The Bulldog Hotel sits on a picturesque canal in Amsterdam and is flanked by historic buildings on a pedestrian-friendly street. It’s located in the heart of the Red Light District, so there are doors with bars and red light windows visible from the street. There are also several other Bulldog branded coffee shops and companies on the same street with canal-side terraces.

The hotel offers a relaxed party atmosphere and seems to cater to a young crowd -- this isn’t a property for families (minimum age for guests is 18) or couples seeking a romantic getaway. A bar, with a pool table, and lounge is located next to the front desk, where it’s not uncommon to see people drinking and smoking -- cannabis included. Walls throughout the property are covered in artistic graffiti-style murals, many featuring bulldogs.

The Bulldog Hotel is located in the Red Light District and is within walking distance to cabarets, bars, and coffee shops (where smoking cannabis is permitted), and is about an eight-minute walk from Centraal Station. The Nine Streets (De Negen Straatjes) shopping district is located about six blocks away. There’s an authentic Thai restaurant called Snackbar Bird located about three blocks away, as well as many other restaurants and bars within walking distance.

There are several types of rooms available at The Bulldog Hotel, including dorm rooms with bunk beds, lockers in a row, and a shared en-suite black-and-white checkered bathroom with two shower stalls and double metal sinks. Female-only dorm rooms are available. Guests need to bring their own padlocks to secure belongings.

Private Standard Rooms can sleep anywhere from one to four people (some have bunk beds) and have private bathrooms, a closet, safe, and a desk (no TVs or other amenities). Luxury Rooms have the same bed configuration, furniture, and bathroom -- the only difference is that they have flat-screen TVs, mini-fridges, and canal views. All rooms benefit from lively wall art, but are still pretty basic with all lamps fixed to the walls, and low-end fitted furniture.

Apartments, which are in a nearby building, have a living room with a sofa bed that sleeps two, flat-screen TVs, updated bathrooms, and a kitchen with a stove, microwave, and coffeemaker, and a bedroom that has two to three beds -- and some lively wall art.

The staff prepares a basic, continental breakfast each day, and there are happy hour specials each night. There is a rooftop terrace with a sitting area and there’s a lounge area in the lobby with small glass-topped tables and cattle-print banquettes. The on-site restaurant and bar serve pizza, nachos, and burgers. The lobby contains several soda and candy machines, a computer for guests' use, and a brochure display area containing tourist information.