cycling is popular with 14%. 26

5.3 Outcomes The questionnaire has to be treated like a sample. Not enough backpackers have taken the questionnaire to make hard conclusions. It is however a good overall reflection of the backpacker situation at the moment. Together with my working experience I came to the following outcomes.

56% of the respondents were male, 44% female. The average age of the respondents is 24 years. The youngest person was 15, the oldest 67. This reflects the idea that there are different target groups within the backpacker segment. Besides the ‘official backpacker’ e.g. young adult, who finished university and is in a gap year before finding a job there are other groups to be found.

We also see a lot of families with children making use of hostels. This is also a reason why large dormitories slowly disappear and make place for 6-and 4 persons dorms. Other guests

25 Bezoekersonderzoek Amsterdam 2001-2002, special 5: Jongeren 26 Bezoekersonderzoek Amsterdam 2001-2002, special 5: Jongeren 37 include international school groups. We also see that business travelers make use of a hostel, although mainly they book a private room. Finally the hostels also cater to (older) couples.

A total of 19 different nationalities have been registered. Most people came from Australia, the United Stated and Great Britain. Other nationalities include Spanish, New-Zealander German and Brazilian. They spend an average of 3,9 nights in Amsterdam. Most respondents stayed 3 or 2 nights in Amsterdam. The main reason to travel to Amsterdam was exploring a new city, just a holiday and nightlife and smoking. Other answers included ‘to find out if the stories about Amsterdam were true’ and on a business trip to visit a congress.

Most popular activities too undertake include; visiting the Red light district (89%), followed by visiting a bar (79%). Other popular activities include; going to the coffee-shop/smoking a joint (71%) followed by sightseeing (66%) and having dinner (64%). More than half the backpackers visit the Anne-Frank house (57%) a museum (56%), go shopping (56%) and visit a park (55%) or a open-air market (54%). A third of the backpackers make a canal-cruise (35%) visit the Heineken Experience (34%) or rent a bike (33%). Much less popular are Artis Zoo and Madame Tussauds.

Activity Visited by Red light district 89% Bar 79% Coffee-shop 71% Sightseeing 66% Dinner 64% Anne-Frank House 57% Museum 56% Shopping 56% Park 55% Open-air market 54% Canal Cruise 35% Heineken Exp. 34% Rent a bike 33%

The top three activities are activities where Amsterdam is (in)famous for. The municipal would like to change the trend from drugs and sex-tourism towards more cultural tourism. We can clearly see that more than half of the interviewed backpackers also visit a museum (56%). This is a high figure, even more so if we take the entrance fees of Amsterdam museums into account compared with other museums in Europe. Other European cities have days (per week

38 or per month) where there is no charge, Amsterdam museums do not even offer a discount for students, and still 56% of the interviewed backpackers visit a museum.

A high number of backpackers spend money on shopping (56%). They spend an average of €18,60 on shopping. From the results we can see that backpackers have several reasons to come to Amsterdam. This is a mix of the ‘old Amsterdam image’ (bars/coffee-shop and red- light-district) combined with ‘new Amsterdam image’ e.g. shopping and/or visiting a museum

5.4 Spending The questionnaire also asked the backpacker to estimate the average he or she spends per category per day. Category Average spent Accommodation € 30,- Breakfast € 2,30 Lunch € 8,- Dinner € 11,40 Shopping € 18,60 Attractions and museums € 12,20 Café/bar/disco/clubbing € 16,70 Coffee-shop € 10,50 Organised tours € 1,70 Public transport € 2,70 Other € 7,30 Grand total € 121,40

Obviously most is spend on accommodation. Because the backpacker prefers flexible itineraries and has limited financial resources least is spend on organised tours. Backpackers prefer to plan things themselves, which also turns out to be cheaper. Next to accommodation it turns out that the interviewed backpackers spend most of their money on shopping followed by café/bar/clubs. Very interesting to note is the fact that they spend more on museums and attractions (€ 12,20) than in the coffee-shop (€ 10,50). Dinner scores a 64% on the activities list, translating in a average spending of € 11,40. Not much is spend on breakfast, the main reason being that this is included at most accommodation providers. In total the average spending is € 120,- per day. In general € 30,- of this is spend on accommodation, the other € 90,- on food and pleasure.

I would like to point out that this are total numbers divided by the total amount of interviewed backpackers. There are also respondents who limit their spending on accommodation, food and sightseeing, not spending a penny on shopping and partying. This shows again, that there

39 are different types of backpackers, from different ages and background, with a different financial background.

For example, 40% of the interviewed, only went to Amsterdam, meaning their travel to Amsterdam was not part of a larger trip. In this case more money can be spend at one place. The other 60% also went to other destinations. Popular to visit prior to Amsterdam include Germany (mentioned 14 times out of 56 is 25%) and within Germany Berlin, Munich and Hamburg. Besides Germany; London 14%, Brussels 13% and Prague 9% where often mentioned. Popular to visit after Amsterdam are Brussels 14%, Paris 13% and London 13%. We can see that the countries closest to The Netherlands (Germany, France, Belgium and the UK) are most popular to visit in combination with Amsterdam. Only two respondent traveled directly before or after Amsterdam intercontinental. Most respondent already are in Europe.

The last question asked the backpacker why Amsterdam was a good (or bad) experience. Only 2 out of 94 respondents disagreed on the statement ‘I had a good experience of my time in Amsterdam’ Reasons why people had a good experience includes; the fact that Amsterdam is a pretty, beautiful, laidback city with a nice scenery (think canals and old style houses). Other reasons included that Amsterdam is a different city compared to home. Also the culture and the diverse offer of attractions and museums were mentioned.

5.5 Conclusion The Amsterdam Leisure Consultancy does already a lot of research under travelers, and also specifically under young people. There most recent research was from 2001-2002, so not very recent anymore. They interviewed 611 young people and the majority stayed between 2 and 4 nights. Important aspects to gain information about are about nightlife, the lay-out of the city and culture. Important activities included sightseeing, visiting of museum and bars and shopping.

I’ve handed out 150 questionnaires and the response rate is 63%. The average age of the respondents is 24 years old. There was a wide age difference (from 15 years to 67 years old). This reflects the idea that there are different segments within the backpacker market. We’ve got the ‘ordinary backpacker’ (e.g. young adult, in gap year), families with children, school groups, special interest groups, couples and even a few businesspeople. My 94 respondents came from 19 different countries, ranging from Spain and Germany to Brazil and New-

40 Zealand. They spend an average of 3,9 nights in Amsterdam. The majority between 2 and 3 nights. Most popular activities include visiting the red-light district, bar and coffee-shops. But also done often are sightseeing, having dinner, shopping and visiting a museum. There is even on average more money spend on museums and attractions compared than in the coffee- shop. We see that backpackers combine the fun and liberal side of Amsterdam together with the cultural places the city has to offer.

Most is spent on accommodation followed by shopping. Other categories where more than € 10,- per day is spend on include; attractions and museums, café/bars/clubs, dinner and the coffee-shop. Not popular to spend money on are organised tours.

For 60% Amsterdam was part of a larger trip. Most respondents mainly combine Amsterdam with other cities in Europe and often mention are; Berlin, London, Paris, Prague and Brussels. Overall 94% of the respondents had a positive experience in Amsterdam. Main reason why people had a good experience is; the fact that Amsterdam is a pretty, beautiful, laidback city with a nice scenery.

41 Chapter 6: Conclusion

1. What is market value? The amount that a seller may expect to obtain for merchandise, services, or securities in the open market.27 In this report the market value is calculated by multiplying total beds times 365 times yearly occupancy rates. This results in total overnight stays. The yearly overnight stays are then multiplied by the average price per bed. There are 10 hostels which are worth more than 1 million. These are the 10 largest players in the hostel industry. These include the Flying Pig Hostels, the Stayokay Hostels, Hans Brinker, the Bulldog, the Winston and the Shelter city. Next to market value we can also look at total hostels and beds. There are in total 35 hostels in Amsterdam which have together 4.400 beds. In comparison, there are 340 hotels in Amsterdam, good for 38.250 beds.

If we look at the overall tourism in Amsterdam, we can see that the total market for tourism is growing, but this development is most notable in the budget accommodation sector. In 2006, the total amount of guest staying at budget accommodation rose with 5%. Average length of stay is decreasing at the top-end of the market, while backpackers stay an average of 4 nights in Amsterdam. Stayokay Vondelpark and Stadsdoelen realised 165.980 and 53.376 overnight stays in 2006. These are all indicators that the market value of the group accommodation e.g. hostels is growing. Another reason why the budget market is growing includes the low-cost airlines connecting Amsterdam with many cities in Europe.

2. Why is it important to determine the market value of all hostels in Amsterdam? Stayokay would like a larger marketing budget for its target group. Most marketing effort and money is spend on the specific theme years and on hotel guests. The theme years should also be promoted through channels backpackers use. Hereby one can think of the different booking sites, or for example in low cost airlines magazine. Theme years are a good way of generating extra visitors, but it is important to reach the budget-minded group. Secondly Stayokay would like to get a good insight in today’s hostel market in Amsterdam.

