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 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.”

I have got a letter from Steven, a traveler from Spain, who shared his impressions about Jolly Hotel Carlton Amsterdam. Here it is.“I love the Netherlands and we have a lot of friends there, that’s why we often travel there, at least once or twice a year. Even though we know Amsterdam quite well, it has been difficult to find an appropriate top-end Amsterdam hotel at a reasonable price. We have stayed in numerous so-called top-end Amsterdam hotels and found out that some of them don’t measure up to first class European hotels. Jolly Hotel Carlton in the heart of the city of Amsterdam was a pleasant exception and I think we have found our best deluxe Amsterdam hotel at last.

We booked a deluxe room on the 5th floor which had a nice view over Muntplein. Our room in Jolly Hotel Carlton Amsterdam was on the warm side of the hotel, but there was an air conditioner which worked very well and was very effective, so we could easily escape from the outside heat. Our room was of average size. It was clean and well equipped with bath, toilet, mini-bar, safe deposit box, pay-TV, TV, telephone, wireless Internet connection, radio, coffee and tea making facilities, hair dryer, alarm-clock, trouser press, working desk. Bathroom was very nice and the shower was the best I’ve ever found in Amsterdam hotel. Unfortunately, it was a little noisy at night but it wasn’t a real problem for us as we are not light sleepers.

Breakfast was not included, so we decided to eat outside as there a lot of cosy places to eat near Jolly Hotel Carlton Amsterdam. That’s why we can’t comment on the food served in the hotel.

The location of Jolly Hotel Carlton is ideally located for exploring Amsterdam. It is close to famous flower market, Dam square, the Vondelpark and the Museumplein.

We liked Jolly Hotel Carlton in Amsterdam and highly recommend it.”

Here is a letter from Michael from Vienna about Radisson SAS Hotel Amsterdam which has 242 rooms and suites, including Business Class, Executive rooms and two luxurious Suites. Thank you for sharing information with us.

“We booked rooms in Radisson SAS Hotel Amsterdam about four month earlier as we were going to visit Amsterdam at Easter, which, I think, one of the peak seasons in the Netherlands. Prices in Hotel Radisson SAS Amsterdam seemed to be a little cheaper compared to other Amsterdam hotels ranked 4-stars.

I sent an e-mail to Radisson SAS Hotel Amsterdam, that I would like a non-smoking room with two beds on a high floor with a good view out of the window. On our arrival we were really pleased that the hotel staff took into consideration our wishes: we got a room on the upper floor with a good view. Our room was really nice and cosy, properly furnished and big enough for us. Our room had all main comforts, such as a big TV set with lots of channels, air-conditioner, iron, kettle, trousers press, phone, etc. The shower in the bathroom was very powerful and the added luxury of toiletries, bathrobe and slippers gave a homely feel. Wireless internet was available in the entire hotel and it was free of charge, there also were two computers downstairs with free internet access.

Breakfast wasn’t included and cost EUR 24.50 per person, which seemed too expensive for us, so we decided to eat outside. There are plenty of nice cafes with good and cheap food close to Radisson SAS Amsterdam.

All in all, Radisson SAS Hotel Amsterdam is a very good hotel in central but quiet location with friendly staff. I would recommend this hotel for people looking for a nice place to stay in Amsterdam.”

Today I am going to publish a letter about Golden Tulip Amsterdam Centre, a 4-star comfortable hotel in the center of Amsterdam.

“I have recently traveled to Amsterdam with my family and we had a lovely stay at the Golden Tulip Amsterdam Center. The strongest point of this comfortable Amsterdam hotel is undoubtedly its prime location in the center of everything: near Dam Square and Central Station, close to the area with shops and restaurants, within walking distance to Madame Tussauds and the Red Light District. There was a tram stop exactly round the corner from the Golden Tulip Amsterdam Center, so getting around the city was quick and cheap.

