The James Hotel Rotterdam — Hotel in Rotterdam

My experience at this hotel was extremely disappointing. From the moment we checked in, we were misled. We were told we’d been given a free room upgrade because we needed an extra bed — great, right? Except it turned out to be a trap.

We were asked to pay a €100 "refundable smoking deposit," even though none of us smoke. At check-out, we asked about it and were assured it would be returned within 14 days. That never happened.

Weeks later, the hotel changed the story and claimed the deposit was kept because of the "extra bed" — which we were told was free. So which is it? A deposit? A hidden charge? Or just an easy way to take guests' money when they leave?

To make it worse, they provided no invoice, no explanation, and no clear communication. I had to chase both the hotel and Booking.com multiple times. It’s been over a year and still nothing.

This kind of dishonest behaviour — saying one thing in person, then doing another once the guest has left — is unacceptable. I’ve stayed in dozens of hotels and never had this kind of shady experience before.

Avoid this place if you value transparency and fairness. There are plenty of better-managed hotels in the same area that won’t play games with your money.

EDIT- 1ST RESPONSE TO HOTEL:

Thank you for your reply — but it unfortunately does not reflect the facts of what happened.

We paid a €100 deposit on 22/03/2024, we have receipt dated time 14:53.03 Booking CONFIRMATION NUMBER: 4251.275.944 and over a year later, that money has still not been returned. Let me be absolutely clear for anyone reading:

At check-in, we were offered a free upgrade because we needed an extra bed. We actually offered to pay at that time, but your receptionist told us it was free — all we had to do was pay a €100 smoking deposit, which was said to be fully refundable.

None of us smoke, but we trusted the process and paid the deposit.

At check-out, we were told, again, that the deposit would be returned within 14 days. There was no mention of the bed or any charge. If there was a charge, that was the time to raise it.

Only after those 14 days passed, we were told the hotel would be keeping the deposit to cover the extra bed — the same bed that was clearly presented as free.

Your current claim that this was a “pre-authorisation” is completely false. The €100 was not held — it was charged. We have proof of payment, and to this day, the funds have not been returned.

To make things worse, we never received an invoice for the transaction. Booking.com said they would request it from you on our behalf — yet we’re still waiting.

So to recap: We were told the upgrade was free We were told the deposit was refundable We were told it would be returned in 14 days We were not informed of any charge at check-in or check-out

Then, weeks later, you kept the money and claimed it was for a bed you originally said was free

If the bed wasn’t free and we had refused to pay at check-in or check-out, we would not have been allowed to stay — so who exactly is being dishonest here?

This entire experience has caused unnecessary distress, frustration, and has wasted a lot of time. I am now pursuing:

A full refund of the €100 The invoice that was never provided - booking requested you provide it. Compensation for the stress and inconvenience this has caused

If this is not resolved, I will escalate further — including to Booking.com, consumer rights organisations, payment dispute channels, and other review and travel platforms. It's disappointing that it had to come to this, but I refuse to let this...

The hotel is very well located and central. Lots of nice restaurants/shops around.

Check in is straightforward and the reception staffs are friendly. However, we were almost on the verge being kickout/ not being accepted due to some misunderstanding they had in their emails. I told them I would not book it in the first place if I did not get an exception from them that we will be 3 adults and 1 baby in one superior room with extra bed. The thing is, our whole email conversation is being handled by several reception officers which caused the confusion. At the end, they agreed that everything is ok and they will let us in. (On side note, I understand their point as to why they are not allowing but then, they had made an exception for us which preempted me to book with them)

As for the room, it is modern and clean. Their toilet is not connected to the bathroom so this part is a bit hassle but we’re fine with it. If you want some toiletries/hotel stuff, you have to ask directly from them since they dont provide in the room itself. The bed and pillows are all okay and their air ventilation works wonder for a hot summer in rotterdam.

Plus points that they have in house parking (with reservation) which is an automatic elevator parking type and a lot cheaper than other paid parkings around the area.

Lastly, I would have given this is 5 star if they have a fully available and around the clock microwave in their lounge. We went there to have our breakfast which we bought outside but the lady in the foodmarket told us that they do not have a microwave available in the morning and only in the afternoon. I told her how come there are foods in the fridge, how will you eat them and she reasoned out it’s supposed to be eaten COLD!! Really??? Should a risotto be eaten cold??? Also, how will be able to heat up our baby’s food if the microwave is only available in the morning??? Sounds absurd. Food market is a soso for breakfast. Honestly, I never thought I would missed a full on breakfast service until I experienced the breakfast here in The James hotel. Certainly something to be looked out. Anyways, it didnt bother us that much since we decided just to eat outside.

Other than those i’ve mentioned, everything is fine and very much comfortable...

I stayed in The James for 4 days in October. I give 4 stars for the hotel and 5 stars for the staff.

The first thing you notice when you enter is the awesome fragrance that permeates all areas of the hotel. They have done a great job making the ambiance warm and inviting.

The hotel is pretty true to the images given on the website. It was a bit smaller than expected but was still entirely comfortable and nicely decorated.

I have never slept better than I did at The James. The bed was perfectly firm and I couldn't feel my partner moving next to me. The black out curtains fit the window perfectly (no blinding gaps!!) and I was able to create the most perfect darkness. I typically need a face mask and ear plugs to sleep but my room maintained silence my entire stay.

The hotel had arranged rose petals on the bed as we were staying for an anniversary and we really appreciated this extra touch.

The rain shower was fantastic and I appreciated the open fridge policy which enabled us to eat healthy and have chilled drinks as needed. The staff was friendly and personable and the housekeeping staff were very efficient.

I took one star from the facility because: there was no robe or slippers supplied which is something I really appreciate in a hotel. The hotel was nicely designed but a bit bare-bones as far as personal luxuries and didn't have a true breakfast option as the kiosk was mostly snacks. I liked the large bottles of shampoo and handwash in the bathroom - anything to be more eco conscious.

I definitely recommend The James if you are in Rotterdam and looking for an affordable, clean and a conveniently located hotel. It is great at what it does and my complaints are mostly comforts that I personally prefer.

There is an AH supermarket within walking distance and great...