Visit Amsterdam

Hello!

Here I am to continue hotel overview from Marbee started in the previous post. If you don’t remember, that was Hotel Artemis Amsterdam, a 4-star Amsterdam hotel. Hotel Artemis Amsterdam was recently opened and therefore their hotel apartment was spick and span, as well as the reception area, corridors, lift and restaurant. Stylish design of the hotel was very attractive.

Their apartment was on the third floor (don’t worry to stay in upper floor rooms- lift is available). The room itself was equipped with almost everything needed for a comfortable stay: shower, bath, hair dryer, toilet, tea and coffee making facilities, mini-bar, safe, nice flat TV set and cable TV, and even trouser press. That was more than enough and they did not use any other services or facilities except wireless internet. The room was huge and the beds were very comfortable and wide. As for outside noise – they were on weekend and the following Monday-Tuesday and there was no noise from the outside during weekend and week days. That is one of advantages of Amsterdam hotels located a little farther away from the hustle and bustle of the city center. They slept well.

The mini-bar contained pay drinks only and the downfall was the price of the drinks in it – 3.25 euros for a can of Coke. (Not for guests I suppose!)

Buffet breakfast was not included and cost EUR 17.50 per person; it was really delicious and well presented.
Marbee’s family friends considered Hotel Artemis Amsterdam a very pleasant hotel with comparatively cheap rates, good service and attentive staff.

Thanks to Marbee. See you!

Hello, friends!

I go on with sharing my own experience of staying in a cheap Amsterdam hotel in the heart of the city and close to the sightseeing areas – Hotel Linda Amsterdam.

I was settled in a double non-smoking room on the third floor. My apartment was neither too small nor too big, that was something in the middle, but there was enough space to feel comfortable. The bathroom was clean and spotless; the windows shut tightly and were effective to block the outside noise pretty well, but the guests next door were too noisy one evening. I suppose that I could hear them dancing not because the hotel walls were too thin, but because they were stamping their feet too loudly. A call to the reception helped, and the following nights were peaceful. The bed was comfortable with double pillows. TV was fine, with loads of channels. I would prefer to have tea and coffee making facilities in the room, but …

Breakfast was included in the room cost – scrambled eggs, cereal, etc. Although food was quite basic there was plenty of it. Breakfast was pretty good and the breakfast lounge was clean.

The steps were incredibly steep to the third floor (some kind of keep-fit), anyway I strongly advise to avoid wearing high-heeled shoes when going up and down the hotel stairs. It’s a pity, but there was no lift in Hotel Linda Amsterdam.

All in all, Hotel Linda Amsterdam was reasonable for what I paid, a good budget Amsterdam hotel, and I would stay there again and recommend it to others.

My today’s review is devoted to a pleasant Hotel Linda in Amsterdam. Although this hotel is ranked 2 stars and is comparatively cheap, it is located in the heart of Amsterdam and allows the capital guests to enjoy the city center sights, which are plenty: the lively “Albert Cuypmarkt” and the “Waterlooplein”, the entertainment area of the “Rembrandtplein” and several museums are within short walking distance from Hotel Linda Amsterdam. It’s very convenient when the place where you stay is close to the landmarks of the city, because in this case it is possible to combine your work and sightseeing. That is really one of the points I consider when choosing and booking hotels for my numerous trips. By the way, it is always wise to book cheapest Amsterdam hotels and budget accommodations in Amsterdam, especially at the peak holiday season, at weekends and festive events, well in advance. Booking in advance usually prevents disappointments.

The address of Hotel Linda Amsterdam is Stadhouderskade 131, which is on the southern side of the city centre.

This hotel was reasonably priced for the middle of June and, as I was looking for a cheap city center Amsterdam hotel, I considered Hotel Linda the best accommodation option.

Depending on whether you smoke or not, smoking or non-smoking rooms could be booked on request. I don’t smoke, so double non-smoking room was my choice. I was offered two double rooms to choose from: one was right against footpath and reception area, the other was on the third floor. As I was worrying about the lobby noise which could disturb me at night (I am a light sleeper), I preferred a room on the upper floor. I booked late, but the reception staff were still friendly and helpful.

I am going to continue later on…

Hi, friends!

The information about the following Amsterdam hotel was received from Marbee. She liked the idea of describing budget Amsterdam hotels for my sister and friends who are going to come to the capital. She was glad to share information and facts about some Amsterdam hotels. These are hotels where her relatives, friends or acquaintances stayed when in Amsterdam. Thank you, Marbee! And here is the first hotel described by Marbee.

Hotel Artemis Amsterdam is a 4-star Amsterdam hotel located a little farther away from the hustle and bustle of the Amsterdam’s city center, so guests can enjoy quiet nights; the exact address of the Hotel Artemis Amsterdam is John M. Keynesplein 2. The city center is about a 15-20 walk away from the hotel. If you don’t like walking and prefer public transport you can just jump on a tram around the corner from the hotel. As I have already said somewhere in the previous posts, taxis in Amsterdam are exorbitantly priced, prices there are much greater than they should be. So, beware of taxi drivers they will rob you blind! Public transport is much cheaper! By the way, central station and airport are reachable by public transport as well.

Marbee’s family friends stayed there when they visited the city for a family occasion – her brother was getting married. They didn’t have any problems with checking in because they had booked the room in advance choosing from superior, executive and business classifications. The room they got was great for the price they paid, which wasn’t much in comparison to other hotels of the same star rating.

Sorry, I will continue later. Bye!

Hello!

Well, today I am going to tell you about our walking tour of Amsterdam. To tell the truth, that wasn’t really a “walking tour”, because we were able to see just one Amsterdam’s sight – Rijksmuseum. Of course, I had grater plans, but I just couldn’t imagine how much there was to see, we spent 2 hours in this gigantic art museum, but couldn’t view even a third of the museums richest art collection. You need a few days to explore the whole museum. Marbee said that the main building of the Rijksmuseum was closed for construction, so only the already renovated Philips Wing was open for visitors, but much of the museum’s art collection was being displayed there: masterpieces of Ruysdael, Vermeer, Hals, and, of course, Rembrandt. I am interested in arts, but I don’t really know much about it, in other words, I am a dilettante. Marbee knew even less than me, so we had to spend some money on renting an audio tour of the museum. I felt like a real tourist! From those unknown masterpieces I was impressed by Vermeer’s “The Drunken Pair” and “Woman at her Toilet”.

The decorative arts galleries were a little less-crowded than the rest of the museum. There were fine collections of Dutch ceramics, furniture, crystal, silver and other decorative arts.

We had a great time there and I think we should come back to explore the rest of the museum. We were tired, and here is my advice for all those who would like to explore this particular museum or some other Amsterdam places of interest – be sure to wear comfortable shoes! I will definitely follow this advice next time!

Bye!