27 http://www.answers.com/topic/market-value 42 3. What is the chain of the ‘Amsterdam Tourism Product’? A tourism product includes many different sectors like; transport to the location, accommodation, bars and restaurants, parks and gardens, local transport museums and other attractions. There are so-called push and pull factors in the decision making process for a particular destination. Accommodation, restaurants, clubs, galleries, local transport, other attractions, museums, parks, markets, bars, streets and squares are all part of the tourism chain. It can be seen as a chain, because all the different sectors have the work together, solely on their own the will not attract as many visitors as all of them together.

4. What is the target group of the different hostels? Are there different target groups for different hostels? Different hostels attract a different clientele. Some hostels are just a good place to sleep, with (strict) rules about alcohol and cannabis. Other hostels profile themselves more as a place to party, where drinking and drugs are allowed. A second division of guests can be made according to type of backpacker. There are different target groups within the backpacker segment. Besides the ‘official backpacker’ e.g. young adult, who finished university and is in a gap year before finding a job there are other groups to be found. We also see a lot of families with children making use of hostels. This is also a reason why large dormitories slowly disappear and make place for 6-and 4 persons dorms. Other guests include international school groups. We also see that business travelers make use of a hostel, although mainly they book a private room. Finally the hostels also cater to (older) couples. The larger hostels also invest in special events.

5. What is the economic value of all the overnight stays in the hostels in Amsterdam? All 35 hostels generate in total 1.249.885 overnight stays worth in total € 35.224.418,-. Tourism also supports other sectors which make profits from tourism. This makes the total value much higher.

6. Are clients of hostels of any value for the municipal of Amsterdam? Yes, research has shown that backpackers also spend money on cultural institutions like museums and other tourists attractions. The backpackers spend in total € 121,- per day. If they stay for example an average of 4 days they will spend around € 500,- Furthermore, the 35 hostels that cater to them earn a total of € 35.224.418,-

43 7. Why do backpackers go to Amsterdam, and how much do they spend? The main reason to travel to Amsterdam was exploring a new city, just a holiday and nightlife and smoking. The top three activities are activities where Amsterdam is (in)famous for. The red-light district, visiting a bar and coffee-shops are activities done by most backpacker. The municipal would like to change the trend from drugs and sex-tourism towards more cultural tourism. We can clearly see that more than half of the interviewed backpackers also visit a museum (56%). They spend in total € 121,- euros a day.

44 Bibliography

1 ‘market value’ Wikipedia, De vrije encyclopedie. Retrieved May 17, 2007 from Wikipedia Web site: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Market_price

2 ‘market value’ The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004. Retrieved May 17, 2007 from answers.com Web site: http://www.answers.com/topic/market-value

3 Amsterdam Toerisme & Congres bureau (2007) Rembrandt 400 ‘Evaluatie Themajaar 2006 voor gemeente Amsterdam, economische zaken’ Reader, Versie 2.0, Amsterdam

4 ‘market value’ Wikipedia, De vrije encyclopedie. Retrieved May 17, 2007 from Wikipedia Web site: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Market_price

5 ‘market value’ The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004. Retrieved May 17, 2007 from answers.com Web site: http://www.answers.com/topic/market-value

6 Mike Robinson, Greg Richards and Julie Wilson (2004) The Global Nomad – Backpacker Travel in Theory and Practice (p. 43) Book, Channel view publications, Great Britain

7 Mike Robinson, Greg Richards and Julie Wilson (2004) The Global Nomad – Backpacker Travel in Theory and Practice (p. 55) Book, Channel view publications, Great Britain

8 J. Christopher Holloway (2002) The business of Tourism, (p. 21) Book, Prentice Hall, Pearson Education, sixth edition, Great Britain

9 Mike Robinson, Greg Richards and Julie Wilson (2004) The Global Nomad – Backpacker Travel in Theory and Practice (p. 66) Book, Channel view publications, Great Britain

10 ‘Stayokay’ Laurien Teunis (2003) Naambekendheid & Propositiebekendheid Intranet Web site: http://intranet.stayokay.com/a7rubriek.php?id=155

11 ‘Hostel’ Wikipedia, De vrije encyclopedie. Retrieved May 15, 2007 from Wikipedia Web site: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hostel

12 J. Christopher Holloway (2002) The business of Tourism, (chapter 10) Book, Prentice Hall, Pearson Education, sixth edition, Great Britain

13 Drs. T. Fedorova Gemeente Amsterdam, O&S, nummer (2007) Groei toerisme zet door Paper, edition 6

14 Kamer van Koophandel Subject Trade Register. Retrieved June 05, 2007 from KvK Web site: http://www.kvk.nl/sectie/sectie.asp?sectieID=102

15 Dienst Onderzoek & Statistiek, Introduction, about O&S. Retrieved June 10, 2007 Web site: http://www.os.amsterdam.nl/english/1060/

16 Dienst Onderzoek & Statistiek, Economie, inleiding Retrieved June 10, 2007 Web site: www.os.amsterdam.nl/themas/werkinkomeneneconomie/economie/inleiding

17 Angelique van Engelen Amsterdam Weekly, Volume 4, Issue 17, (May 2007) article ‘City soft spots – Wanted temporary experimental sleeping space’ page 4-5

18 www.couchsurfing.com Retrieved June 6, 2007

19 www.hospitalityclub.org Retrieved June 6, 2007

20 Dhr. K van der most and drs. I.J. Nieuwhof Destinatie Holland – De Buitenlandse toerist nader bekeken, Reader, NBTC Afdeling Research, November 2006

21 Dhr. K van der most and drs. I.J. Nieuwhof Destinatie Holland – De Buitenlandse toerist nader bekeken, Reader, NBTC Afdeling Research, November 2006

22 NBTC afdeling research (2007), Toerisme in Perspectief 2007 – Ontwikkelingen MBT tot inkomend en binnenlands toerisme nader bekeken Reader

23 NBTC Website (2007) Stijging lowcost verbindingen goed voor inkomend toerisme, Retrieved May 15, 2007 Web site: www.holland.com

24 Reports from Chamber of Commerce Individual reports of several hostels Retrieved August 1, 2007 Web site: www.kvk.nl

25 Drs. Marjolijn van Haaften, Amsterdam Leisure Consultancy (2003) Bezoekersonderzoek Amsterdam 2001-2002, special 5: Jongeren Amsterdam Tourist Board.

26 Drs. Marjolijn van Haaften, Amsterdam Leisure Consultancy (2003) Bezoekersonderzoek Amsterdam 2001-2002, special 5: Jongeren Amsterdam Tourist Board.

Other sources

Rianne de Boer , Melbourne, a study on the city and the backpacker market Thesis, ITMC databank NHTV 2004 www.hostelworld.com

46 Appendix I: Overview of all hostels in Amsterdam This appendix will give more detailed information per hostel. Each hostel number corresponds with the numbers found back in appendix II: Map overview of all hostels in Amsterdam All text comes directly from hostelworld.com and is not my own description.

1. Hostel the Globe Center Oudezijds Voorburgwal 3

2. Aivengo Youth Hostel, Spuistraat 6

3. Amigo Hotel, Plantage Kerklaan 19

4. Amsterdam Cribs, Oude Hoogstraat 7

5. Hostel Cosmos, Nieuwe Nieuwstraat 17

6. Bob’s youth hostel, Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal 92

7. Budget Hotel Tourist Inn, Spuistraat 52

8. Durty Nelly’s Inn, Warmoesstraat 115-117

9. Euphemia Hotel Fokke Simonzstraat,1

10. Flying Pig Downtown, Nieuwendijk 100

11. Flying Pig Uptown, Vossiusstraat 46-47

12. Hans Brinker, Kerkstraat 136-138

13. Heart Of Amsterdam Hostel, Oudezijds Achterburgwal 118-120

14. Hostel Linda, Stadhouderskade 131

15. Hostel Orfeo, Leidsekruistraat 14

16. Hostel boat Anna Maria II, Oosterdok t/o 4, Pier 4

17. Hostel Annemarie, Jan Willem Brouwstraat 14 18. Inner Amsterdam, Wanningstraat 1

19. International Budget Hostel, Leidsegracht 76 I

20. Jonas Boat, Dijksgracht 10

21. Marie-Anns Houseboat/Deo Volente, Dijksgracht 7

22. Marnix Hotel, Marnixstraat 382

23. Passenger Ship Maria Alberta, Oosterdok

24. Shelter City Barndesteeg 21

25. Shelter Jordan, Bloemstraat 179

26. St. Christopher's at The Winston, Warmoesstraat 129

27. Stayokay Stadsdoelen, Kloveniersburgwal 97

28. Stayokay Vondelpark, Zandpad 5, 1054 GA Amsterdam

29. The Bulldog, Oudezijds Voorburgwal 220

30. The Friendship, Singel opposite 77

31. White Tulip Hostel, Warmoesstraat 87

32. Youth Hostel Meeting point, Warmoesstraat 14

33. Abba Overtoom, Overtoom 118-120

34. Stayokay Zeeburg, Timorplein 21

35. Sphinx Hotel, Weteringschans 82

01. Hostel the Globe Center Oudezijds Voorburgwal 3, 1012 EH Hostel The Globe Center is situated in the middle of the city center, just 3 minutes walking from the central station and overlooks one of the famous canals of Amsterdam. All Major attractions like Red Light District, Dam Square, coffee shops, flower market, shopping streets, and the Rembrandt square are in walking distance.

