ClinkNOORD – HOSTEL REVIEW

When I first decided to go to Amsterdam for VidCon Europe 2018, I initially booked a hotel. It was cute, had a library in it and looked like a great place to get some interesting video footage.

But as life and situations often do, things changed and I decided to do something a bit different. I wanted to rent a houseboat and travel with a group of friends, but when the departure date was approaching, the friends that I had hoped would join me couldn’t make the trip this time around. By then, all the houseboats were rented out for the period when I was going.

So I sat down and started browsing the web for an interesting, but also an affordable place to stay. There were some interesting apartments on Airbnb for sure, but I started to think back on my two recent trips to London and how much I enjoyed staying at St. Christopher’s Inn. And then the search for interesting hostels in Amsterdam begun. The one that popped up most frequently with high praise and rating was ClinkNOORD.

I clicked my way into their website and as soon as I started to look through the pictures, I knew that this was the perfect place for me to stay!

It’s a big hostel situated in the Noord district. It sits on the bank of the river IJ, and is just a few minutes boat ride away from the Amsterdam Centraal Station. Oh, and the ferry runs 24/7 and it’s free!

With colorful open spaces and lots of social events going on, I knew that this was my best bet for a social and unique experience while I was traveling alone.

As soon as I got there I was welcomed by a charming receptionist that gave me all the information that I needed to get situated. I got there a few hours before check-in, but they welcomed me to either store my luggage in the luggage room or to use a padlock (you can buy one from them (€6), or bring your own) and lock my things in one of the many storage lockers that they have in the reception area. I locked up my valuables and headed into the city to explore.

Later that day, I got back to the hostel and could find my bunk. I was sleeping in a 14 bed shared facility. I met my bunkmate, a wonderful 68-year-old woman from Canada, and instantly bonded with her. There were lots of stories to be shared throughout the time I was there.

Every bed has its own locker, so you can easily store your valuables while you’re out and about. There’s also a reading light, power outlet and 2 USB charger ports over each bed so you can charge your gadgets. The beds were comfortable. The showers and restrooms were right outside of the room, and it was clean and inviting throughout my whole stay. You can rent towels from the hostel for €3.

They have a kitchen that you can use if you want to make your own food, or you can order food from the café or bar. They have a good range of vegan options for both breakfast/lunch and dinner. I had the falafel sandwich for lunch and it was delicious!

I think what makes ClinkNOORD so special is all of the activities.  Cider pong, quiz, solo traveler meet up, yoga, secret concerts, beer tasting, free guided tours of the city and more. There’s always something to do, and if you just want to be social, then you can head to their bar (Zinc Bar) and use the 2 for 1 voucher that they hand you when you check in. Buy a new friend a drink and chat away!

All in all, I had an absolutely fantastic time! ClinkNOORd is hands down the best hostel I’ve been to so far! I highly recommend it, and I can’t wait to go back!

You tempted to try ClinkNOORD out? Click on the Hotels.com logo below to read more!

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Moxy Oslo X – HOTEL REVIEW

In August 2017, Marriott opened its very first hotel in Norway, and they named it Moxy.

The Moxy brand is designed to capture the rapidly emerging millennial traveler. The new brand combines stylish design and approachable service at an affordable price point. We know that your way of traveling is new, so we’ve done our homework. Affordability is not a sacrifice of style, nor a loss of comfort.

Only one thing is impossible at the Moxy Oslo X: to get bored. Moxy is fun and spirited – always buzzing with high energy, interesting people and an energetic crew. Do you like surprises? Then we’re a perfect match.

http://xmeetingpoint.no/en/about-us

I went to Moxy with work, and got to explore the hotel: 

X Meeting Point

For a place to host an event like the one we went to for Specsavers, it really did do the job. The venue was big and didn’t feel too crowded.

