I’ve stayed at the Blue Collar Hostel in Eindhoven 16 times so I think I am qualified to write an accurate review.
Sixteen times is a lot. It may seem strange. However, when I lived in the Netherlands I used to like going out in Eindhoven on Saturday nights. I lived quite a distance away. A taxi would have been expensive so had to find a bed in the city.
The Blue Collar Hostel is not the only place I used to stay but it’s one of my favourite choices for cheap accommodation in Eindhoven so I went back again and again. It’s a nice place, the staff are friendly, and everything is clean. I’m sure I will return in the future. After staying there so many times, it’s starting to feel like home.
I’m writing this review just after my 16th stay at the Blue Collar Hostel. I’m travelling Europe at the moment and flew back to Eindhoven for the new year. I’d always planned to write a review at some point because I know the Blue Collar so well but never got around to it until now.
How Does Blue Collar Compare to Other Hostels?
I’ve stayed in hostels all over Europe. In fact, I lived and worked in a hostel in Seville for two months. I know hostels. The Blue Collar is not a typical hostel. In fact, it’s a hotel. The hostel is a section within the Blue Collar Hotel.
As is the case with hostels. It offers dormitory-type accommodation. There are two dormitories. One has 12 beds and the other has 34. They are both located on the same floor and share bathroom facilities. The bathroom and toilets actually sit between the two dormitories and its possible to walk from one dormitory to the other via the bathroom.
The set up is a little unusual, but a dormitory is a dormitory and the bathroom is a decent size. It has several shower cubicles, toilet cubicles, and urinals. Both dormitories are mixed sex, so you may encounter both men and women in the bathroom when you go inside. Be aware of that. If you are not comfortable with mixed-sex facilities, the Blue Collar Hostel won’t be for you.
The Blue Collar Hostel in Eindhoven differs from other hostels in a number of ways.
1. There’s More Privacy
The dormitories in most hostels are just big rooms with bunk beds in them. There’s not a lot of privacy. In many hostels, I used to string a camping clothesline next to my bed and hang a towel from it to try and create my own little bit of space. I’ve seen other hostel dwellers do similar things. I’ve never felt the need to do that at the Blue Collar Hostel.
Both dormitories consist of several stalls. Some of them contain two bunk beds and can sleep, four people. Others contain one bunk bed and can sleep two people.
So, instead of feeling like you are sharing a dormitory with a lot of other r people, you feel more like you are sharing a tiny room with one to three other people.
There are no doors on the stalls, so you can see people walking past. They can see you as well, but it still feels like you have your own little space.
If you are in one of the stalls that sleep four people, when you are lying on your bed the only person you can see is the person in the bed opposite you. You cannot see anyone in the beds above staring down.
Needless to say, each bed has it’s own powerpoint and light.
2. The Beds are Unusually Long
The beds are longer the normal beds you find in a hostel, so if you are tall you can stretch out.
3. The Lockers are Exceptionally Good
The Lockers are nice and tall, with plenty of room inside for your backpack or other luggage. There is a handy shelf at the top of the lockers and a bar with hooks for you to hang your jackets on etc. The lockers are next to the bunk beds so you don’t have far to walk when you want to get to your stuff. In some hostels, the lockers are out in the corridor or on a different floor. That’s not good. At the Blue Collar Hostel, your stuff is always near where you sleep.
When I first began staying at the Blue Collar Hostel, you used to need to have your own padlock for the lockers. That’s no longer the case. Now, the padlock is provided. You have to pay a €5 deposit, but you get it back when you leave.
4. There is No Need to Make the Bed
At most hostels, they give you sheets, pillowcases and duvet covers when you arrive. Then you have to go to the trouble of making the bed. Personally, I hate that. One of the things I like best about the Blue Collar Hostel is there is no need to make the bed. When you arrive you find a freshly laundered pillow and duvet inside your locker. They are always nice and white and clean. There is no need for a cover. That’s the system and it’s a good one. You just throw the pillow and duvet onto the bed and you’re good to go.