The hostel has twin, triple and quadruple rooms as well as big and small dorms to offer. Lockers and a free of charge safe accessible 24hrs!

Sleeping is not the only thing you can do at our hostel. It is best known for its sports cafe and has one of the biggest bars of the Red Light District that is open 24 hours! There’s also a great affordable menu available which includes breakfast, lunch and dinner! (Full all day English/American breakfasts!)

We have free wireless connection available in the Bar area, a pool table and darts board for any quiet moments!

Restaurant, Linen Included, Credit Cards Accepted, Bar, Towels, Security Lockers, Luggage Storage, Telephone/Fax Facilities, 24 Hour Reception, No Curfew, No Lockout, Taxes included in price, Breakfast Not Included, 24 hours check in

Handelsnaam The Globe Hotel Amsterdam KvK-nummer 33128479 0009

48 Prijs Vestiging is opgeheven of verplaatst Vestiging Nevenvestiging

02. Aivengo Youth Hostel, Spuistraat 6, 1012 TS Amsterdam Beautifully decorated and located in the center of Amsterdam. It's a safe and drugs-free place. All major attractions like Van Gogh Museum, Anne Frank house, Flower market and Red Light District are within walking distance. Friendly and multi-language-speaking staff will be glad to answer all your questions and will help you with everything. Our reception area has a TV, free Internet and web-cams, fridge and microwave. The bathroom has sinks, six toilets and four showers (with soap and shampoo!!), all free and with hot water. Like all other rooms, the bathroom is clean and beautifully decorated. You can get a free personal locker, the desk can hold valuables overnight in the safe as well, but in general the dorm atmosphere is trusting and relaxed.

Internet Access, Linen Included, Credit Cards Accepted, Security Lockers, Luggage Storage, No Lockout, Bike Parking, Age Restriction, No Smoking, Taxes included in price, Free Internet Access, Breakfast Not Included, Concierge

Handelsnaam Aivengo Youth Hostel KvK-nummer 34222271 0000 Prijs € 2.50 Vestiging Hoofdvestiging

03. Amigo Hotel, Plantage Kerklaan 19 Hotel Amigo is a combination of a hostel and a budget hotel in the center of Amsterdam. Hotel Amigo is a monumental building that was recently renovated (2005). Hotel Amigo is situated in the center of the city, opposite of the Artis Zoo. The various tourist attractions are only a few minutes away from the hotel. The Museum of Tropics, The Botanical Gardens, the Van Gogh Museum, New Metropolis, Maritime Museum, Anne Frank house, 'Carre' theatre, Heineken Brewery and Waterloo square with its popular flea market. Hotel Amigo is situated next to the famous Rembrandt square, the main nightlife and entertainment center. Many restaurants, pubs, disco's, coffee shops, the casino, movie theatre, and the theatre are situated around this famous square.

The multi-lingual hotel staff is well known for their very friendly service and they will make sure your stay is as comfortable as possible’ providing you with excellent excursion packages, out-of-the-city trips and bicycle-car rentals.

Breakfast Included, Restaurant, Bicycle Hire, Linen Included, Bar, Children Friendly, Telephone/Fax Facilities, 24 Hour Reception, Travel Desk/Travel Info, Common Room, No Curfew, No Lockout, Bike Parking, Free Internet Access, Taxes Not included in price, 24 hours check in, WiFi in lobby

Handelsnaam Amigo Hotel KvK-nummer 34316400000 Prijs € 2,50 Vestiging Hoofdvestiging

04. Amsterdam Cribs, Oude Hoogstraat 7, A-B, 1012 CD Amsterdam Amsterdam Cribs B&B is a smokers' friendly place, geared towards people looking to explore the city at a laid back pace, and it's a great alternative to a typical budget hotel or a crowded hostel dorm. All our rooms are private and equipped with cable TV and a toilet/shower. There is a common lounge with a kitchen area for all of our guests to use. 4 person reservations stay in our fully furnished apartment with a private kitchen (please inquire about larger groups). All rooms are private!! We do not have dorms or sharing rooms, you must book the entire

49 room!!! Amsterdam Cribs is your first step to discovering what makes this vibrant city unique. We are located in the heart of Amsterdam, just five minutes walk from the Dam Square, Royal Palace, and the Red Light District.

Linen Included, Towels, Luggage Storage, Guest Kitchen, Travel Desk/Travel Info, Common Room, No Curfew, No Lockout, Taxes Not included in price, Breakfast Not Included, Pets Accepted, Smoking Rooms

Handelsnaam Amsterdam Cribs KvK-nummer 34235521 0000 Prijs € 2.50 Vestiging Hoofdvestiging

05. Hostel Cosmos, Nieuwe Nieuwstraat 17, 1012 NG Amsterdam Amsterdam Hostel Cosmos is a small friendly hostel located in the city center of Amsterdam. It's close to Central Station and to all major tourist attractions, the world-famous Dam Square, Red light district, Anne Frank House, Rembrandts plein. To preserve and maintain our laid-back & smooth atmosphere we do not allow: Persons under 18 years of age or above 35, pets, any bookings of stag nights, hen nights or sport tours, soccer fans for (inter)national matches and large groups of males (6 persons or more).

All the rooms have central heating and a wash basin. All the rooms also have TV access. In case of a No-show, your credit card is charged for the 1st night of your stay, the rest of that booking will be cancelled.

Breakfast Included, Car Parking Available, Internet Access, Bicycle Hire, Linen Included, Bar, Towels, Security Lockers, Luggage Storage, Telephone/Fax Facilities, 24 Hour Reception, Travel Desk/Travel Info, Common Room, No Curfew, No Lockout, Age Restriction, No Smoking, Taxes Not included in price, Children not allowed, Web access in lobby.

Handelsnaam Hostel Cosmos Amsterdam KvK-nummer 34111568 0000 Prijs € 2.50 Vestiging Hoofdvestiging

06. Bob’s youth hostel, Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal 92 1012SG Amsterdam Some 25 years ago, Bob decided he wanted a hostel. A youth hostel that is, where young people from all over the world could sleep under the cleanest of sheets without having too pay to much. Bob thought it would be nice to locate his hostel in the center of Amsterdam (5 minutes from Centraal Station and Dam Square). So he set up this hostel.

Today, Bob’s Youth Hostel has 144 beds, divided into mixed dorms and one girl’s dorm. The dorms all have bathrooms and toilets. Beds are 20 euro a night (breakfast included)and an age limit between 18 and 30 years old.

If you make Bob’s your home away from home, the lobby will be your living room away from your living room. Here you’ll find the bar, television and games, a book swap and of course other guests to entertain you. The bar is open from 08:00-03:00 am. The hostel itself doesn’t have a curfew.

Bob liked some quiet from time to time and he realised there must be others who appreciate rest. To accommodate them, he added apartments for two or three persons to his hostel. And what nice apartments they are. They have a kitchen, television and bathroom.

50 Breakfast Included, Internet Access, Bicycle Hire, Linen Included, Bar, Towels, Security Lockers, Luggage Storage, Telephone/Fax Facilities, Common Room, No Curfew, No Lockout, Age Restriction, Taxes included in price, Children not allowed

Handelsnaam Bob's Youth Hostel KvK-nr.33268745 0000 Prijs €9.- Vestiging Hoofdvestiging

Handelsnaam Bob's Youth Hostel Exploitatiemaatschappij Prijs €9- KvK-nr 33268745 (Rechtspersoon)

07. Budget Hotel Tourist Inn, Spuistraat 52 Hotel Tourist Inn is a low budget hotel but offers visitors exceptional comfort. Recently constructed, it is nicely furnished and equipped with modern facilities such as central heating, alarm system and an elevator to help guests with heavy bags to their rooms!

The hotel consists of 22 rooms with total capacity of 88 persons. We offer single, twin, double, and dorms also. We have standard rooms and also budget rooms with shared facilities. All the rooms have televisions and phones. The hotel is centrally located near all major attractions and nightlife areas. We have no curfew and the reception is open 24 hours. Tourist inn welcomes backpackers as well as families.

Breakfast Included, Internet Access, Wheelchair Friendly, Linen Included, Credit Cards Accepted, Towels, Security Lockers, Luggage Storage, Children Friendly, Telephone/Fax Facilities, 24 Hour Reception, Key Card Access, No Curfew, No Lockout, Elevator, Taxes included in price

08. Durty Nelly’s Inn Warmoesstraat 115-117 1012 JA Amsterdam Durty Nellys Irish Hostel and bar, Amsterdam is pleased to announce the addition of 5 new non smoking dormitories. We now offer a total of 66 beds catering for individuals through to small groups.

