Review: King Kong Hostel, Rotterdam

A sudden glare of disco lights lit up the room as I gaped in amazement with my finger poised at the light switch.

‘What the…’

And I laughed.

Could this be the best private hostel room in Europe?

I suddenly raced forward and jumped on the bed with all of my body, crumpling the sheets and I stretched under the glow of multicolourful lights, bathing in delight, as my travel fatigue dissipated.

I had arrived at King Kong Hostel in Rotterdam, Netherlands. And my god, how I arrived in such style!

The next few minutes may have seen me dancing in my underpants while I had the music on before grabbing a shower in their luxurious ensuite bathroom and wet room. Sadly, I didn’t get a photo for you, guys.

But here’s a cute pic of me waking up the next morning…

I could hear the hubbub of the street through my open window on this warm night in the last throes of Summer, listening out for snatches of spoken Dutch in their jovial party atmosphere deep in the heart of the Cool district of Rotterdam. Yes, it’s that cool.

Refreshed and rejuvenated, I reluctantly left my room to explore the rest of the Rotterdam hostel in excited anticipation.

King Kong Hostel oozed luxury. The plush carpeted corridors with a golden framed mirror at the end gave way to a sort of grand staircase that allowed to join the busy social areas compared that of the quietness of the rooms on the next floor. The door connecting to each floor can be only accessed by a keycard so the pedantic security person in me felt satisfied.

The social areas are split out. On the higher level of the mezzanine, desks and tables are offered, allowing you time away to work and social network in peace yet still have a vantage point of looking over the rest of the social areas – perfect for the shy traveller. Going down a few steps, you meet the reception desk pod, manned by ridiculously good-looking people (like me, of course) who will offer to take your luggage and show you to your room.

Going down a further few steps, the area truly opens up. On the right, you have a ready bar, staffed by smiley people ready to give you a pint of local beer before helping you work out your itinerary for the day/night. Taking your frothy beer with you, you can either still in the continental cafe area with the life-sized picture of King Kong bearing over you. From this point, you can watch out the window and people watch to your heart’s content.

However, if you’re feeling a little snackish, you can go down a few more steps into King Kong Hos homely kitchen, where in the morning you’ll be greeted by friendly staff wielding plates of yummy poached eggs and tasty omelettes. But any time during the day, you can help yourself to their ‘posh coffee’ from their espresso maker.

But go down a few more steps (King Kong Hostel is turning into a jungle!), you’ll reach their secret den that’s hidden from view from the rest of the hostel. This is the chill out and movie room where a big screen TV stands proud in a sea of people sucking cushions. If you’re looking for an easy night in Rotterdam, this is the place to be.