ExLibris Boutique Hotel

Appalling customer service!! Man on the reception was absolutely horrible and rude to me. After a flight cancellation at 10pm I was phoning around hotels in the area looking for a room. Around midnight, when I was getting tired and desperate, I phoned this hotel and asked very politely if they had a room available, apologising for asking last minute. The man on the phone said something about a room before the call dropped. Assuming the call had accidentally been cut off I phoned back, apologised for the call dropping asked politely if he had said that there was a room. I was then screamed at down the phone for “calling at this hour” and told to F off. This left me shocked and distressed, almost in tears on the street. Why have a staff member to answer the phone if this is how they will behave? I would have preferred it if he had not picked up. Absolutely not a shred of kindness. Please don’t give your money to people to treat others like this.

Lovely small hotel. Probably the most comfortable hotel bed I’ve ever slept in! A few steps to the wonderful Hortus Botanicus, which means you can’t get lost, as the whole town has signs to this wonderful garden. 15 minute walk to the station and 6 minutes to the shopping street. Nice quiet and upmarket area

Guests instantly feel relaxed here! Hotel Ex Libris opened about 5 years ago, and the owner is an expert at making people feel welcome and calm. He knows Leiden well, and is happy to answer any questions that you might have. Checkin is effortless, and the hotel is delightfully furnished with the highest quality materials. From the furniture finishes to the hardware on doors and cabinets, Ex Libris is authentically Dutch, elegant, and spacious. No detail has been overlooked in this quiet and wonderful gem of a hotel, located a very short distance from the Pieterskerk (Pilgrim’s Church) the central touchstone of Leiden for almost 900 years. I’ve stayed here twice for 2 or 3 nights each time, as it draws me back! Breakfasts too are simply lovely!

Good: * The location is very good. * The owner went out of his way to have our room ready by 12:00, when we were expected to arrive. He also called a cab to take me to the University. * The breakfast was simple, but good. * IMO, almost by definition, a boutique hotel is much more pleasant to stay at than any large hotel. Less good: * At Steenhof Suites (where we normally stay, but which was sold out) we have more space, typically for comparable (or slightly higher) prices. * The room was smallish, the bed was not very comfortable, and there was a mini fridge, but only for and with wine. * The stairs were very narrow, which was a problem for my wife as she has hip protheses. * Most problematic was the loud noise from the street until well after 3:00 AM.

No one to greet us on arrival - had a code to let ourselves into building then discovered we had a room in a different building to our friends (two buildings away). Our room was on second floor up an almost vertical spiral staircase. Luckily the owner arrived and carried our case to the room. Don’t think we’d have managed on our own. Bed was super large and comfy, but one of us (me!) had to climb over the other person as bed was pushed against the wall. Sloping ceiling felt claustrophobic. Storage space for clothes was very limited - no drawers or full length mirror. Only mirror was in bathroom which meant hair drying had to be in bedroom without being able to see. Towels very thin and small - not what I would expect from “boutique hotel”.I would call this rooms to let rather than a hotel. No lounge bar to meet friends, or any other facilities. My main worry was if there was a fire, we couldn’t have escaped. No fire escape and narrow stairs - I couldn’t sleep properly for worrying. Upon leaving, owner didn’t enquire whether we had enjoyed our stay - just seemed to want our money. I thought it over priced for what we got and would not recommend.