Large dutch buffet breakfast served from 9am to 11am, Individual backpack sized lockers 24h free Safe for your valuables, Map & City info, 20hr. Residents Bar, Air conditioning We offer 16 different beers in our bar. We also have 2 pool tables, dart boards and all international sports are shown on Big Screen and 5 TV’s which feature Sky Sports.

The Restaurant opens from noon to 10pm - full Irish Breakfast served noon to 4pm and we also feature delicious daily specials, full meals and snacks right up to 10pm. Special menu deals are available Monday – Thursday for residents. Breakfast Included, Restaurant, Internet Access, Linen Included, Bar, Towels, Security Lockers, Luggage Storage, 24 Hour Reception, No Curfew, No Lockout, Age Restriction, Taxes included in price, 24 hours check in, Air Conditioning

Handelsnaam DURTY NELLY'S CAFE/PETIT-RESTAURANT KvK-nummer 33128479 0005 Prijs Vestiging is opgeheven of verplaatst Vestiging Nevenvestiging

09. Euphemia Hotel Fokke Simonzstraat,1-9, 1017 TD Formerly a monastery built at the turn of the century, Euphemia Hotel is a one star hotel with basic facilities and a various room types: 4 person dorms, triples, doubles and singles. It is in

51 close proximity to all the main tourist attractions within the city centre. This includes the Heineken Brewery, Leidseplein, the museums and nightlife area. But due to its location on a quiet side street, one is able to escape the hustle and bustle of the city.

In the morning we serve a buffet breakfast from 8.00am to 11am at a price of €7.- per person. We also have a vending machine at reception area and you can buy hot drinks at reception all day. The lounge is open during reception hours (8am-11pm). Here you can spend your afternoon writing postcards, meeting other travelers, or watching TV. Internet Access, Linen Included, Credit Cards Accepted, Towels, Luggage Storage, Children Friendly, Telephone/Fax Facilities, Common Room, No Curfew, No Lockout, Bike Parking, No Smoking, Taxes included in price, Breakfast Not Included, Pets Accepted, WiFi in lobby, Web access in lobby, WiFi in Room

Handelsnaam EUPHEMIA BUDGET HOTEL KvK-nummer 33178959 0000 Prijs Vestiging is opgeheven of verplaatst Vestiging Hoofdvestiging

10. Flying Pig Downtown, Nieuwendijk 100 1012MR Amsterdam Looking for some fun nights of chatting with fellow travelers on lounge pillows, playing pool in the bar, dance to the music of cool DJ’s and getting happy in happy room, Downtown is the ideal spot! If you are in the ‘ don’t-want-to-mingle-tonight-and-just-want-to-watch-television- mood’ there are DVD movies playing,24 hour free internet access and the bar is open until 4AM every night, where the bartenders sell the cheapest beers in town!

Twice a week the pig gets funky, inviting local DJ's to come spin beats on our turntables. (If you want to spin at the pig, Saturday is open turntable night. Ask staff for details). Leaving the central station, it is just a 2-minute walk to the hostel and during this 2 minute walk you will already see the many restaurants, pubs, red lights of the famous Red Light District and shops! That is the party area you will be spending your nights.

The hostel entrance is in Amsterdam's busiest shopping street and it is a perfect place to kick- start your night of club, pub and coffee shop hopping. Besides everything the hostel offers you, our international piggie staff can provide you with all the information you need to get the most out of the Amsterdam experience.

Close to the Downtown you will find...The Red Light District with its famous windows. Very safe to walk and a good place to hang out when the night falls, Anne Frank House, which brings you back to the time of The Second World War. In this house Anne Frank and her family hid away for years, before being deported to the concentration camp. The Royal Palace, with its spectacular 16th century halls and rooms and Dam Square, with its musical groups, performers and other entertainers

Breakfast Included, Internet Access, Bicycle Hire, Linen Included, Credit Cards Accepted, Bar, Security Lockers, Luggage Storage, Guest Kitchen, Telephone/Fax Facilities, 24 Hour Reception, Key Card Access, Common Room, No Curfew, No Lockout, Lift / Elevator, Age Restriction, Taxes included in price, Free Internet Access, 24 hours check in, WiFi in lobby, Web access in lobby

Handelsnaam The Flying Pig Dowtown Hostel KvK-nummer 33258027 0005 PrijsVestiging vanaf 2.50 Vestiging Nevenvestiging

11. Flying Pig Uptown, Vossiusstraat 46-47 1071AJ Amsterdam This Flying Pig is located in the center of Amsterdam in the midst of the cities' crazy & funky nightlife. The Uptown hostel has a unique position because it can offer you the best of both worlds: You are close to all of Amsterdam's pleasures but with a green and lively 'Vondelpark' as your backyard!

Uptown is somewhat smaller in size than other fellow Amsterdam hostels, which explains its people orientated character. The hostel presents you with a perfect blend between a laidback and inviting atmosphere & those crazy Amsterdam party vibes. Kick off your night in the hostel basement-bar: It is the best place to meet other travelers, there are regular theme-parties and we sell the cheapest beer in town! Then move to the Leidseplein (square) where you can refuel at one of the many pubs or coffee shops. Move next-door to bring your evening to a climax in the so-called pop-temple the Paradiso or in the famous milk factory-club Melkweg!

Free quality Continental breakfast buffet style, Free linen, Free use of a self-contained kitchen, Dorms & private rooms The privates are equipped with a little fridge, Single & Queen size beds, Shower & toilet in most of the rooms, Open 24 hours with night security, No curfews/ no lockout, Free individual lockers in the rooms, Free use of reception safe for small valuables, Free luggage storage, Free internet & E-mail services Internet, Skype facilities & wireless internet, Credit cards are accepted, laid back atmosphere, Lively hostel bar with theme nights & the cheapest beer in town, Friendly service from our receptionists, Sale of Pig souvenirs at reception, Free movies to watch, Free use of skates

HandelsnaamThe Flying Pig Backpackers Hostel KvK-nummer 33258027 0000 Prijs € 9.- Vestiging Hoofdvestiging

12. Hans Brinker, Kerkstraat 136-138, 1017GR Amsterdam The Hans-Brinker is one of Amsterdams most famous hostels...otherwise known as 'The Most XXXclusive Budget Hotel' Here you will find: NO PARKING, NO SAUNA, NO BELLBOYS, NO AIR CONDITIONING, NO MINIBARS, NO ROOM SERVICE....but you will find clean basic rooms in central Amsterdam...No Drugs allowed! Breakfast Included, Restaurant, Internet Access, Wheelchair Friendly, Linen Included, Credit Cards Accepted, Bar, Towels, Security Lockers, Luggage Storage, Telephone/Fax Facilities, 24 Hour Reception, No Curfew, No Lockout, Lift / Elevator, Bike Parking, Taxes included in price, Free Internet Access, Nightclub, Smoking Rooms, 24 hours check in.

Handelsnaam HANS BRINKER STUTEL KvK-nummer 33219424 0000 Prijs € 2.50 Vestiging Hoofdvestiging

13. Heart Of Amsterdam Hostel, Oudezijds Achterburgwal 118-120, 1012 DT Amsterdam If you like to stay at a hostel on the quiet side of the Amsterdam Red Light District (one of the world's best hangouts) you are at the right place in the Heart of Amsterdam hostel. The Heart of Amsterdam Hotel, in the middle of all the action, is a recent renovated, clean and cool hostel in the heart of the center only 6 minutes walk from Central Station.

We want to be the coolest place away from home for travelers of all ages with a low budget. The staff at the Heart of Amsterdam will do everything to create a relaxed atmosphere. Our guests can relax in a laid back atmosphere. Our crew will update you about anything you need to know about the most liberal city in the world. We offer you 90 comfortable beds divided

53 over single 2, 4, 6, 8 bedded rooms and some large dormitories. All rooms are equipped with shower, toilet, color-television and private safe. We provide the following services to our guests: internet facilities, tourist info, discount tickets, no curfew. In the morning we serve a breakfast buffet that gives you the perfect amount of energy to explore the most liberal city in the world.

Breakfast Included, Car Parking Available, Internet Access, Linen Included, Credit Cards Accepted, Towels, Security Lockers, Luggage Storage, Children Friendly, Telephone/Fax Facilities, 24 Hour Reception, No Curfew, No Lockout, Bike Parking, Taxes included in price, Pets Accepted, Smoking Rooms, 24 hours check in, WiFi in lobby, Web access in lobby

Handelsnaam Hotel Heart of Amsterdam B.V. i.o. KvK-nummer 34146332 0000 Prijs Vestiging is opgeheven of verplaatst Vestiging Hoofdvestiging

14. Hostel Linda, Stadhouderskade 131, 1074 AW Amsterdam Hotel / Hostel Linda is situated in the center of the city close to the Heineken Brewery, the Albert Cuyp market, the Museum Quarter and Vondelpark. You will also find nightlife within walking distance on the Rembrandt square. Our hotel is an excellent starting point for discovering the many charms of Amsterdam. In addition to the large number restaurants, there are also cafés, casinos, the Red-light district and more all within the immediate vicinity of the hotel.