We settled in an Executive room. It was clean, and everything was in working order. Even though our room actually was too small for a family, it was very well planned so it looked spacious and cosy. The following amenities were available in our room: bath, shower, toilet, free coffee and tea making facilities, minibar, in-room personal safe, free wireless Internet, a trouser press, bath accessories and a daily newspaper.

There were two points about Golden Tulip Amsterdam Center which I would like to be changed: very loud air conditioner and no direct access to the microwave oven for guests, which made it very difficult to prepare food for our baby.

Buffet breakfast was not included in our room rate so we had to pay EUR 16.50 per person. It was very satisfying.

All in all, we had a pleasant stay in Golden Tulip Amsterdam Center and I think we will definitely stay here again if we turn out to be in Amsterdam again.”

Here is one more letter with Park Hotel Amsterdam review. Thanks to all those travelers who decided to share their thoughts and experiences about inexpensive Amsterdam hotels and budget Amsterdam accommodations.

“We have recently returned from a short stay at Park Hotel Amsterdam. The hotel’s location couldn’t be better - between the famous Leidseplein, the Museumplein and the luxury fashion district. Park Hotel Amsterdam is also adjacent to one of the many Amsterdam’s canals, so guests can go to romantic lunch and dinner cruises along the canal. There are also a lot of other options to dine out - hotel guests can enjoy food in a number of restaurants surrounding Park Hotel Amsterdam: Chinese, Indian, Thai, as well as MacDonald’s, Steak Houses and Hard Rock Cafe. There was no on-site dining in Park Hotel Amsterdam, other than snacks and room service because there was quite a bit of renovation going on and the hotel’s main restaurant was temporary closed. That’s why we preferred to dine outside. I guess, the renovation of Park Hotel Amsterdam has already finished by now.

By the way, I have heard that Park Hotel Amsterdam is a smoke-free hotel now. This means that it is prohibited to smoke in the hotel apartments and all public areas.

Our room was just perfect – tidy, modern, comfortable and functional. Beds and pillows were extremely comfy and clean. Our apartment wasn’t very spacious, but it looked very cosy. The rain shower was lovely.

Park Hotel Amsterdam was very easy to find. We got the train from the local airport to Zeud station and then tram 5 (8 stops from Zeud). We were advised not to take a taxi. Even though it takes only 20 minutes in a taxi, taxi fares are too high in Amsterdam.

We liked the hotel very much and would recommend it for tourists coming to Amsterdam.”

Let me cite a letter that I have recently received from a traveler who actually lives in Atlanta. His name is Mark. He was so kind to share his experience of staying in Swissotel Amsterdam, a 4-star hotel in Amsterdam.

“I have heard about Swissotel Amsterdam from a friend of mine who often travels to Europe. He mentioned that this Amsterdam hotel is ideally located in the center of Amsterdam, close to shopping centers, Amsterdam’s attractions and various restaurants, bars and cafes. It is on the main Dam square.  Swissotel Amsterdam Hotel is very close to the Central Station, you can walk to the hotel.

The hotel staff were a definite advantage of Swissotel Amsterdam. People working there were extremely knowable, courteous and always ready to help. They do their best to cater to the hotel guests. I had made my reservation beforehand and sent an e-mail to the hotel two days prior to my arrival. There were no problems with checking in. (One tip: if you want to upgrade do it at the counter rather than on the website - you will save some money.)

My room looked exactly as it appeared on the website. It was nicely furnished. It was cosy and very clean. The room was excellently air conditioned and soundproof. Swissotel Amsterdam is considered to be a first class Amsterdam hotel, so it was equipped with appropriate facilities. The bathroom was very clean, but very modest in terms of size. However, the water pressure was excellent.

Swissotel Amsterdam has a small smart gym with excellent equipment and a business center.

Overall, Swissotel Amsterdam is a great value for money, excellent rooms, great location, and best staff. Highly recommended for staying when in Amsterdam.”