How I Accidentally Booked a Hotel in the Middle of Nowhere: A Dutch Adventure Gone Hilariously Wrong!

Let me tell you about the time my travel buddy and I decided to visit the Netherlands. We both had a few days off and thought, “Why not make a quick trip?” We’d heard incredible things about the country, and I’d managed to score a decent hotel at a seemingly reasonable price.

Little did we know, this trip would go from chill vacation vibes to a full-on episode of Amazing Race: The Netherlands...

The Great Booking & Airport Chaos

So, we’re all packed up and running late (as usual) to the airport. We’ve got our phones, passports, snacks—all the essentials, right? WRONG. Unbeknownst to us, we’d forgotten one little thing: our ATM cards. But more on that later.

We get through security, board the plane, and make it to the Netherlands in one piece. So far, so good! I had pre-booked a taxi to the hotel, and off we went... straight into what felt like a never-ending road trip through the Dutch countryside.

"Wait... Why Is the Hotel So Far?"

As the taxi meter ticked away, it hit us: Why on earth is this hotel an hour away from Amsterdam?! I mean, I knew I had scored a deal, but this felt like we were headed to another country. Eventually, we arrived at our scenic (read: middle-of-nowhere) hotel, only to find out it was two hours away from all the fun stuff in Amsterdam. Facepalm.

Okay, we thought, no big deal. We’ll just check in and figure out transportation later. But then...

Enter: The Passport Problem

We roll up to the front desk, and as soon as the receptionist sees my Nigerian passport, the mood changes. He starts asking for the ATM card I used for the booking, throwing around the word “fraud” like we were in an episode of CSI. Cue my internal screaming.

No problem, I thought—I’ll just whip out my ATM card and shut this down. So, I reach into my bag and... no card. Absolutely no card. I had completely forgotten my card wallet because, of course, I thought Apple Pay would save me. Spoiler alert: It didn’t.

The Hotel Drama & Quick Escape

Now cardless and being treated like an international criminal, I did what any sane traveler would do—I canceled the booking on the spot and stormed out of there. We quickly found a new hotel... that was THREE times the price but, at least, in the heart of Amsterdam. A win? Kind of.

The Train Fiasco

At this point, we were broke, tired, and still two hours away from our new hotel. So, we decided to take the train, thinking it would be a piece of cake. WRONG AGAIN. Everything was in Dutch, we had no clue where we were going, and we spent what felt like an eternity getting lost, missing trains, and dragging our suitcases through the depths of Dutch transit.

After finally making it to the city center (cue a Hallelujah chorus), we were too exhausted to continue the struggle. We flagged down a taxi and prepared to pay whatever it took to get us to the hotel.

The Punchline

But here’s the kicker: The taxi driver takes one look at us, chuckles, and says, “Your hotel is right there.” We turn around, and lo and behold, the hotel was literally a few steps away. I almost cried.

Moral of the Story

We made it in the end, had an amazing time in Amsterdam, and yes, we’ll probably go back—just a little wiser (and with ALL our cards).

So, here’s the takeaway:

1. Always triple check that your hotel is actually where you want to be.
2. Pack your ATM cards.
3. When all else fails, a sense of humor is essential.

Trust me, you don’t want to learn these lessons the hard way like we did!