Name: CTY Books
Address: Nieuwe Rijn 2, Leiden, NL

10/10

Exceptional

28 Jul 2026

Richard

Right in the center of town could not be a better location.

8/10

Excellent

26 Jul 2026

Litha

Perfect spot in the heart of Leiden. Very comfortable and tastefully decorated. Walkable to train, shops, cafes, restaurants and cultural sites.

10/10

Exceptional

27 Apr 2026

Kari

Great location and large room. Very steep steps. So this hotel you get your key by email. Check in is at 3 so no early check in is available. Lots of restaurants near by. Really enjoyed our stay.

Friends_and_family Family

8/10

Excellent

19 Apr 2026

Anthony

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.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

16 Apr 2026

Annie

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.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

08 Nov 2025

Pavanandan

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

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

20 Oct 2025

Philip

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.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

01 Sep 2025

Christel

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…

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

11 Aug 2025

Joshua

Great place to stay to explore Leiden!

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.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

29 Jul 2025

Verified traveler

Nice place in a fantastic area

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 .

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

19 Jul 2025

Katherine

Older couples beware

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.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

09 Jul 2025

Suh Young

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.

Business Self

8/10

Excellent

07 Jul 2025

Helene

Great for some, perhaps not all

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 (!)

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

27 Jun 2025

Aaron

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.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

22 Jun 2025

Catherine

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

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

07 Jun 2025

Allison

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!

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

04 Jun 2025

Morgan

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.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

24 May 2025

David

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

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

22 May 2025

Verified traveler

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

Partner

8/10

Excellent

26 Mar 2025

James

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.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

15 Nov 2024

Margaret

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.

Leisure

10/10

Exceptional

09 Nov 2024

Alexandra M

Will stay there again for my next meeting

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.

Business

10/10

Exceptional

29 Sep 2024

Sophie

Great location and spacious place.

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.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

13 Sep 2024

Hazel

Character Property in great location with lots of dining options on the doorstep. Manager was on hand most mornings and able to assist where needed.

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

18 Jul 2024

alan

Fine

8/10

Excellent

18 Apr 2024

Philip

Room was nice with a living area/kitchen on one level and a bed up in the loft area. Only downside was the steep narrow staircases to get to our room which some people, especially with large suitcases, might struggle with. Otherwise a pleasant stay.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

23 Nov 2023

Sean

There is no bar or restaurant onsite but you are right next to a number of great bars, restaurants and cafes.

The web based keys worked and were simple to use.

Business Self

10/10

Exceptional

21 Oct 2023

Lee

Adventure in Leiden

Great location. Beautiful room with amazing history.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

24 Apr 2023

Kaitlin

Great stay in the center of Leiden! Short walk to Central Station. Room 4 was larger than expected and had everything including dishes/cutlery, coffee, toiletries etc. Virtual check-in was quick and easy, and QR code in the room provided lots of useful information for the area. Overall fantastic stay and would highly recommend CTY Books!

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

25 Jan 2023

Sien

Brilliant location in the beautiful city centre. Rooms were stunning, photos don’t do it justice. Lights and heating were a bit tricky to operate. Kitchen contains basic crockery and a few pans, not much more. Staff at sister hotel very friendly and helpful.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

16 Oct 2022

Assaf

a gem in Leiden

the rooms are very nice and comfortable. only point is that there are many stairs and no elevator. this is imprtant to know if you have to lims 3 flights of steep stairs with your laugage

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

09 Oct 2022

Grahame

Excellent hotel, highly recommended

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

03 May 2022

Gerard

Leiden city trip

Amazing authentic place to stay. Beautiful view over the canals and well equipped. Full electronic check in worked well but as you have no back up phone numbers was a bit of a worry. Three steep stairs to climb to our apartment is not for the faint hearted but then the experience is special.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

13 Dec 2019

Laurence

Fantastic hotel, very stylish A++

Fantastic hotel in the perfect location to explore the beautiful town of Leiden

Business

10/10

Exceptional

22 Oct 2025

Angie

Een heel mooi hotel met een top locatie.
Omdat het een hotel zonder personeel was vond ik het spannend maar dit hoefde niet alles was tot in de puntjes geregeld.
Bagage kan ook nog steeds eerder afgegeven worden en ook na uit check daar nog blijven. Tot een volgende keer.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

15 Sep 2025

Isabelle

Tout etait parfait

8/10

Excellent

19 Aug 2025

Jessica

Es war sehr schön. Treppe ist aber recht steil sonst alles in Ordnung.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

13 Jul 2025

Annick

Il est très bien placé en plein centre de leiden

Leisure

10/10

Exceptional

05 Apr 2025

Mickaël

Parfait

Parfait. Nous avons passé un super bon moment.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

26 Jan 2025

Nancy

Die beste Unterkunft, die wir auf unserer zweiwöchigen Rundreise hatten (und das waren einige)! Super gepflegt, sehr nettes Personal, ein wunderschönes historisches Haus mit modernem Touch. Ein traumhaftes Zimmer. Wir waren super happy hier. Vielen Dank

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

25 Jan 2025

Maria

Fijne locatie, heel centraal, in tegenstelling tot de verwachting was het midden in het centrum erg rustig. De oordoppen waren dus niet nodig,
De trap naar boven is smal maar prima.
Inchecken ging uitstekend dmv de code die je ontvangt waarmee de deur opent via je telefoon.
We hadden een driepersoonskamer en de slaapbank lag uitstekend. Het andere bed stond in de vide. Erg knus.

