Amsterdam’s The Bee Hostel: spending less time managing systems and more time creating meaningful guest experiences

Hospitality has a way of finding the people who belong in it. For Victoria Gutierrez, General Manager of The Bee Hostel, that journey began thousands of kilometers away in Bolivia. At 17, she moved to the Netherlands for school, where she found herself immersed in an international community that sparked a lifelong passion for travel. During school breaks, she ventured to destinations far beyond the typical tourist trail, staying with friends in cities like Pristina, Mostar, Marrakesh, and Kalisz.

Those experiences taught her something that would later define her career: the places people remember most are the ones where they feel genuinely welcomed.

“I realized hospitality is where I shine,” Victoria says. “When I found The Bee Hostel , I knew I was home.”

Today, she leads a hostel built around the same philosophy that first inspired her travels: authentic human connection.

Founded by two brothers, The Bee Hostel was created with the simple vision of building a place where travelers could experience Amsterdam like a local.

Located in the city’s Plantage neighborhood near Artis Zoo, the family-owned hostel takes its name from its distinctive beehive-inspired bed design. Like a hive itself, the property was designed as a place where people from around the world could come together before exploring the city.

But while the concept is memorable, it’s the people that keep guests coming back.

Rather than competing with larger hotels on scale, The Bee focuses on something chains often struggle to replicate: genuine relationships.

“We combine the comfort of a boutique hotel with the warmth of a gezellige hostel,” Victoria explains. “Our team gets to know every guest, remembers returning visitors, and helps them experience Amsterdam through local recommendations and personal conversations.”

That personal approach extends behind the scenes as well. The Bee’s small team consists of one General Manager, one Head Host, and five part-time team members, many of whom balance hospitality alongside university studies or creative careers.

For Victoria, independence isn’t simply about operating outside a hotel brand.

“It’s choosing personal connections over impersonal service,” she says. “We know our guests by name, remember their preferences, and stay true to who we are.”

Opening a second hostel in Amsterdam isn’t easy. Strict hotel permit regulations and fluctuating tourism demand have made expansion increasingly difficult across the city. Yet despite those challenges, the owners successfully opened The Bee before launching The Elephant Hostel just two years later.

For Victoria, growth has never been about adding properties for the sake of it. “The future is uncertain,” she says, “but exciting.”

Instead, the focus remains on building sustainable businesses that maintain the same culture, consistency, and guest experience regardless of size.

That requires technology capable of supporting both today’s operations and tomorrow’s ambitions.

When The Bee evaluated new property management systems, reducing transaction costs initially motivated the switch.

What convinced the team to choose Cloudbeds, however, was something much more important.

“We like that Cloudbeds is constantly trying to improve the product,” Victoria says. “We love improving the staff and guest experience alongside it.”

Today, Cloudbeds serves as the operational foundation for both The Bee Hostel and The Elephant Hostel.

Using Cloudbeds PMS and Channel Manager alongside RoomPriceGenie, the team manages reservations, availability, pricing, and day-to-day operations from one connected platform.

Rather than juggling multiple disconnected systems, staff can focus on delivering the personal service that defines the brand.

For Victoria, success isn’t measured solely by occupancy or revenue. “It’s outstanding guest reviews, healthy revenue, and an exceptional guest experience,” she explains.

Cloudbeds helps make all three possible by removing unnecessary administrative work from daily operations.

Reservations, inventory management, and distribution are managed from one platform, allowing staff to spend less time behind screens and more time interacting with guests.

With fewer repetitive tasks, the team can focus on offering personalized recommendations, answering questions, and creating the memorable moments that independent hospitality is built on.

“Our advice to other hoteliers is simple,” Victoria says. “Choose technology that makes your team’s life easier, not more complicated.”

The Bee’s hiring philosophy is refreshingly simple: Technical skills can be taught, kindness cannot.

“When hiring guest-facing team members, we look for empathy, kindness, and strong social skills above all else,” Victoria explains. “A natural passion for hospitality is what truly makes the difference.”

That philosophy is reinforced through an onboarding process designed to get new employees contributing quickly.

Before their first shift, every new team member completes the Front Desk module through Cloudbeds University. From there, training happens on the job, with most employees feeling confident using the PMS within two to three weeks.

“The right attitude is all that matters,” Victoria says.

Cloudbeds’ Help Center and extensive learning resources further support the team, giving employees access to training whenever they need it without slowing operations.

In an industry increasingly defined by automation and standardization, The Bee Hostel continues to prove that technology works best when it strengthens, not replaces, human connection.

Cloudbeds handles the operational complexity behind the scenes, allowing Victoria and her team to focus on what guests remember long after checkout.

“Our culture is built on the belief that hospitality starts with people,” Victoria says. “We trust our team to be themselves, support one another, and create genuine connections with every guest.”

For independent hoteliers, that’s the real opportunity. Not simply to run hotels more efficiently, but to create the kind of hospitality that no chain, no matter how large, can ever standardize.