Visit Amsterdam

Today’s post is devoted to NH Doelen, a 4-star cheap Amsterdam hotel. This hotel review has been sent by Pablo from Switzerland.
“I visited Amsterdam this summer and spent a week at NH Doelen. This cheap Amsterdam hotel is located close to the Central Station and Amsterdam’s most popular places of interest are within easy reach from the hotel. In case you are not keen of walking, there are plenty of tram connections nearby, so there won’t be any problems with reaching the city sights.

I guess they had spent a lot of money on their reception area and the lobby because they looked very lovely and elegant.
The decor of my room on the third floor was a little tired looking and could use an update; the furniture was a bit old-fashioned, but as long as I got a good price, the location of the hotel was central, I had a nice view of the Amstel out of my window and all I was doing at the hotel was sleeping so why I should complain! There was everything I needed: television, minibar, telephone, hairdryer, alarm clock and coffee and tea making facilities. I heard that some guests experienced noise, but I could hear just usual outside noise from the canal, which could hardly be controlled by the hotel staff.

I didn’t try the food served for breakfast , so I can’t comment on that.

Overall, NH Doelen was good inexpensive Amsterdam hotel, I didn’t have any problem and I liked the price, so I will probably stay there again.”

My friend Marbee was so kind to provide me with Hotel Bilderberg Garden review. One of her friends stayed there during his visit to Amsterdam.“I stayed at the budget Amsterdam hotel -  Bilderberg Garden Hotel with my uncle for 4 nights. Some people prefer to stay right in the center of the city, but they have to cope with the loud and rowdy atmosphere. As for me, I prefer to stay out of the tourist centre, and that was the reason why I booked Bilderberg Garden Hotel which is situated in a quiet, pleasant neighbourhood. This afforfable Amsterdam hotel is about a 30 min walk into the busy, noisy part of Amsterdam. If you don’t want to walk, trams are also very convenient to get to the city center. Nevertheless, there are some popular places around the hotel - the Van Gogh Museum and the Rijksmuseum are within a 10 minute walk from Bilderberg Garden Hotel.

Overall, Bilderberg Garden Hotel was very clean and comfortable. We were offered an executive room on the top floor.  It was spacious enough with modern decor and functional furniture which seemed pretty new. The beds were amazing, large and very comfortable. All necessary amenities were there: air conditioning, Wi-Fi internet access, coffee and tea facilities, bath robes, slippers, a mini bar, pay-tv, and a de-luxe bathroom with Jacuzzi.

Breakfast was not included and I found it to be outrageously overpriced - 21 Euros per person. But breakfast was great with so much choice given.

The hotel personnel were nice, friendly and spoke good English. They were also ready to help with useful information about the local area and directions.

Overall, we were satisfied with the service level and the hotel’s location. We would probably stay at Bilderberg Garden Hotel in Amsterdam again.”

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.”

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.”

I am going to publish one more letter from a traveler to Amsterdam.

“We booked rooms in France Hotel Amsterdam long before our visit to the Netherlands. We chose this budget Amsterdam hotel because it appeared to meet all our needs for a short getaway of 3 nights. France Hotel was comparatively cheap and within our budget.

It wasn’t easy finding France Hotel Amsterdam and it took a while, even though the hotel was not far from the Central Station where we arrived. But, maybe, that’s because that was our first trip to Amsterdam and we didn’t know the city. France Hotel Amsterdam is located on a quiet canal street (as we soon found out “Oudezijds Kolk” was one of the oldest canals in the ancient heart of the city).

Checking in was very quick and the staff at the reception desk were extremely helpful to provide us with some information about the city sights. There was an elevator in the hotel. We had a room with double bed, which contained a shower, toilet, hair dryer, television, pay TV and telephone. Our room was very clean and nicely furnished. We couldn’t expect more in a 3-star budget Amsterdam hotel.

Breakfast was included in the room price and it was served in the Irish Bar. The range of food offered for breakfast included sliced meats, eggs, cheeses, sausages, cereals, yoghurt, toast, fresh fruit, fruit juices, teas, coffees.

All in all, France Hotel Amsterdam is a very good place for a short stay in Amsterdam if you travel on a budget – you will definitely get what you pay for. I think, we will stay in France Hotel Amsterdam next time we arrive here.”

Hello, friends!

“Hotel Old Quarter Amsterdam is an ideal hotel for young people looking for a cheap weekend away” that’ what my friends from France think about Hotel Old Quarter, cheap 2-star Amsterdam hotel in Warmoestraat 22, where they stopped at the end of April. This cheap hotel in the centre of Amsterdam is just in a two-minute walk from the Central Station Good and near the Red Light District. Pierre says that you shouldn’t expect 5-star facilities and services in Hotel Old Quarter Amsterdam because of the hotel’s price - you get just what you pay for. But that doesn’t really matter for four lads coming for another weekend away and who are not going to spend their days (and nights, I suppose!) on their hotel rooms, let’s face it! Probably they wouldn’t book Hotel Old Quarter Amsterdam for a romantic getaway with their girlfriends!

Hotel Old Quarter Amsterdam offers rooms for any taste - luxury rooms with a beautiful view of a charming Amsterdam canal, simple rooms with shared shower and toilet in the hall and something in between.

My friends settled in a quad room with four single beds. Their room was clean, equipped with working cable TV, phone and heating. Beds were a little tough, but the bed-linen was fresh.

The hotel staff couldn’t be more helpful - they were always ready to provide my friends with any info they required.
Continental breakfast was included in the room rate, but there was nothing special about it, just average for all 2-star Amsterdam hotels.

All in all, Hotel Old Quarter Amsterdam is a good cheap hotel; my friends liked it a lot.

See you!