Car Parking Available, Linen Included, Security Lockers, Children Friendly, Telephone/Fax Facilities, 24 Hour Reception, Common Room, No Curfew, Taxes Not included in price, WiFi in lobby

Handelsnaam Avo Linda KvK-nummer 30143122 0001 Prijs Vestiging is opgeheven of verplaatst Vestiging Nevenvestiging

15. Hostel Orfeo, Leidsekruistraat 14,1017RH Amsterdam Hostel Orfeo is located in the center of the city, established in 1969. it is situated within a short walk to the Leidseplein, the Kerkstraat, the Reguliersdwarsstraat and Vondelpark. We are a guest hotel located within a short walk you will find the Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh and the Stedelijk Museums as well as the Holland Casino and the City Theater.

The area surrounding the hostel offers a wide variety of bars and restaurants to suit all tastes and budgets, however guests may wish to start their night at the Hostel Orfeo lounge bar that is open until 11.30pm. Most rooms at Hostel Orfeo have shared bathroom facilities, however there are several rooms with private en-suites that are available on request. Handelsnaam Hotel Orfeo KvK-nummer 34167526 0000 Prijs € 2.50 Vestiging Hoofdvestiging

16. Hostel boat Anna Maria II, Oosterdok t/o 4, Pier 4 Want to enjoy Amsterdam in a different way? Stay on the hostel boat Anna Maria II! It's a

54 cosy ship in the center of Amsterdam, near Waterloo square.

The ship has 10 small but cosy cabins. These cabins all have BUNKBEDS. The toilets and showers are shared. There are three toilets and three showers. Check-in times are 12.00-13.00 and 18.00-19.00. If you would like to check-in at another time, please phone us or e-mail us.

Breakfast Included, Linen Included, Children Friendly, Common Room, No Curfew, No Lockout, Bike Parking, Taxes included in price.

17. Hostel Annemarie, Jan Willem Brouwstraat 14, 1071 LJ Amsterdam Hotel AnneMarie is a combination of a hotel and a budget hotel in the center of Amsterdam. We are located next to the best places in Amsterdam like Van Gogh museum and the city park Vondelpark. The hotel very central located to the best places, like coffee shops, museums, clubs. Our hotel is clean, safe and fun. You can meet a lots of other backpackers traveling in Amsterdam. Our staff will give you a 5 star services. It will be a life time experience.

We have a supermarket next to the hostel were you can buy your food and beer at a cheap price and save a lot of money on your trip. We provide you with the best information about the hottest places in Amsterdam, like coffee shops clubs, museums, and the best places in Amsterdam. Our international staff are young, dynamic and very helpful.

To preserve and maintain our laid-back & smooth atmosphere we do not allow: Persons under 18 years of age, pets, any bookings of stag nights, hen nights or sport tours, soccer fans for (inter)national matches and large groups of males ( 12 persons or more). Read the above carefully because in the event of a false booking, there will be no check in nor will there be a refund.

Breakfast Included, Car Parking Availablem, Internet Access, Bicycle Hire, Linen Included, Towels, Luggage Storage, Guest Kitchen, Telephone/Fax Facilities, 24 Hour Reception, Travel Desk/Travel Info, Key Card Access, Common Room, No Curfew, No Lockout, Bike Parking, Age Restriction, Free Internet Access

Handelsnaam Hotel Annemarie KvK-nummer 33296582 0000 Prijs Vestiging is opgeheven of verplaatst Vestiging Hoofdvestiging

18. Inner Amsterdam, Wanningstraat 1, 1071 LA Amsterdam Great location next to the Van Goghmuseum and Rijksmuseum. A short walk from the Leidse Plein (THE place to go out). A nice and friendly hostel in a typical Amsterdam-building. Bed linen and towels, no curfew, no lock-out. All rooms are non-smoking and no drugs allowed. In the morning we offer you a great free breakfast! and in the evening you can have a drink in our bar (not free..but cheap) Breakfast Included, Linen Included, Credit Cards Accepted, Bar, Towels, Security Lockers, Luggage Storage, Telephone/Fax Facilities, 24 Hour Reception, Travel Desk/Travel Info, No Curfew, No Lockout, Lift / Elevator, Taxes included in price, Free Internet Access, 24 hours check in.

Handelsnaam Hotel Inner Tussenholding B.V. KvK-nummer 34224518 0000 Prijs € 7.90 Vestiging Hoofdvestiging

19. International Budget Hostel, Leidsegracht 76 I, 1016 CR Amsterdam The International Budget hostel is in the center of Amsterdam close to all major tourist attractions, museums, Leidseplein and the busy nightlife area. The location of the hostel is on a quiet, beautiful canal - the Leidsegracht.

The hostel has a cosy lounge facing the canal where one can relax and socialize and meet other fellow travelers. Breakfast is not included in the room price but is available in the lounge between 9am and 12noon. The lounge has vending machines, a television, an internet station and a public phone.

Rooms are shared quads with 4 single box spring beds. There is 1 padlock accepting locker per bed which is big enough for 2 backpacks. Each hallway has showers and wc's and all rooms have smoke detectors. There is video security in all public areas.

Internet Access, Linen Included, Credit Cards Accepted, Security Lockers, Telephone/Fax Facilities, Common Room, No Curfew, No Lockout

Handelsnaam "INTERNATIONAL BUDGET YOUTH HOSTEL" KvK-nummer 33171701 0000 Prijs € 9.00 Vestiging Hoofdvestiging

20. Jonas Boat, Dijksgracht 10 It is the Adventurous, the Zen-Minded ,the Artistic and the Romantic that are triggered most by Jonas Houseboat. Starting to tilt towards the chique its nevertheless devoid of three star ambitions. Sometimes the meeting point of Jonas Artist friends and filled with ideas and materializations actually this whole canal is unusual even for Amsterdam standards paramount in the high numbers of happy inhabitants. Funky, alternative and as green as possible we enjoy our campfires with a glass of wine on a summers night. A microcosm clamped in between the old and new architectural centers it should be the perfect hub for a little exploration outside your own.

Surrounded by other boats and little gardens you feel like you are in a small oasis just outside the very center. Like a bunch of holiday homes, a row of houseboats stretches along the rail dike. (no worries trains must roll very slow here so no loud disturbing noise) With the speedy Gateway that is Central Station at ten minutes walk and in between easy connect car tunnels we consider ourselves well connected to any location on the planet no matter who says what. Very beautiful in summer, almost forgotten by Big Brother, this spot has true holiday relaxation just outside the somewhat funfair like center.

You will stay inside a floating household with 2 double rooms available for guests. Shared shower and toilet. Well equipped Kitchen with free coffee and tea. Nice views of the water and slight rocking will relax you after enjoying the intense city center. Rooms and bathroom are fresh and light. Two single beds can be set either together or apart. As boats always carry some spiders we do not recommend our place to arachnophobias!

SMOKING ALLOWED, TV and CD player in the room, Fridge and microwave, Terrace and campfire (sometimes), Central Heating, Noiseless Personal Fridge, Car Parking available, Laundry, Linen Included, Towels, Luggage Storage, Children Friendly, Guest Kitchen, Common Room, No Curfew, No Lockout, Bike Parking, BBQ Area, Taxes included in price,

56 Breakfast Not Included, Concierge, Smoking Rooms, 24 hours check in, WiFi in lobby, WiFi in Room

21. Marie-Anns Houseboat/Deo Volente, Dijksgracht 7 Marie-Anns-Houseboat is only a ten minutes walk from Centraal Station. Yet, as it is tied up alongside a dead end road, it is an oasis of rest compared with the inner-city. You can relax quietly rocking on the water after a hectic day in our beautiful town.

We offer two double rooms, each with two single beds that can be put together. There is a shared toilet and shower, a kitchen with microwave, gas cooker and we offer free coffee or tea. It's like renting your own apartment in Amsterdam. Every room has TV, radio/CD player and safe-deposit. Sitting on the roof of the Marie-Anns Hosueboat/Deo Volente you have a beautiful view over the old city.

Internet Access, Linen Included, Bar, Towels, Security Lockers, Luggage Storage, Guest Kitchen, Telephone/Fax Facilities, Travel Desk/Travel Info, Common Room, No Curfew, BBQ Area, Free Internet Access, Breakfast Not Included

Handelsnaam Deo Volente KvK-nummer 3426656000 Prijs € 2,50

22. Marnix Hotel, Marnixstraat 382, 1016 XX Amsterdam Marnix Hotel is two stars hotel located the heart of Amsterdam center by Leidsplein, Holland casino, Vondel Park, Van Gogh museum walk to Dam square, red light District. Our concept is to provide you, the customer, with nice, clean, quiet and friendly accommodation in a reasonable price. We believe you should not spend too much on accommodation while you only need a suitable place to spend your nights in Amsterdam. The hostel was recently renovated and therefore offers high standards of facility and compatibility. The Marnix hostel offers a nice and cozy lobby to spend some time while reading or just watching TV.