They had some issues when it came to serving of food, and keeping track of everything though. And I know that we were hundreds of people, and pulling that off without a hitch can be quite tricky, but when advertising on their website so heavily that their perfect for these kind of events, it actually made me expect it too run a bit smoother.

The way that they set up the whole place for the fashion show firs, and then an afterparty was very well done. We did however have to go out of the hotel and walk to the upper entrance instead walking through the dinner area. This was troublesome with all of the snow and people being dressed up.

The Room

The rooms were nothing less than what I would expect from such a newly opened hotel that is trying to be as hip as can be. It was clean, classy and fun. There’s not much of a view to talk about, but it is Skjetten, so I wasn’t expecting one either.

I shared the room with a colleague, and we both found the bathroom to be a bit crammed, but the beds on the other hand was extremely comfortable!

The room was equipped with pretty much everything we needed, but there was no minibar, and no trashcan in the room (only a tiny one in the bathroom).

Plus for having the televisions connected directly to a YouTube app!

Location

Putting Oslo in the name of this hotel is so close to false advertisement that it almost cringy. It is placed in between OSL Airport Gardermoen and Oslo. It took me about 45 mins to travel from central Oslo by bus. So if you’re looking for a place to stay while exploring Oslo, then I would look elsewhere.

And Skjetten is pretty much in the middle of nowhere. I have no idea how they ended up opening such an urban styled hotel at this location.

The Food

The reception area had quite an impressive range of snacks and food, but it was very expensive! There were not many vegan options though, something that I really missed.

When it came to dinner, they did prepare vegan options for me, and they were all delicious! Was a bit of back and forth communication before I got the right food though, but I ended up being quite impressed with the vegan dinner I got. They served a really good salad for starter, falafel and vegetables for the main course and fruit for desert.

That being said, I was really let down by the breakfast, and I wasn’t the only one.

They served bread and slices of ham and cheese, some jam and eggs. There were no hot dishes at all. The only option for me as a vegan was bread with jam, or cereal with soy milk. I also had to really go hunting for coffee to find it. It was so hidden behind the other side of the bar.

So if you’re going to Moxy, and you’re wondering about buying breakfast; Just don’t! It’s not worth the money at all!

The Staff

When I first arrived to the bar/reception, only guys worked there and they seemed a bit annoyed with the work load and amount of people.

In the morning though, I met an all women crew behind the desk that was very helpful and serviceminded.

Other that that, I didn’t really notice much staff around. That could be because there was so much going on at all times.

Overall Thoughts

I would have loved to see more hotels with this kind of fun, free spirited and uniques style closer to central Oslo. I found the location of this kind of hotel to seem completely off!

But if one doesn’t mind the distance (from pretty much everything) then it’s a very playful hotel that is instagrammable to the teeth! So many colors, and so much room to play! It almost had a hostel vibe to it, which I really liked. A lot of areas to sit down and relax or work. And quirky details all around.

I think the concept of Moxy has a lot of potential, that it just did not quite live up to.

I would recommend checking out their Instagram though. They’ve done some pretty unique and interesting things in room preparation for certain guests.

If you want to know more about Moxy Oslo X, you’ll find their website here😊

Taking a Break

When it comes to the summer holiday I don’t really have to go far away to get in the holiday mode at all. I just need to go home, home to my hometown.

Leander and me will be spending some time in Tønsberg/Nøtterøy and have some quality time with our family. And it feels so good to just take a break from our home and go to visit another one of our homes.

You all know how much I enjoy my travelling, and crave that feeling of jumping on a plane and going off on a new adventure, but sometimes it just feels good to go back to places you know and love.

I’m pretty sure I’ve written a post every summer about how wonderful Tønsberg is in the summer time, and I wouldn’t be surprised if a similar post ends up here this year as well.

So right now I’m taking a break. Not from writing, reading and filming, but a break from everyday life. And a much needed one at that!

Hope you’re all having a wonderful summer so far!

If you want to know what I’m up to, then follow me on snapchat: featherpen87