Visit Amsterdam

Hello, dear friends!

I haven’t written in my blog for quite a long time, but I haven’t given up the idea of reviewing hotels. So, here is the next hotel description from a friend of mine.

Omega Hotel Amsterdam is a cheap Amsterdam hotel perfectly located for tourists who came to the capital in order to explore the city’s cultural heritage. The National Museum, the Van Gogh Museum and the Municipal Museum of Modern Art are nearby the hotel. The Vondel Park is on the doorstep as well – it is a great place to relax. From Omega Hotel Amsterdam you can also easily reach most popular shopping streets and the “Leidseplein”, a perfect place to enjoy Amsterdam’s vibrant nightlife. The exact address of this cheap Amsterdam accommodation is Jacob Obrechtstraat 33, Amsterdam (Vondelpark Area).

My friend was traveling with his sister so they chose a twin room room with 2 single beds. Their room was very small and would have been uncomfortable had they been spending the whole day in the room, but it was OK just to sleep there. The room was clean and it was equipped with a bathroom, television, phone, hairdryer, minibar and safe.
English breakfast was included in the room rate. The choice of food was OK, dishes were delicious. The lady that was serving food was very nice and concerned.

Omega Hotel Amsterdam had no internet connection in the room but there was a desktop computer in the lobby, guests could use it for one euro per hour.

A friend of mine liked the hotel and he would definitely recommend this cheap Amsterdam hotel and go back there again.

That’s all for now, bye!

Hello, dear friends!

Here I am back with a new Amsterdam hotel review. The following review has been sent by my on-line pen friend, Jennifer, and I am going to cite Jennifer’s letter with her permission. Here it is:

“Tulip Inn Amsterdam Centre has a 3-star rating. We stayed in this budget Amsterdam hotel for 4 nights and found it to be a great hotel for the price we paid (it was cheaper compared to other 3-star hotels in this area of the city). We decided to book rooms in Tulip Inn Amsterdam Centre due to its convenient location in the heart of Amsterdam. Its central location made this hotel a good place to start an exploration of the capital. Some of the sites which we were going to see during our trip could be easily reached from Tulip Inn Amsterdam Centre. The Royal Palace on Dam square, Rijksmuseum, Stedelijk museum and Kalverstraat were within walking distance. There was a tram station right in front of the hotel and we could get anywhere within the city.

As I was traveling with my cousin, we booked deluxe room with two single beds. Our room was small but functional and there was everything necessary for a comfortable stay – telephone, television, hairdryer, tea and coffee making facilities, safe. The hotel staff cleaned apartments up to 12.30 pm, which was very handy for us who liked to sleep in the morning. The hotel was very noisy, though, because there were renovations being carried out.

We liked Tulip Inn Amsterdam Centre, and, if you are looking for a cheap hotel in Amsterdam in a great location, this hotel is for you.”

Dear, Jennifer! Thank you very much for the information, I hope you will send us more Amsterdam hotel descriptions and I promise to publish them here.

Here are some points you should find out about the hotel in Amsterdam where you are going to stay: location, price, facilities, cleanliness, curfew, staff, food, security and cancellation policy. Let’s have a closer look at these points.Usually location of the hotel is the first thing travelers think about when choosing a place to stay in the city. Most visitors prefer to settle closer to the Central Station or the airport in order to have some rest after their fatiguing travel as soon as possible. Others are afraid of getting lost in the city or prefer to save money on taxis. Tourists coming to Amsterdam for some cultural reasons or for sightseeing usually prefer to stay in centrally located Amsterdam hotels closer to popular tourist attractions and landmarks. But you should realize the fact that Amsterdam is relatively small city compared to other European capitals, so distances are usually not important here. Most Amsterdam’s places of interest are located in one kilometer radius around the city center and all of them can be easily reached by public transport (either frequently running and fast trams or metro). Some of the travelers may prefer riding a bicycle, which is very popular way of getting around the city – there a lot of bicycle rentals in Amsterdam. So, I think there is no point in choosing Amsterdam hotels in the downtown area, because they are usually more expensive, more crowded and noisier. You can save some money if you decide to settle out of the center; a good guidebook will help you to find your way around the city. You can also get some useful advices at the reception desk of the hotel.

The number of people with high level of income is steadily on the rise and when at last they decide to take a break from their busy and hectic lives, they want indulge all their wants and needs whatever they are. And the hotel owners have to generate and offer something very special to win tourists’ affection and attract them to their hotels. Modern hotel is no more just a comfortable place for sleeping with good food and a swimming pool. There have to be something more than just a set of basic amenities and services. Luxury hoteliers are trying to create all kinds of new, unique, top-end amenities, services, special offers and packages, which can seem sometimes strange, weird, and even mad. Let’s have a look at top seven exceptional guests’ services in hotel industry.

1. The Benjamin, an executive suite hotel in New York, offers the Before Children Package of services. That means that you get your personal Sleep Concierge who will help you choose from a pillow menu with some 12 choices for a good night sleep. Moreover, if you select the hotel’s Dream a Little Dream package, you will also receive some sleep tips, lavender turn-down service and a white-noise machine, which is really a special device that produces a sound somewhat like a waterfall to enhance your sleep. The next morning your Sleep Concierge will be there to decipher your dreams.

2. If you don’t want to leave your lovely dog at home, take it with you to Nine Zero hotel, Boston. This pet-friendly hotel offers special “In the Doghouse” pet package which will treat your four-legged friend like royalty. Pet sitting, pet grooming, pet walking and pet massage, let alone pet bowls and pet beds in your room, are included in the package. The above mentioned Benjamin hotel has a “Dream Dog” program which includes 3 bed options, Dream Dog bathrobe, Doggy DVD, “Dog-on Television” and a Spa gift basket for your dog.

3. The Hyatt Andaz London hotel is number one choice for book lovers as it offers one of the most unique services for its guests – “bibliotherapy”. The hotel has a “reader-in-residence”, whose duties include diagnosing hotel guests’ literary needs and prescribing particular texts, which he reads aloud to them. Moreover, there is a special book menu to choose from. Enjoy a peaceful evening with a man reading aloud for you.

4. The Houstonian Hotel specializes on spa and fitness in the state-of-the-art . The hotel offers all kinds of spa services and facilities: massages, facials, body-treatments, rainfall showers, steam room, indoor float pool and so on. The Hustonian Hotel has a special babymoon package for mothers-to-be, which includes Prenatal Massage, repair and restore vitamin C facial to reduce pigment marks associated with pregnancy and foot rescue program. Fathers-to-be can enjoy Deep Tissue Massage while waiting for them.

5. If you want to get the real jail experience, book a cell in Jailhotel Lowengraben in Switzerland. All hotel rooms have the authentic jail touch and allow you to taste life behind bars. Maybe it is the first prison you will never want to leave.

6. Fairemont Chicago hotel has its own bath sommelier who offers hand-drawn baths in mint, pepper mint, chocolate, milk, mud, sugar or citrus for the best relaxation ever.

7. Guests of Hotel Sax Chicago can enjoy its Celebrity Rider Package. The hotel staff will find out requested celebrity’s personal preferences and requirements and duplicate them for you. Just be sure you can afford it!