5. There are No Cooking Facilities
At a lot of hostels, there is a communal kitchen for guests to prepare and cook their food. Blue Collar Hostel guests don’t have access to the kitchen so I feel I need to mention that in this review. Many people who stay in hostels do so long-term and one of the things that can make hostels attractive is living in them is a good way to keep costs down. If you have access to a fridge and cooking facilities and can cook your own food, it can be as cheap as living at home. When there are no cooking facilities, you are probably going to have to eat out. That’s expensive.
They serve food in the bar on the ground floor. So you don’t have to walk far if you don’t want to but it’s still going to be an added expense. In 2016, I stayed at the Blue Collar over the Christmas period. I was there for three days. I ate out the whole time. I’d have preferred to buy groceries and cook for myself.
If you just want a cheap place to sleep in Eindhoven, the Blue Collar is an excellent choice. If you are a backpacker or regular hostel dweller looking for a cheap place to live, you will be better off looking elsewhere. In fact, you may be better off avoiding Eindhoven entirely because, to the best of my knowledge, there is only one other hostel and it doesn’t have a kitchen for guests to use either.
Location
The Blue Collar Hostel is not located in the city centre. If you arrive at Eindhoven by bus or train, it will take you around 20 minutes to get there if you decide to walk [MAP]. Eindhoven Airport is about 5km away.
It will also take around half-an-hour to walk from the hostel to the city centre. If you don’t want to walk getting a taxi shouldn’t be a problem. There are always plenty in front of the train station. If you arrive by plane.
About the Blue Collar Hotel and Hostel
The Blue Collar Hotel used to be a factory. It was owned by Philips.
Philips is a big name in Eindhoven. In fact, it’s sometimes called “The City that Philips Built”. Some of the factory elements in the building, such as the overhead pipes, have been retained. This helps create a unique environment. Especially when combined with the Blue Collar’s overall Rock and Roll theme. Yep! It’s a rock & roll hotel.
Apart from offering hotels rooms and hostel dorms, the Blue Collar Hotel also has a late-night bar. It’s on the ground floor. You actually check-in to the hotel or hostel at the bar.
There’s also a theatre, located on one of the upper floors, where they host cabaret shows and other live events. The Blue Collar is more than just a place to sleep, but this is a hostel review, so I’m not going to provide a complete run-down of all the things you may be able to do while you are there.
Checking-In and Checking-Out
The doors are open 24-hours a day, so you can come and go as you want, but you cannot check-in until 4 pm. Check-out is normally 12 pm, but if you have booked via Booking.com and have used the site enough to get “genius” perks you have the option of extending the check-out time by an hour.
Other Things to Know
Dormitory Entry System
The dormitory doors are fitted with an electronic lock. There is no key. You are given a card instead.
Breakfast
If you want to have breakfast, there is an additional charge (€12.50). Breakfast is served between 7 am and 11 am.
Tourist Tax
Dutch law requires visitors pay a tourist tax. It costs €3.50 and there’s no way to avoid it. Even if you are a resident of the country, you still have to pay the tourist tax.
Blue Collar Bar Opening Times
The rock and roll bar on the ground floor is open until 2 am. On Friday and Saturday nights this is extended to 4 am.
Free Wi-Fi
The Blue Collar Hotel has free Wi-Fi and it’s nice and fast. You can pick it up all over the building, including the hostel dormitories. The Wi-Fi details and password are provided on a card when you check-in.
Parking
The hotel does not offer parking facilities, but there is a public car park next door so, if you arrive by car, you shouldn’t have a problem.
My Opinion of the Blue Collar Hostel
If you’ve taken the time to read all this review, you will probably already be aware I like the Blue Collar Hostel a lot. It’s one of the best hostels I know and it consistently offers the cheapest beds in Eindhoven.
If you need a nice, clean bed at the best possible price, I can give the Blue Collar Hostel my highest recommendation.
However, if you want typical hostel-type accommodation, where you can prepare your own meals, the Blue Collar will not be ideal. However, there isn’t an alternative option in Eindhoven that has this either, so the Blue Collar Hostel is still likely to be the best place to go.
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