Our friendly receptionists will be more than happy to provide you with any tourist information and guide you to the city's attractions. We are looking forward to welcoming you at the Marnix Hostel.

Breakfast Included, Internet Access, Laundry, Bicycle Hire, Linen Included, Credit Cards Accepted, Towels, Security Lockers, Luggage Storage, Telephone/Fax Facilities, 24 Hour Reception, Travel Desk/Travel Info, Common Room, No Curfew, No Lockout, Bike Parking, Taxes included in price, Free Internet Access, Smoking Rooms, WiFi in lobby, Web access in lobby, Meeting Facilities, Health Spa

Handelsnaam Marnix Hotel KvK-nummer 34194446 0000 Prijs Vestiging is opgeheven of verplaatst Vestiging Hoofdvestiging

23. Passenger Ship Maria Alberta, Oosterdok A nice and different way to enjoy your B&B in Amsterdam is to stay aboard the small and cosy hostel boat Maria Alberta. The Maria Alberta is situated in the center of Amsterdam. Docked at the Oosterdok in the ‘Nautisch Kwartier’ (Nautical Quarter), it is only a few minutes walk from the Central Station. From its location, many attractions of the city center, such as the canals, Waterloo and Rembrandt Square, the Artis Zoo, many museums are at

57 walking distance. Also facilities such as a bank, post office, supermarket, bike rental are close at hand.

The rooms are rented by groups as well as by individuals. The range of guests is very wide; it is very well possible that three or four different nationalities sit down at the breakfast table at the same time!

The Maria Alberta has four comfortable cabins with new, modern beds (2 metres = over 6 ft 6”). Each cabin has its own shower, toilet and separate wash basin. There is central heating throughout the ship. Cabins I and II have three beds each, two single beds and one extra as a bunk. Cabin III is the smallest room; it can accommodate two guests in a bunk bed. Cabin IV is the largest room, and the only one with a double bed.

Breakfast Included, Linen Included, Bar, Towels, No Curfew, No Lockout, Taxes included in price

24. Shelter City Barndesteeg 21 The hostel offers you a bed, breakfast, hot showers and a locker for the best prices in Amsterdam. Enjoy the clean and comfortable accommodation and the friendly international atmosphere. Providing so much for so little, the Shelter City is definitely the best deal you can get in Amsterdam.

The Shelter City has single-sex ROOMS with 4 to 8 beds and single-sex dorms with 12 to 20 beds. The larger dorms are divided into smaller sections to provide the privacy you’d like. Our budget price includes breakfast, hot showers, and locker. Starting at 16 euros, these are the best-value beds in town.

You will get so much MORE than just a good night’s sleep at an affordable price. The hostel not only provides excellent facilities, but also has a warm and welcoming atmosphere. All of our international staff speak English and will be pleased to help you. The hostel has a courtyard and a great cafe where you can get something to eat or drink, relax and meet people from all over the world, or use the Internet.

The LOCATION in the historical Nieuwmarkt area makes it easy to explore Amsterdam. The hostel is close to Central Station, Dam square, small China Town and the Red Light district.

Breakfast Included, Restaurant, Internet Access, Curfew, Credit Cards Accepted, Towels, Security Lockers, Luggage Storage, Telephone/Fax Facilities, 24 Hour Reception, Travel Desk/Travel Info, Bureau de Change, Common Room, No Lockout, Bike Parking, BBQ Area, No Smoking, Taxes included in price, Concierge, Web access in lobby

Handelsnaam Stichting The Shelter Youth Hostel Ministry KvK-nummer 34240425 Prijs € 2.50 Vestiging Rechtspersoon (OZV’wal 241, 1012EZ Amsterdam)

25. Shelter Jordan, Bloemstraat 179 The hostel offers you a bed, breakfast, hot showers and a locker for the best prices in Amsterdam. Enjoy the clean and comfortable accommodation and the friendly international atmosphere. Providing so much for so little, the Shelter Jordan is definitely the best deal you can get in Amsterdam. The hostel is located in the CITY CENTRE, a short walk from Central

58 Station. Most of the main tourist attractions are within walking distance.

The Shelter Jordan has single-sex DORMS with 14 to 20 beds. The dorms are divided into smaller sections to provide the privacy you’d like. Our budget price includes breakfast, hot showers and locker. Starting at 16 euros, these are the best-value beds in town.

You will get so much MORE than just a good night’s sleep at an affordable price. The hostel not only provides excellent facilities, but also has a warm and welcoming atmosphere. All of our international staff speak English and will be pleased to help you. The hostel has a garden terrace and a great café where you can get something to eat or drink, relax and meet people from all over the world, or use the Internet. The LOCATION in the quiet and picturesque Jordaan area makes it easy to explore Amsterdam. The hostel is close to the Anne Frank house, Leidse square and Dam square.

Breakfast Included, Restaurant, Internet Access, Credit Cards Accepted, Towels, Security Lockers, Luggage Storage, Telephone/Fax Facilities, 24 Hour Reception, Travel Info, Bureau de Change, Common Room, No Curfew, No Lockout, No Smoking, Taxes included in price, Concierge, 24 hours check in, Web access in lobby, Meeting Facilities

Handelsnaam Stichting The Shelter Youth Hostel Ministry KvK-nummer 34240425 Prijs € 2.50 Vestiging Rechtspersoon (OZV’wal 241, 1012EZ Amsterdam)

26. St. Christopher's at The Winston, Warmoesstraat 129, 1012 JA Amsterdam After long weeks of efforts, we have opened our new ground floor space on April 14th. This huge common area now hosts breakfast, reception, and a lively bar.

Amsterdam is one of the world’s best hangouts, blending old and new: where radical squatter art installations hang off 17th century eaves, BMW’s give way to bicycles, triple strength monk brewed beer is drunk in minimalist cafes. And St. Christopher’s at the Winston is your first culture stop in this over the top Dutch city. Each of out 30 hostel rooms have been designed by local artists to give you a choice of: the exotic and fetish room, the body fat room, or the button room. All completely unique and all worth a look.

A private outdoor garden overlooks the famous red light district, where all the children of the night come out to play. Downstairs is your ready made party at the Winston International Nightclub. And at front desk you’ll meet fun, friendly, bilingual staff who knows the ins and outs of Amsterdam. Keeping you abreast of all the sights to see and all the ways to get there.

Close by is the Dam Square, a great place to get your bearing for finding your way to Madame Tussard’s Wax Museum, the Royal Palace, the Nieuwe Kerk and those quirky little side streets loaded with headshops, coffee shops and trippy, hippie shops. Or take a rest by the WWII monument and watch all the world pass you by.

Breakfast Included, Internet Access, Linen Included, Credit Cards Accepted, Bar, Towels, Luggage Storage, 24 Hour Reception, Travel Desk/Travel Info, Common Room, Lift / Elevator, Taxes included in price, Nightclub, Smoking Rooms

Handelsnaam Winston Hotel KvK-nummer 34147941 0000 Prijs € 9.00 Vestiging Hoofdvestiging

27. Stayokay Stadsdoelen, Kloveniersburgwal 97, 1011 KB Amsterdam Hostel Stayokay Amsterdam Stadsdoelen is your best bed in low budget! You will stay in the picturesque and monumental part of Amsterdam! This Hostelling International hostel is situated right in the middle of town, at walking distance from the Dam square, flower market, royal palace, train station and at crawling distance from the Leidseplein.

Consume culture, shop till you drop and dance the night away in Amsterdam! Stayokay Amsterdam Stadsdoelen is your best starting point! The hostel is located in a monumental building facing canals on both sides. From most rooms you will have a stunning view over ancient Amsterdam. Here you will also find our Brasserie “Backpackers”, a cool place for a cool drink or a hot meal. This hostel has 176 beds divided over 2-, 8-, 16- and 20-bedded rooms. The rooms are fitted in such a way that a feeling of privacy is guaranteed. Other facilities include: high speed internet facilities, a laundrette, a patio for tanning, bike shelter, pool table and table football, tourist info and discounted tickets for all major Amsterdam attractions. Breakfast Included, Restaurant, Internet Access, Laundry, Bicycle Hire, Linen Included, Credit Cards Accepted, Bar, Security Lockers, Luggage Storage, Telephone/Fax, 24 Hour Reception, Travel Desk/Travel Info, Key Card Access, Bureau de Change, Common Room, No Curfew, No Lockout, Taxes included in price, 24 hours check in.

Handelsnaam Stayokay "Amsterdam Stadsdoelen" KvK-nummer 34183680 0001 Prijs vanaf € 2,50 Vestiging Nevenvestiging

28. Stayokay Vondelpark, Zandpad 5, 1054 GA Amsterdam Stay in the green heart of Amsterdam! Stayokay Amsterdam Vondelpark; your best bed in low budget accommodation! This modern IYHF hostel is situated right in the middle of the famous Vondelpark, within walking distance of the Van Gogh- and the Rijksmuseum and at crawling distance from the Leidseplein. Consume culture, shop till you drop and dance the night away in Amsterdam! Stayokay Amsterdam Vondelpark is your best starting point!

