Visit Amsterdam

Here is a letter from a student who has recently traveled on a budget to Amsterdam and shares his experience about staying in Amsterdam’s Hotel Citadel.“It was on-the-spot decision to make a trip to Amsterdam that’s why I just had no time to take care of booking a budget hotel in Amsterdam in advance. As a result had no place to stay after my arrival to Amsterdam and I was left wandering the city late at night. I decided to stay in the first budget but not so cheap Amsterdam hotel along my way. 3-star Hotel Citadel Amsterdam, a typical budget downtown Amsterdam hotel, was in a five minute walk from the Central Station and, as I surprisingly found out next morning, the hotel was within easy walking distance of all Central Amsterdam has to offer – Dam Square, canals, shops, several museums and the Red Light district. There was a tram stop across the street, but tram noise didn’t bother me at all. I was greeted by a very helpful receptionist who offered me a room at a good rate including breakfast. I was very grateful for any room at this time of night, as I was very tired.

The room was functional and clean, the bed was comfortable and the shower worked and that was enough for me.
Breakfast was served downstairs and it was very good and enough to start the day off. There were about 10 tables available for breakfast with very fast service and friendly staff. The hotel guests seemed to be a mixture of tourists and business people.

If you are looking for a cheap, but centrally located place to stay in Amsterdam, Hotel Citadel would be the right choice.”

Here is a hotel review about Hotel de Filosoof in Amsterdam which I have recently received.“It was our first trip to Amsterdam that’s why we made a serious research on cheap Amsterdam hotels – we really believe that the RIGHT hotel is a very important element of the journey and that’s why we were quite interested in booking a good Amsterdam hotel with reasonable prices. We chose Hotel de Filosoof even though the hotel’s price seemed a little bit high for us (all hotels in Amsterdam didn’t seem to be any cheaper), but we still could afford it. According to the hotel information, pictures on their website and travelers’ reviews it was a city center Amsterdam hotel and I read the reviews that the rooms were decorated in different philosophical and cultural themes. We liked the idea and booked rooms in Hotel de Filosoof Amsterdam.

We have stayed at this hotel in September 2007 between the dates of 15th-19th. Hotel de Filosoof is in a ten-minute tram journey from the Central Station, the Filosoof is located in a quiet residential area near the Vondelpark. Location was nice, very close to a tram stop and only a few minutes walk from Van Gogh’s Museum and Rijksmuseum.

Our room was situated across the road from the main hotel building. It was really funky in decor, and we had everything we needed for a short stay in Amsterdam. Our room was tidied up every day, it was warm and quiet.

Breakfast was not included and costs EUR 15.00 per person. It was served in a cozy and quiet breakfast room. Breakfast was satisfactory, service was quick and the staff were helpful and friendly.

Our overall impression of Hotel de Filosoof was very positive. Probably, we would stay there again.”

Today I publish a letter from a traveler to Amsterdam, who describes her impressions about Amsterdam American Hotel, a 4-star Amsterdam hotel.“My husband and I stayed at the American Hotel Amsterdam for his 45th birthday in February, 2008. Some of our close friends had stayed here last year and recommended this Amsterdam hotel. They were right and we were not disappointed – we spent a really fabulous time there.

We e-mailed the hotel the night before we arrived and asked (if possible) for a view of canal. We were offered a room on the 6-th floor; it was spacious and comfortable with the windows overlooking the canal. The room was just perfect for us! There was the biggest and the most comfortable bed I have ever seen in hotel rooms. Our room was and the bed linen was spotlessly clean and it was nice to have tea and coffee making facilities in our hotel room. We did not hear any noise at night and slept very well.

We enjoyed several delicious cocktails and snacks at the Cafe Americain and Bar Americain and the service wasperfect. We only once had breakfast in the restaurant and the hot and cold buffet was perfectly acceptable.

Amsterdam American Hotel was a very good base for exploring Amsterdam, because most of the city sights were not far from the hotel. Moreover, the tram which is the best and the cheapest way to get around the city, was running near the hotel and we were able to see a lot of local places of interest and do some shopping.

I would definitely recommend this inexpensive but not so cheap Amsterdam Hotel and I am looking forward to celebrate my coming birthday there too.”

Here is a letter from Steven, a businessman who traveled to Amsterdam on business and stayed in Park Plaza Victoria Amsterdam, a 4-star luxurious businees hotel in Amsterdam.“I have stayed a few times at Park Plaza Amsterdam for work meetings and conferences, most recently last month. One of the positive points of the hotel is its location. It is a 3 minute walk from the Central Station. It is very important if you travel a lot on business and arrived in Amsterdam after a red-eye flight the previous day.

My room faced away from the Central Station, so it wasn’t noisy at all. It was clean and the size of the room and the bathroom was rather large by European standards. Shower pressure in the bathroom was fantastic. The room was equipped with wireless Internet, direct dial telephone, cable TV, movie channel, mini-bar and a safe. The bed was comfortable and the bed linen was fresh.

The public areas of Park Plaza Victoria Amsterdam, such as lobby, lounges, hallways, business center, were all very stylish and presentable.

I actually had no time to use hotel’s leisure facilities – indoor swimming pool, gym, sauna, steam bath and solarium, but did go for a quick look and I hope to use them next time (I am sure I will stay there again, because our company often uses it for conferences).

The staff of Park Plaza Victoria Amsterdam were very professional, always friendly and very attentive to the guests’ needs.
Park Plaza Victoria Amsterdam is a good business inexpensive Amsterdam hotel which I highly recommend.”

I continue publishing letters from travelers to Amsterdam. Today it is a review about Apple Inn Hotel in Amsterdam received from Helen.“While reading reviews and travelers’ impressions of some hotel that we are planning to book on our stay in Paris, I remembered my own experience in Apple Inn Hotel Amsterdam two years ago. I spent a weekend there with my college friends on the cheap.

Apple Inn Hotel is a 2-star cheap Amsterdam hotel in a nice quiet location. It is very easy to reach the hotel from Central Station if you take a tram (it took us approximately 15 minutes). Amsterdam’s cultural spots were within walking distance from Apple Inn Hotel Amsterdam: Vondelpark, Concertgebouw, the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum, and the Stedelijk Museum. I guess Apple Inn Hotel is ideally located for city exploration.

As I have already mentioned I traveled with two girlfriends and, in order to save some money, we decided to book a triple room. Now I realize that we should not all have shared one small room. I felt uncomfortable because our room was overcrowded. Of course, that wasn’t the hotel’s fault – that was our decision to live together and spend money on sightseeing rather than on hotel comfort. This time, when we are planning a trip to Paris, I am going to stay in my own room.

Our room in Apple Inn Hotel Amsterdam was equipped with everything necessary for a short stay: a private bathroom, a television, a hair drier and a telephone. Breakfast was included and consisted of cereals, cheese, ham, bread, coffee, tea and juice.

All in all, we were satisfied by our stay in Apple Inn Hotel Amsterdam. I can recommend it for those who travel on budget.”