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Netherlands
This is a great little gem of a place that might be the only one its kind in the world. It has taken the boutique hotel concept and turned it inside out - with the design and coolness factor turned up high. The 'hotel' moniker is misleading; it has but one room. It's a very stylish and beautiful room, mind you. The rest of the place consists of an art space, a design and a 'product' shop full of interesting items for the home, a beauty/skin care boutique, a clothing shop, a cafe, and a small interior garden. Confused? That's normal. But just drop in and you will feel that it all somehow makes sense. The cafe in particular is a great spot to eat and re-charge during a day of sight-seeing.
www.hoteldroog.com/
Staalstraat 7B, 1011 JJ Amsterdam, Netherlands
+31 20 523 5059
Google map: bit.ly/17Hy2Nl
* Jeff is our Been there local for Amsterdam. You can read his profile here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/articles/amsterdam-local-jeff-funnekotter.jsp and follow his tips here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/travellers/jefffunnekotter
Amsterdam has a well-oiled (and downright oily) network of cheap hotels geared towards the weekend warrior from the UK, France, Germany, etc. These are places that serve as mere drop-off points for your backpack and as way stations for trips to the bathroom and a quick shower, where your fellow guests might include a mouse or two and various arthropods.
The Toren is not one these places. Located on the Keizersgracht canal in the heart of the canal ring, it is a luxurious oasis of a hotel, dripping with class and coolness. It’s pricey, as you’d expect from a four-star design hotel, but for good reason - the staff is first-rate (good service itself being something of a luxury in Amsterdam), the bar/restaurant is perfect, and the rooms are clean, cosy, and hard to leave on those days when the rain ceaselessly pelts the canal outside your window.
Even if you aren’t staying here, the small lounge is worth a visit during the day, when you want a break from the tourist hordes.. And at night you can slip into what feels like a movie setting, what with the candles going and hushed conversations happening on the couches and lush chairs. The only downside is that you might not ever want to leave.
www.thetoren.nl
Keizersgracht 164, 1015 CZ Amsterdam
+31 (0)20 622 60 33
Google map: bit.ly/OkxYLZ
* Jeff is our Been there local for Amsterdam. You can read his profile here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/articles/amsterdam-local-jeff-funnekotter.jsp and follow his tips here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/travellers/jefffunnekotter
The Skylounge is a cool bar-restaurant on the top floor of the Mint Hotel. The terrace gives an amazing view of Amsterdam whilst enjoying a cocktail. Free entrance, cocktails were about £12 each.
www.minthotel.com/skylounge
4 Oosterdoksstraat Amsterdam, Netherlands , 1011 DK
+31 (0)20 530 0800
Google map: bit.ly/rogQUj
Budget week end in Amsterdam? Sorted. This place is basic but spotless. Old Dutch art nouveau house with an Anapurna of stairs to climb and no lift. Atmospheric old building literally over the road from the Rijksmuseum. Beautiful breakfast room and splendid breakfast. Catch the 197 bus from Schipol and it stops outside the door. Friendly, attentive staff. If you just need a place to sleep and enjoy the sights, this is the one. I'll be back.
www.hotelmuseumzicht.com/
Jan Luijkenstraat 22
1071 CN Amsterdam, Netherlands
+31(0)20 6712954
Google map: bit.ly/dR9n1b
The worst thing about misc eatdrinksleep? That name - which makes it sound like some kind of capsule hotel or backpacker hostel, rather than what it is - a wonderfully individual, romantic hotel right in the centre of Amsterdam. Rooms are delightful, individually decorated and overlooking either canal or garden. All are equipped with good coffeemaker, toiletries, robes, big comfortable bed, good lighting and a gratis minibar - no alcohol (a small bar downstairs provides that) but chocolate, snacks and soft drinks, all included in the room price - a first for me, but typical of the way the place is run. The owners are friendly and extremely helpful without being in any way overpowering - all in all the place is a perfect example of what 'customer focus' should really mean (and very rarely does).
Downsides? Some people might find the canalside rooms a little noisy - if so, then ask for a garden room. And the stairs are very steep and narrow, but this is a traditional Amsterdam house and that's the way they work. I can't comment on the breakfast as I was leaving too early in the morning, but if the plate of fruit, bread and local cheese that was left in my room was any guide, I'm guessing it would be better than acceptable.
Getting here from the airport - unless you're laden down with luggage, don't waste money on a taxi. Fast train is 20 minutes and a few euros, the walk from Dam Square to the hotel is interesting and takes between 10 and 15 minutes. Note that although the hotel is on the edge of the red light area, you need never know it, and the Niewmarket square which it sits on is great for a couple of beers and a spot of peoplewatching. Plenty of cafes and restaurants around too.
Kloveniersburgwal 20 | (formerly Zosa Hotel), Amsterdam 1012 CV www.misceatdrinksleep.com/
Extreme friendly and efficient staff, non smoking, great rooms, modern. Not like most AMS hotels - old and stuffy. We had city view, and a really great time.