Leisure Friends

10/10

Exceptional

19 Jan 2025

Yvonne

We hebben genoten van de gezellige accommodatie en de ligging is perfect in het centrum. Voor herhaling vatbaar.

10/10

Exceptional

22 Oct 2024

Raquel

Tevreden!

De locatie is echt top. Kan niet beter. Ook geen last gehad van het geluid vanuit de stad. Wij waren in totaal met 3 meiden en wij vonden het jammer dat er geen grote spiegel was. Alleen die in de badkamer (die beslagen was na het douchen). Dit vond we jammer. De trap naar boven via de algemene hal is best smal, dus goed opletten als je hem op of af loopt. Daarnaast kraakte de slaapbank heel erg. Die mag wel eens vervangen worden. Voor de rest: echt tevreden. De koffie werd aangevuld volgende dag en schone handdoeken.

Friends_and_family Friends

6/10

Pleasant

05 Sep 2024

isabelle

Deuxième séjour dans cet hôtel qui est en fait un hébergement type rbnb déguisé sans pt dej mais la qualité de l’entretien des chambres et des communs a mal évolué
Je suis très déçue par rapport à mon premier séjour

Friends_and_family Family

4/10

Poor

24 Aug 2024

Robin

Es hat uns hier echt gut gefallen, super Lage, man ist mittendrin, Zimmer ist sauber und sehr großzügig.
Das Hotel geht mit der Zeit, es ist eigentlich alles digital und wir hatten keine Sekunde persönlichen Kontakt mit Personal aus dem Hotel.
Zimmer Nr. 2 würde ich dennoch keinem empfehlen. Die Fenster kann man nicht aufmachen, da man direkt über der Abluft einer Küche ist und der Abzug direkt ins Zimmer geleitet wird.
Das Fenster geht direkt zum Innenhof raus und somit geht auch kein Luftzug, dass die Abluft der Küche verweht wird.
Also wollten wir mit der Klima aushelfen, die gluckert aber so als ob jemand im Zimmer steht und duscht.
Dann natürlich der Klassiker, das Wasser läuft im Bad-Waschbecken nicht ab (verstopft). Grundsätzlich hat man ein dauerhaftes piepsen, woher auch immer im Zimmer.
Jetzt wär ich im Flow und könnte mich über viele weitere Kleinigkeiten aufregen, das ist aber auch nicht fair.
Eigentlich schade, da es an sich echt schön ist und die Lage super. Ich bin eigentlich keiner der eine Rezession schreibt und hätte lieber persönlich mit einem gesprochen, ist hier aber nicht möglich. Das ist der Nachteil am modernen, kontaktlosen Trend.

Für die ganzen nachteiligen Punkte ist es einfach zu teuer!!!
Ich hoffe ihr bekommt das Problem in Griff, ich bin nicht der erste, der dem Zimmer Nr. 2 eine schlechte Rezession verpasst!

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

28 Jul 2024

Vincent

Prachtig stijlvolle kamer

Super leuke kamers, mooi ingericht en prachtige plek in Leiden. Toegang is super makkelijk met de app. Fietsenstalling voor de deur van de gemeente. Hele leuke plek om leiden en omgeving vanuit te ontdekken. Lekker bed en mooie badkamer.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

11 Jun 2024

Frank

NIce stay, very central and standard is good. Only thing is that the fan on the neighbour ceiling makes a bit of noise, så it can be challanging to have the windo open at night

Business

8/10

Excellent

14 May 2024

Hilde Merete

Nice and Central place, but service could improve

Nice and cool place, very central! Unfortanely we had several pravtical hick-ups. We did not receive the welcome Mail with access to the electronic key, but fortunately, there were someone in the reception when we arrived who actually checked us in. Unfortunately he forgot to mention that there was a back-up key in a «locker-box» which would have been nice to know when the eletronic key stoppet working on day 2. We found a phone-number after some time and he guided us to the key. Also the reception was unaware that access to a gym was included in the booking, but he was very helpful, and arranged for access to the nearby gym which we enjoyed. When we arrived, there was food left in the fridge from previous guest. On day 2 also the wifi fell out, as well as the hot water. The housekeeper managed to fix the hot water in the afternoon (a fuse on the heater), but the internet was still down (and thus the Netflix access on TV) for the rest of the stay (4 days). On day 3, we did not get clean towels or filling up of coffee/tea. All these incidents makes the score go down from a very nice place in beautiful Leiden. PS, the bed was very good, have seldom slept so good away from home!

Partner

8/10

Excellent

18 Mar 2024

cees

Mooie plek, rustig midden in de stad.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

05 Mar 2024

Peter

Mooie ruime kamer met aparte slaapkamer. Centrale ligging in het centrum. Prima digitale toegang. Door steile trap, lastig voor minder mobiele personen (geen lift). Veel restaurants etc in directe omgeving.

Leisure Partner