Visit Amsterdam

Here is a letter from a traveler who stayed in budget Amsterdam Hotel – Mercure Hotel Amsterdam aan de Amstel.“We have just returned from a 3-night stay in Mercure Hotel Amsterdam aan de Amstel. It was overall a very positive experience.

To be honest, the hotel is quite a distance outside of the city. But there is a tram that hotel guests can take into the center of Amsterdam. It’s very handy that guests can buy tram tickets at the reception desk, or they can buy tickets on the tram (tram stop is in a 5-minute walk from Mercure Hotel Amsterdam aan de Amstel). It takes approximately 10-15 minutes to get to the main square in Amsterdam. As for us, we live in London and prefer walking so therefore did not think of the hotel’s location away from the centre to be of much concern.

The hotel was very nice and clean. Our room was very nicely decorated and furnished. Our beds were a little narrow (actually, we were hoping for larger beds) but very comfy to sleep in. The air conditioning worked just fine.

There aren’t many places to eat around the hotel and the local area lacks activities. So, it’s advisable to have breakfasts in the hotel. Breakfast was more than enough to start the day off: cereal, eggs, meat, toast, fruits, yogurt, tae, coffee, juice, etc.

So, if you don’t mind this Amsterdam hotel’s location, then Mercure Hotel Amsterdam aan de Amstel is a good choice – clean, affordable, and quiet.”

Today I publish a letter from a student named Dave, who has recently traveled to Amsterdam with some of his friends.“I went to Amsterdam with a group of friends to spend a couple of days. We wanted a cheap Amsterdam hotel or a room in a hostel, as we were traveling on budget. The most important thing was the hotel’s central location. Our choice was Hotel Manofa, a 1-star budget hotel. We didn’t expect anything special from such cheap Amsterdam accommodation. Four of us stayed in a 4-bed-room which was about EUR 27 per night: it was probably the cheapest Amsterdam hotel we could find anywhere in Amsterdam. Anyway, it was definitely better than sharing a room with 20 strangers in a hostel somewhere in the suburbs.

What people are afraid of when staying in cheap hotel rooms? Probably, they are afraid of mice, rats and bedbugs. There were no mice, no rats and no bed bugs in Hotel Manofa. Of course, our room was really small and old, but the linen was sort of clean and our towels were changed every day. The window of our room faced onto another hotel, but that didn’t matter as we were not going to sit in front of the window watching Amsterdam: we were just a group of young men wanting to have fun, so the hotel choice was not bad at all!

I can’t comment on the food as there were lots of nice places for snacks and coffee and some other kind of eateries on the main street of Manofa.

Personally, I wouldn’t recommend Hotel Manofa in Amsterdam for people traveling with kids or business travelers, but the hotel is OK for students traveling on the cheap.”

Here is a letter from Helen who shares her experience of staying in one of the most luxurious Amsterdam hotels.“NH Barbizon Palace Amsterdam is an excellent hotel choice among luxurious Amsterdam accommodations. This 5-star hotel is located right across from the Central Station. Look left across the square as you come out of the train station and you will see NH Barbizon Palace. That’s an ideal place for a hotel, because you don’t need to pay for taxi or mess around on the tram and there is no chance to get lost. The location of the hotel was incredible, no long train journeys or walks to get to the sights and places of interest, and it also was very close to the Red Light District.

We stayed four nights at NH Barbizon Palace, Tuesday through Friday. We were offered a corner room overlooking a canal. The room was very spacious compared to the most budget accommodations in Amsterdam. The room was equipped with a comfortable king-size bed, a large TV set, a desk and plenty of storage. Tea and coffee facilities were available and the room was cleaned daily. Marble bathroom was fantastic; the complimentary toiletries were nice too! We didn’t hear much noise during our stay even though Amsterdam and the hotel were very busy.

Breakfast wasn’t included in our package, so we had to pay EUR 25.00 per person. It was delicious, but I still think that EUR 25.00 per person is quite expensive. However, if you prefer to eat outside there are plenty of cafes nearby to eat in.

Overall, we had a nice time in NH Barbizon Palace in Amsterdam and highly recommend it.”

I am back with a new Amsterdam hotel review for you. This one was shared by Patrick from Madrid.“We made our reservation on-line after a thorough research on budget Amsterdam hotels. Our choice was Mercure Amsterdam Arthur Frommer, a 3-star Amsterdam hotel in a quiet street in the centre of Amsterdam (Noorderstraat 46). By the way, hotel’s on-line pictures turned out to be very realistic. We booked a double room for 5 nights for me, my wife and my 2-year-old son.

On arriving at Schiphol airport, we went to the tourist information desk and bought a return ticket for the shuttle bus, which took us right to Mercure Amsterdam Hotel.

We asked for a room at the back of the hotel and we were offered a quiet room facing the little street. Our room had a double bed, a LCD TV, a minibar, a safe, a closet, a desk and a lamp. There was no tea and coffee making facility in the room. Space was really limited for three of us keeping in mind that we were traveling with a baby. Bathroom was huge compared to the room size. Plenty of bathroom accessories were available there.

What we most liked in Mercure Amsterdam Arthur Frommer was the friendly and attentive staff. Hotel personnel were
helpful in providing city maps and calling taxis. Mercure Amsterdam Arthur Frommer is located close to the centre of Amsterdam and we could reach all the places we were intended to visit on foot, which was very important especially
considering that we were traveling with a small child.

All in all, my wife and I were satisfied with Mercure Amsterdam Arthur Frommer and I think, in case we are back in Amsterdam, this hotel will be our first choice.”

Here is another Amsterdam hotel review. This time it is Rokin hotel in the center of Amsterdam.“As I was traveling alone, I thought that budget Rokin hotel would be the best place to stay for me. Probably the best thing about this hotel is its location, less than a five minutes walk from Dam Square with its loads of stuff and with most local attractions within a half-hour walk. I advise you not to bother with the trams unless you are in the older age group: by the time you’ve found out which one goes where and then waited for it, you might as well walk, which is much healthier and more interesting.

I booked on-line and paid EUR 105 for a single room for one night. My room was basic but functional. There was a single bed with crisp white bed linen, TV private bathroom facilities, safe and telephone in the room. The room itself looked very small, but I think that doesn’t matter if use you hotel room just for sleeping. I am not sure how the room size would suit a couple, however.

The rate was including breakfast, which was actually quite good: cereals, bacon, scrambled egg, toast, fruit, cheese, tea, coffee, juice etc. All food was freshly cooked.

So, in conclusion, Rokin hotel Amsterdam is functional rather than flash or luxurious, but if you want a good, budget, well located, clean budget Amsterdam hotel with friendly helpful staff then this is the place for you.”