The hostel is partly located in a monumental chalet building from which you have a stunning view over the park. Here you will also find our Brasserie, a cool place for a cool drink or a hot meal! Other facilities include: 536 beds divided over 2, 4, 6-8 bedded rooms and some large dormitories. All rooms have shower, toilet and washbasin. Three rooms with wheelchair access, high speed internet facilities, a laundrette, bike shelter, pool table, tourist info and discount tickets, electronic doorlocks, lockers and safes, no curfew.

Breakfast Included, Restaurant, Internet Access, Laundry, Bicycle Hire, Wheelchair Friendly, Linen Included, Credit Cards Accepted, Bar, Security Lockers, Luggage Storage, Telephone/Fax Facilities, 24 Hour Reception, Travel Desk/Travel Info, Key Card Access, Common Room, No Curfew, No Lockout, Lift / Elevator, Bike Parking, 24 hours check in, WiFi in lobby

Handelsnaam Stayokay "Amsterdam Vondelpark" KvK-nummer 34183680 0002 Prijs vanaf € 2,50 Vestiging Nevenvestiging

29. The Bulldog, Oudezijds Voorburgwal 220, 1012 GJ Amsterdam

60 Relax and unwind on the quiet side of the Amsterdam Red Light District, one of the world's best hangouts. The Bulldog Hotel, in the middle of all the action, is a newly renovated, self- styled, clean and cool hostel in the heart of the center only 8 minutes walk from Central Station.

Amsterdam is a cosmopolitan, thriving and non-conformist place – and Amsterdammers are known throughout the world for their relaxed attitude. We want to be a home away from home for travelers of all ages (sorry, no pets, no children) with limited funds and our staff are very carefully selected to create an ambient, relaxed atmosphere. We promise not to laugh when we see you eating bread with peanut butter 3 times a day for a week!

Our guests can relax in a laid back atmosphere, watch DVDs on wide screen TVs in our movie lounge or get pumped up for the vibrant nightlife. Our crew will update you about anything you need to know about the most liberal city in the world.

9 minutes walk from Central Station, on the world list of historic monuments (Red Light District), Pool table, Games, Roof patio, Snack – Kitchen, your favourite cookies, Wireless internet (spring 2006), piranhas, Breakfast Included, Internet Access, Laundry, Wheelchair Friendly, Linen Included, Bar, Security Lockers, Luggage Storage, No Curfew, Taxes included in price, Air Conditioning

Handelsnaam The Bulldog Hotel B.V. Prijs € 9,- KvK-nummer 33283096 0000 Vestiging Hoofdvestiging

30. The Friendship, Singel opposite 77 The Friendship is slap bang in the City Center. Five minutes walk from Central Station, Dam Square the Anne Frank House and of course the main Red Light District, (3 minutes if you run). Amsterdam's Red Light District is of course world famous but did you know that in addition to the main district there are also many smaller, satellite districts. The Friendship is also right in the middle of one of these. So why run?

The Friendship, is no 5* hotel. Most of them would love to have our location, and our curtains but they could never be quite as relaxed as we are. The Friendship is by no means luxurious but it has all the basic amenities. Clean beds, a warm shower, a stereo and Free Internet.. Our guest's also have full use of the kitchen for those who like to cook. This includes the oven, the fridge, the washing machine, the microwave and perhaps most important, the dishwasher.

The owner, who lives in the other half of the boat, is a qualified guide. He has lived in Amsterdam for 15 years and worked as a guide for 5 years. He will be more than happy to tell you about his City. For a small extra charge you can also have a guided walking tour, or if you prefer a private boat tour where you are slightly less likely to be hit by a bicycle. We can tailor the tour to suit your interests and are very open minded, so long as no Children or Country music is involved, so don't be afraid to ask for what you want. We rent one private room for up to 4 people. You must rent all four beds (even if you come alone). You will share the room only with your friends and the rest of the boat only with the owner, who is really nice!

Internet Access, Laundry, Linen Included, Towels, Guest Kitchen, Travel Desk/Travel Info, Common Room, No Curfew, No Lockout, Age Restriction, Taxes included in price, Free Internet Access, Smoking Rooms, Children not allowed, Web access in room

61 31. White Tulip Hostel, Warmoesstraat 87 Welcome to the White Tulip Hostel. The hostel offers 85 beds, over an Irish bar and a restaurant. Located on the Warmoesstraat, just 3 minutes from Central Station, 1minute from Dam Square, which is the most popular Amsterdam's Gay streets, next to the world famous Red light district and legal coffee shop area. The hostel can provide you with a comfortable and clean bed for the night, free tourist guide and a 25% discount on breakfast and any other food in our restaurant. Towels and padlocks can also be bought.

Restaurant, Linen Included, Credit Cards Accepted, Bar, Towels, Security Lockers, Telephone/Fax Facilities, 24 Hour Reception, Travel Desk/Travel Info, No Curfew, No Lockout, Age Restriction, Taxes included in price, Free Internet Access, Breakfast Not Included, 24 hours check in, WiFi in lobby, Web access in lobby, WiFi in Room, Air Conditioning

32. Youth Hostel Meeting point, Warmoesstraat 14, 1012 JD Amsterdam For travellers who aren't afraid to explore Amsterdam's lively atmosphere, Meeting point is the best place to crash. In our hostel you'll meet fellow travellers from all over the world. They have come here with only one reason to explore and experience a magnificent city.

Our hostel is, as the name already implies, the perfect place to meet people, exchange travel stories and find new experiences. It also Amsterdam's tradition of ‘gezelligheid' (cosiness) and the atmosphere is very friendly. Once in your lifetime you'll have to experience it all. Amsterdam fulfils all your expectations.

The hostel is situated in the heart of the center of Amsterdam, just 2 minutes walk from Central Station. It is close to all main public transportation, and also to the Red Light District.

We have mixed dorm rooms with 12 to 18 beds. We have no curfew and the hostel bar is also open 24 hours only for the hostel guests.

Internet Access, Linen Included, Credit Cards Accepted, Bar, Towels, Security Lockers, Luggage Storage, Telephone/Fax Facilities, 24 Hour Reception, No Curfew, No Lockout, Taxes included in price, Breakfast Not Included Handelsnaam Hostel Meeting Point B.V. KvK-nummer 34160599 0000 Prijs € 9,- Vestiging Hoofdvestiging

33. Abba Overtoom, Overtoom 118-120, 1054 HM Amsterdam Located in the center of world famous Amsterdam, the Abba hotel has been offering proper Dutch hospitality for over 20 years. Our selection of over 30 rooms offers the perfect base to explore this wonderful city. All prices include a fabulous breakfast from 8am to 9.30am everyday.

Handelsnaam ABBA B.V. KvK-nummer 33248767 0000 Prijs € 2,50 Vestiging Hoofdvestiging

34. Stayokay Zeeburg, Timorplein 21

62 Stayokay Amsterdam Zeeburg is housed in an amazing building: a former school dating from around 1900. This enables visitors to enjoy the ultra-modern facilities in classical settings. The hostel is ideally suited to accommodate (large) groups, providing access to various multifunctional areas within the building. The bedrooms are all spacious, featuring private sanitary facilities. All rooms are designed by the famous Dutch designer Edward van Vliet. Stayokay will have its own café/restaurant and will be sharing the building with a cinema and theatre – a truly fantastic entertainment combination!

35. Sphinx Hotel, Weteringschans 82

The Sphinx Hotel is situated in the centre of Amsterdam, surrounded by shopping areas, street market, second-hand market, flower market and entertainment centres like Leidseplein and Rembrandtplein. Rijksmuseum and Van Goghmuseum are nearby and around the corner, you will find the Heineken Brewery.

Everything is within walking distance. Line 4 takes you to the RAI Exhibition Centre within 15 minutes. However, it is not only the location of the hotel that will make your stay pleasant and comfortable. Shower or bath in several rooms, Telephone, Beds are separate. On every floor you will find a shower and toilet, which can be used free of charge if there are no facilities in your room. Check out on Sunday is not allowed.

