CTY Books

Firstly this isn’t a hotel. It’s a self-service apartment. No breakfast! We didn’t meet a member of staff during our 3 day stay. The room was stunning, super view out onto the canal, plenty of space across two floors (duplex). I’m nearly 70, live in a bungalow and suffer mild back problems occasionally. So here’s the downside, the apartment was on the top floors with over 50 steps up a narrow spiral staircase. Not for the feint-hearted. It wouldn’t put us off returning but you need to be aware. The other issue for back-sufferers, is the lack of a comfy chair with back support. The small round sofa looks twee but for me was unusable due to lack of support. The two high bar stools were not much better. On the Wednesday there was a fantastic market along the canal. At night there’s a level of student exuberance going on until around midnight but nothing that should stop you sleeping. The local bars and restaurants are wonderful. We came for the nearby tulip festival and Leiden was very convenient for transport. The bed was very comfortable and the aircon very welcome as it was quite warm when we stayed. The small kitchenette was fine although we didn’t eat in. A good stock of tea bags and coffee pods was free and can be topped up in the entrance to the apartments. Overall, the location was superb, likewise the canal view. The room was a fair price for the size, condition and location. We had a great time, albeit with scary stairs.

Nicely designed room and bathroom and very spacious. The kitchette was lacking in amenities to be able to use it for proper meals (no toaster, limited cutlery/pans etc). Hotel is staffless and you get the key sent to your phone to enter the main entrance and room (requires internet), this was fine for us. The hotel is a great location, right in the middle of Leiden centre.

Room was clean and very neat. Place is very interesting and a great location.

The hotel is on one of the city's canals in a very pleasant location. Many restaurants and cafes around the property. Room was nice more like a small apartment than a hotel room. Bed was comfortable and room was quiet despite the number of cafes and restaurants close by.

Midden in het centrum en als het markt is stap je buiten en je staat bij de kraampjes. Centraal gelegen dichtbij de burcht, oude stad, winkelstraten, lekkere eetgelegenheden…

Great place to stay to explore Leiden! We stayed for a couple of nights and were in the Netherlands for a wedding and visit friends, which meant we were usually out late. This meant we weren't too disturbed by the bars under the hotel as they close relatively early (around 12pm-1am on Fridays and Saturdays). Earplugs are provided which work really well. The location is the main selling point for this hotel if you don't mind a bit of noise at night, very central and gives you an amazing feel for the city as well as good food, bars and sights at walking distance The space itself is lovely! It has character and a nice finish. Although some of the reviews say they have trouble with the digital keys, it worked flawlessly for us. The only negative to our stay was the responsiveness of the host. The response via Whatsapp was very delayed or didn't happen at all, and I tried calling about luggage storage (which was available) but did not get a response. Overall would recommend and will stay again if visiting Leiden.

Amazing room although could use a freshen up paint wise . Housekeeping was hit and miss but didn’t really bother us . If you stay in the Virginia Wolfe suite be prepared for some notice and NO privacy from the street of your shutters are open., also everytime someone opens and shuts the main door you Weill hear and feel it in this suite . All that being said it was a great place to stay and a great location, easy to get to public transport and restaurants and bars. Leiden itself is beautiful rain hail or shine .

Maybe I should have read more reviews.....I knew there was not an elevator, but I did not realize how steep the spiral staircase was to room 6, but then there was also another spiral staircase (made of wood and metal) to get to the bedroom. In addition to that the bedroom has beams to knock your head into. .... overall at 55/59 years young we did not feel comfortable. Also, room was super hot when we arrived. There were no directions to the thermostat and shades were open...after a meltdown we figured out the thermostat... directions would have helped. On a positive note, we did enjoy a stovetop, sink, fridge, and microwave. Overall, if lots of spiral steps are not your thing, CTY books might not be a good choice. If you like lots of character and being near restaurants/shopping, you might like it.

This is a beautiful small hotel right across from the City Hall. I loved the author themed-room, spacious, beautifully decorated, comfy (+AC). The location was perfect, lively Wed market, AH supermarket nearby, and a gelato place next door. The killer is stairs. They were steep, narrow, winding, and you have to haul your luggage up. Also, it is a staff-less hotel meaning no one to welcome you, all the housekeeping requests via Whatsapp and things get done silently without any acknowledgement. Also, Leiden is a university town and you'll need a pair of ear plugs Fri-Sun. One more thing, don't forget to charge your phone because you can not even enter the hotel lobby. Still, I would stay again if I revisit Leiden.

Know that this is a staff-less boutique hotel. Very centrally located which means convenient/sometimes noisy. The staircase (no lift) is very steep - perhaps not okay for some. The VWoolf room is right above the main door; when guests come in and out, the building shakes. Lovely room, bathroom, necessary A/C (!)

Beautiful property in a wonderful location. I wouldn’t hesitate to stay there again, but there are a lot of steep stairs up to the room and in the room itself. This might be trouble from people with mobility issues.

This is one of our favourite accommodations ever! Wonderful location and beautiful room and view facing the canal (room 3). It could get loud at times but closing the windows and shutters helped a lot. We had no issues sleeping. The bed is super comfy! It’s perfectly equipped and a good size. We didn’t want to leave

CTY Books is in the perfect spot in Leiden, with a market just outside twice a week. Lots of amazing pubs/restaurants around too! The room was lovely (we had the loft) with a perfect view of the canal!

Great location in the very centre of Leiden. Three floor steep climb to a duplex with the bedroom up one more floor, the bathroom on the other floor. You want to be in good shape and not need to rush to use the loo during the night. The view from the top floor bedroom is worth the effort.

Why ask for my opinion of the staff when it is a staffless establishment?

Beautiful hotel, very comfy bed. Just be warned, the stairs are very steep and there is no lift.

The property is located in central Leiden. It is beautifully situated. The room and general hotel are unique in a good way. The difficulty is the spiral staircase (particularly if you've travelled internationally with a suitcase). The automated doors were new to us, but we adjusted accordingly. Unlike some staffed hotels, it's not possible to check-in early, so it's good to be aware of that when planning. Overall, though, the proprieter was responsive and friendly. I would stay there again.

There was considerable noise from the street, but ear plugs are provided and they did the trick. The location, room, and the city of Leiden are all wonderful.

Had very pleasant stay at CTY. The windows are thin but they supply earplugs in the “reception”. I’m quite noise sensitive so probably wouldn’t stay in this room around the weekend, but that’s just me. It took me a while to figure out how the sitcom worked, so it was very cold the first morning. This also turned out to be because one window wasn’t closed properly (which also helped a bit with the noise, but not much). There was room service, which I didn’t expect to a two night stay. And the best iron i have ever experienced in a hotel! Made it really easy to iron my shirts. Location is central and lovely atmosphere. Will stay for next meeting as well.

Lovely place, fab location, really spacious and we were so happy with our choice. We were in the Virginia Woolf room on the 1st floor and I’d highly recommend as the view is great and only up one flight of the steep stairs! It is noisy due to its super location in the thick of things, but we didn’t mind that. The electronic access etc worked fine for us all the time and we liked having the little kitchen.