Hotel My Home has been my hostel of choice in Amsterdam for over a decade. That is until now. In the past, I appreciated the excellent location (just 10 minutes West of Centraal Station), the good prices, and the friendly staff. It seems a lot has changed since my last visit, and none of it for the better.
The hostel/hotel is located in a residential area of Amsterdam that is known for its coffeeshops. Barney's and Popeyes, two favorites, are close by. Hotel My Home is located on the second, third, and fourth floors of a very narrow townhouse. The steps to the landing are quite steep (see photo), so be prepared. The rooms are located on the third and fourth floors. There are a number of dorm rooms and a few private doubles. None of the rooms has private facilities, and toilets and showers are shared.
The rooms themselves are small, but clean. There is no air-conditioning or fans, which can make for a hot night. The bath facilities are kept cleaner than in many local hostels. You are given a key to the front door, so there is no curfew or lockout. However, if you lose the key, there may not be anyone around to let you in!
What made Hotel My Home a draw was its second floor lounge. A nice place to crash and meet fellow travelers while having a beer and a smoke. Or, you could just kick back and play some pool or watch TV. Sadly, the lounge is now closed most of the time: from 12am-6pm in the daytime and after 9pm at night. This means that you are left to find other places to relax and those places are usually expensive. Even when the lounge is open, they've taken away the cooler of cheap beer (you have to go down the street to find some) and I never saw the pool table in use. This would all be tolerable if their prices reflected it, but the prices charged here are equal to those of bigger places--such as the Flying Pig--that offer more amenities. I don't know what changed at Hotel My Home, but I know I will not be back.
The single redeeming point is that they still offer a proper breakfast: eggs cooked to order and toast. I'm not sure that it makes up for the rather expensive (by Amsterdam hostel standards) prices and the lack of amenities, but it is a nice touch. I can't recommend you stay here unless you can't book into one of the newer hostels that offers more value for your Euro.
From journal A Party Girl's Guide to Amsterdam