Rated 9.1 at www.hotels.com, and excellent also in www.tripadvisor.com and www.holidaycheck.de At last a modern well organized place in Amsterdam.
Excellent east/west style cuisine, nice bar. What else you want? We had free internet, executive floor, Nespresso machine in the room, sprinkler system, the best breakfast, bathrobes, slippers, fruits, covered parking, a canal boat in front, Tram transport next to the hotel - and just 20 minutes from the airport and five minutes from central station.
www.moevenpick-amsterdam.com,,
water side, next to Cruise Terminal, city centre
CitizenM offers affordable luxury hotels near or in European metropolitan locations. The hotel has a lobby with a check-in kiosk and offers “canteenM”, a bar/lounge for light food and drinks. The rooms are 13x10 and integrate cutting-edge technology represented by LED lights, black out remote curtain, and a Phillips mood pad and flat screen TV. The hotel is modular in that each room is built in a warehouse and is brought in by truck and dropped into the building infrastructure.
We visited Amsterdam with our three year old daughter, while I was heavily pregnant.
Knowing that we would be having early nights in our hotel room, we upgraded to a room "with a view", using money saved from not using evening entertainment or so many museum admissions.
Our room overlooked on of the ubiquitous squares and we spent evenings eating a rather nice room service menu people watching.
It may not sound exciting,but we loved it and kept sane at the same timeR with no worries regarding baby sitting services.
The Times hotel in Amsterdam was excellent value of money, newly renovated and had friendly and helpful staff - especially after by luggage was lost by the airline!
Absorb Amsterdam's culture even as you sleep by staying in the Lloyds Hotel which is part of the Cultural Embassy in the centre of town. They have reasonably priced 1 star right through to a more extravagant 5 stars and many of the rooms have furniture created by Dutch designers. The staff are incredibly friendly and there are often local bands playing at the Cultural Centre in the evenings. A really lovely base from which to explore this beautiful city.
Central city
www.lloydhotel.com/
The Bulldog Hotel is great - very friendly staff, clean rooms and all in the heart of Amsterdam.
If you're a seasoned traveller, you probably want centrally-located, hotel-style accommodation - no way would you stay in a hostel - in Amsterdam that won’t see you selling off your family members' body parts in some canal-filled back street.
The solution? Hotel Amstelzicht. Picture large, open windows with an uninterrupted view over the Amstel canal and coffee shops, bars, restaurants and attractions at your fingertips.
The only catch is that, being built in 1659, the stairs are very steep. But as one of the guys who works there says, it’s traditional and his grandmother of 89 has done it this way since …well, forever.
Stay at Lloyds hotel - 117 rooms with a luxury rating from one to five stars. The interior decoration is a combination of classic and modern Dutch design.
Oostelijke Handelskade 34
1019 BN
The Seven Bridges Hotel in Amsterdam (31-20-6231329) is superb, with individually-styled rooms and an interesting reservation policy.
Breakfast is served in your room, so make sure you are suitably robed in the morning.
Staying in Amsterdam and want a cheap and interesting hotel? Then try the Hotel Arena. It is a former orphanage. The rooms have Ikea-type furnishings and the buffet breakfast suits all tastes from muesli to fry-ups! The hotel is on the tram route directly to the centre.
Hotel Arena
In 2003 I stayed in the Canal House Hotel in Amsterdam, a quaint small hotel in a central location with fantastic, quirky features throughout.
I was there for an exhibition at the Rai Conference Centre and after four days of exhibiting my feet were aching - though not too badly, as I have a pair of 'exhibition' shoes that I have used for years. On my return to England I found I had left my shoes behind and emailed the hotel to see if they had found them.
I got a fantastic reply back with a parcel containing my shoes and a note saying 'Confortable shoes are so hard to find and we are happy to return them to you. Please enjoy many more years use and come back to us if you are ever in Amsterdam again'. With such warmth and courtesy, I surely will.
The Ambassade is the best kept secret in Europe: Amsterdam's best hotel, it has a perfect canal setting, beautiful rooms and it's not expensive. It is loved by writers, who are encouraged to leave signed copies of their books in the exquisite library.
Try the Banks Mansion Hotel, an old bank converted into an art-deco style hotel. It does free alcohol and great breakfasts.
www.carlton.nl/banksMansion/default-en.html?CFID=28260199&CFTOKEN=35574546
A great place to stay is The Hotel Estheréa, which is ideally located on one of the most beautiful and quiet canals in the centre of the city, just 300 metres from the Dam Square and the Royal Palace.
Central Station, the main shopping district, museums and theatres are all within walking distance. Hidden behind an elegant 17th-century facade is a stylish and charming four-star hotel with 71 recently renovated rooms. The excellent facilities include a beautifully decorated lounge, library and bar, all offering a warm and intimate ambience. The elevator reaches all five floors. Hotel Estheréa has been a family owned hotel for more than 60 years.
The Botel, a floating hotel, is a good, cheap-and-cheerful base for exploring the city. Located adjacent to the railway station, it is within walking distance of all of the main attractions.
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