63 Appendix II: Map overview of all hostels in Amsterdam

64 Appendix III: Market analysis hostel Amsterdam

Reg? Date of existence Eenmanszaak Stichting VOF BV CV 1 The Globe Center No 15-12-1970 x 2 Aivengo Yes 1-3-2005 x 3 Amigo Hotel Yes 1-8-2005 x 4 Amsterdam Cribs Yes 1-11-2005 x 5 Hostel Cosmos Yes 1-11-1996 x 6 Bob’s youth hostel Yes 01-0-1977 x 7 Budget Hotel Tourist Inn No ------8 Durty Nelly’s Inn No 25-2-1992 x 9 Euphemia Hotel No 1-10-1984 x 10 Flying Pig Downtown Yes 1-4-1994 x 11 Flying Pig Uptown Yes 1-4-1994 x 12 Hans Brinker Yes 23-10-1963 x 13 Heart Of Amsterdam Hostel No 12-12-2000 x 14 Hostel Linda No - x 15 Hostel Orfeo Yes 1-1-1987 x 16 Hostel boat Anna Maria II No ------17 Hostel Annemarie No 20-10-1997 x 18 Inner Amsterdam Yes 15-4-2005 x 19 International Budget Hostel Yes 5-1-1994 x 20 Jonas Boat No - x 21 Marie-Anns Houseboat Yes 1-2-2006 x 22 Marnix Hotel No 26-8-2003 x 23 Passenger Ship Maria Alberta No - x 24 Shelter City Yes 30-12-2005 x 25 Shelter Jordan Yes 30-12-2005 x 26 The Winston Hotel Yes 29-12-2000 x 27 Stayokay Stadsdoelen Yes 1957 x 28 Stayokay Vondelpark Yes - x 29 The Bulldog Yes 20-10-1998 x 30 The Friendship No ------31 White Tulip Hostel No ------32 Youth Hostel Meeting point Yes 9-8-2001 x 33 Abba Overtoom Yes 22-11-1984 x 34 Stayokay Zeeburg Yes 1-7-2007 x 35 Sphinx Hotel No ------

65 Owner Origin Employees Financial info 1 The Globe Center Holla Beheer B.V. Dutch Yes 2 Aivengo Sergejus Litouwen 1 - 3 Amigo Hotel El Aisaoui Moroccan 1 - 4 Amsterdam Cribs Igor Kogan & Eric Broder Ukrain & USA 2 - 5 Hostel Cosmos Abdelmalek Zahhaf Moroccan 2 - 6 Bob’s youth hostel Bob's Holding B.V. Dutch 4 Yes 7 Budget Hotel Tourist Inn - - - - 8 Durty Nelly’s Inn Holla Beheer B.V. Dutch 6 Yes 9 Euphemia Hotel Visser & van Voorst Dutch - 10 Flying Pig Downtown Unawatuna & Juara B.V. Dutch 11 Yes 11 Flying Pig Uptown Unawatuna & Juara B.V. Dutch 11 Yes 12 Hans Brinker Belgium 10 - 13 Heart Of Amsterdam Hostel Delaware Corporation USA 11 - 14 Hostel Linda Soma Maarssem B.V. Dutch 0 - 15 Hostel Orfeo El Aisaoui & El Yahiaoui Moroccan - 16 Hostel boat Anna Maria II - - - - 17 Hostel Annemarie Hendriks-de Weerd Dutch 2 - 18 Inner Amsterdam Shi Holding B.V. Chinese 0 Yes 19 International Budget Hostel Visser Hotels B.V. New-Zealand Yes 20 Jonas Boat Jonas Dutch 1 - 21 Marie-Anns Houseboat Leuveling, Tjeenk Dutch 1 - 22 Marnix Hotel Marnix Hotel C.V. Dutch 4 Yes 23 Passenger Ship Maria Alberta Lucas Tatenhove, Rita Afink Dutch 2 - 24 Shelter City Zuilhof, Voortwis, de Graaf Dutch - - 25 Shelter Jordan Zuilhof, Voortwis, de Graaf Dutch - - 26 The Winston Hotel Sykes,Timothy Roger UK 8 Yes 27 Stayokay Stadsdoelen Stichting Stayokay Dutch Yes 28 Stayokay Vondelpark Stichting Stayokay Dutch Yes 29 The Bulldog Leidseplein Beheer B.V. Dutch 8 Yes 30 The Friendship - - - - 31 White Tulip Hostel - - - - 32 Youth Hostel Meeting point Hostel Meetingpoint B.V. Dutch 7 Yes 33 Abba Overtoom Doran Clodagh Mary Irish 5 - 34 Stayokay Zeeburg Stichting Stayokay Dutch Yes 35 Sphinx Hotel - Chinese 2 -

No. of beds Roomtypes Private Avarge price per bed 1 100 + 20pk,10pk,8/6 pk, 4pk, 3,pk, 2pk EUR 80 High EUR 30 Low EUR 25 2 60 2x 20pk en 2x 10pk - EUR 25 3 60 3pk, 4pk - EUR 35 4 18 2x 4pk, 2x 5pk - EUR 35 5 25 1x 9pk, 1x 6pk, 2x 4pk, 1x 2pk EUR 44 EUR 30 6 144 2/3 pk, 16pk EUR 80 EUR 21 7 85 2/3 pk, 5pk, 6pk High EUR 100 Low EUR 50 High EUR 35 Low EUR 25 8 72 3x 4pk, 2x 6pk, 10pk, 14pk, 14 pk - EUR 25 9 79 3pk, 4pk High EUR 60 Low EUR 40 EUR 30 10 220 14 pk, 12pk, 10pk, 8pk, 6pk, 4pk,2pk EUR 70 EUR 30 11 100 14 pk, 12pk, 10pk, 8pk, 6pk, 4pk,2pk EUR 70 EUR 25 12 513 10,8,6,4,2, 3x1 pk EUR 52 EUR 23 13 80 8,6,4,3,2 pk EUR 100 EUR 35 14 94 24 x 2pk, 2x16pk, 1x 14pk EUR 95-80 EUR 20 15 100 3,2,1 pk and dorms EUR 65 EUR 35 16 50 10 x 2/4pk, 1x5pk, 1x 1pk EUR 17 20 ?? 6 pk EUR 65 EUR 35-30 18 240 6,4,3,2,1, dorms High EUR 55 Low EUR 40 EUR 22 19 52 12x 4pk, 2x 2pk EUR 70 High EUR 30 Low EUR 25 20 4 2x 2pk EUR 50 EUR 50 21 4 2 x 2pk EUR 50 EUR 50 22 90 1x 8pk, 8x 6pk 3,2,1 Hight EUR 80 Low EUR 70 EUR 25 23 10 5x 2pk EUR 35 EUR 35 24 150 8pk, 6pk, 4pk, 2pk - EUR 24 25 100 20pk, 14pk - EUR 24 26 170 Dorms, 4,3,2 pk Hight EUR 90 Low EUR 75 EUR 30 27 178 20pk, 16pk. 8pk, 2pk EUR 80 EUR 26 28 536 20, 10, 8,6,4,2, pk EUR 80 EUR 30 29 200 12,8,4,3,2,1 pk Hight EUR 90 Low EUR 85 High EUR 30 Low EUR 25 30 4 4pk - EUR 35 31 80 12pk,10,8,6,4,3 pk EUR 80 EUR 30 32 110 18, 12pk - EUR 25 33 70 2 pk EUR 80 - 34 510 20, 10, 8,6,4,2, pk EUR 80 EUR 25 35 80 8,7,6,4,3,2,1 pk EUR 80 EUR 30

67 Appendix IV: Article: city soft spot

68 Appendix V: Questionnaire for backpackers

Dear guest,

We would like to gain more information about our customers in order to ensure the quality of your stay and experience in Amsterdam. We kindly ask you to fill in this questionnaire. Please fill in one questionnaire per person. You can return this form at the reception. Many thanks for you cooperation.

1. Male Female

2. What is your date of birth? 3. What is your nationality? 4. How many nights are you staying in Amsterdam? 5. What is your main reason to come to Amsterdam?

6a. You will find a number of activities one can do in Amsterdam. Which activities have you already done, or are you planning to do? Please tick the box.

01 visiting Madame Tussauds 02 visiting the Heineken Experience 03 visiting Artis Zoo 04 visiting the Anne-Frank House 05 visiting a park 06 visiting gay-places 07 visiting the Red-Light district 08 visiting open-air markets 09 visiting the theatre/cinema 10 visiting a bar/café 11 visiting a coffee shop/smoke a joint 12 going out for dinner 13 clubbing 14 canal-cruise 15 renting a bike 16 shopping 17 sightseeing 18 visiting museum(s) please name which one(s) 19 other, please specify

6b. Please state your favorite top 3 of activities, as named above.

1. 2. 3. please turn page!

69 7. Please estimate the average amount of money you have spent per day;

Total One day, per person Euro accommodation € breakfast € lunch € dinner € shopping (gifts, clothing, souvenirs) € attractions and museums € café/bar/disco/clubbing € coffee-shop € organised tours € public transport € other expenses, please specify €

8. Is your visit to Amsterdam part of a larger trip? Yes No please go to question 11

9. Which city did you visit before Amsterdam?

10a. Which city will you visit after Amsterdam? or 10b. I will go home (please tick box)

11a. Statement : the hostel I stayed at is a good hostel (please circle number)

1 – strongly agree 2 – agree 3 – neither agree or disagree 4 – disagree 5 – strongly disagree

11b. Why is it a good or bad hostel?

12a. Statement : I had a good experience in Amsterdam (please circle number)

1 – strongly agree 2 – agree 3 – neither agree or disagree 4 – disagree 5 – strongly disagree

12b. Why is it a good or bad experience?

If you have any comments and/or suggestions about the questionnaire, please write them down.

Please return the form back to the reception. Again many thanks for you cooperation!!