Visit Amsterdam

So I rented a bike for one day to explore Amsterdam centre, the weather was quite nice and not too cold. I planned to explore the city in 4 parts, otherwise I’ll miss something due to shortage of time. First to explore is the eastern part of Amsterdam where the Zoo is located, it is called ‘Artis’ in Dutch founded in 1838. The entrance is €17,70 for adults and €14,50 for children between 3-9 years old. Bought a ticket to visit this fantastic historical Zoo of Amsterdam and it didn’t dissapointed me. I was impressed by the various animals and the beautiful historical buildings that this Zoo offers you. Stayed about 3 hours and went my way again to explore the rest of the eastern part of Amsterdam.

Next to visit is the ‘dappermarkt’, it’s a big market where you can buy almost everything. From food to shoes, so ladies this is a really nice spot to visit if you have a tight budget. It caught my attention when I was strolling down the market that there were alot of different cultures are living here together in this part of Amsterdam. Alot of small restaurants and cafes situated around the market where you can sit down and relax with a cup of coffee or tea.

I noticed during this trip that there weren’t many hotels located in this part of Amsterdam, just saw one Amsterdam hotel that’s located on the boarder of this district. Hotel Amsterdam Ibis Stopera is a 3-star hotel with more then 200 hotelrooms. Went inside to take a look at the restaurant and the lobby, I must say it was a very nice looking hotel. Think I’m going to stay 1 night in this hotel tomorrow, because I have booked 2 nights at the Victoria Hotel Amsterdam. It also has a central garden located inside the Hotel Ibis Amsterdam City Stopera.

Here is a hotel review from Jeremy, which I received a couple of days ago.“Actually, I originally planned to stay in another cheap Amsterdam hotel arriving on a Saturday morning, but I was terribly upset about the hotel where I intended to stay even though I had read good reviews for it on different websites. Anyway, Amsterdam Hotel RobertRamon was one of the few cheap Amsterdam hotels to have rooms available at an affordable rate in a good area. Hotel RobertRamon was located in a lovely area at the south of the city centre right in the heart of the Museum district. The Leidseplein and Vondel Park were within walking distance from the hotel.

My room on the fourth floor was clean and comfortable for the price I paid, and it was quiet at night. It had everything I needed for a short stay in Amsterdam: a private bathroom, a deposit box, a telephone, a desk, a flat TV and free wireless internet. In the entire hotel there was a wireless Internet connection available to owners of a laptop.

Unfortunately, breakfast was not included and costs EUR 15.00 per person. Breakfast was OK and fresh, although it was the same everyday: cereal, fruit salad, bread, cheese, hams, boiled eggs, fruit juice, tea and coffee. Of course, if you prefer something different, i.e. pancakes, waffles, etc., it’s better to go out for breakfast.

Probably, I will stay at Hotel RobertRamon next time when I am in Amsterdam. I liked the friendly hotel staff and unobtrusive service.”

Our reader from Australia, Roberta, has kindly shared of her Amsterdam hotel experience.“Hotel RobertRamon is a 3-star Amsterdam hotel on the luxurious shopping street P.C.Hooftstraat. I stayed there for four nights with my mom and sister and had a great experience. Of course, you shouldn’t expect 5-star service, spacious apartments and tons of amenities at Amsterdam Hotel RobertRamon – it is just a nice mid-range cheap Amsterdam hotel with low prices and central location near bustling Leidseplein, museum area with the Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh museum and famous Vondelpark.
The triple room we stayed in was a little on the small side but it had been renovated recently. The bathroom was impeccably clean, and the room service was extremely suitable and efficient. No outside noise could be heard, but we could hear just about everything that was going on in adjacent rooms – so light sleepers beware. The free Wi-Fi access was excellent.

The hotel personnel were super friendly both at the reception area and the breakfast room. Breakfast wasn’t included and cost EUR 15.00 per person. The food choice included a fine spread of meat, cheese, bread, cereals, juices, fruits, coffee, tea, etc. It was good enough to keep you going until lunch. By the way, there was a great Indonesian restaurant just around the corner.

Overall, we had a great stay at Hotel RobertRamon. We would recommend this cheap Amsterdam hotel for those who need a good basic hotel, which is clean and cheap.”

Today I am going to publish Mark’s review about one of the cheapest Amsterdam hotels – Hotel Y boulevard.
“I am a student and as you can guess I don’t stink of money, so the cheaper the place the better. And I really don’t understand those travelers who complain so much about cheap and budget accommodations – well, when you pay €60 per person per night in the centre of Amsterdam, you shouldn’t expect the Ritz! So, the price was the main reason why I chose Hotel Y boulevard, a 2-star cheapest hotel in Amsterdam. Moreover, the hotel were in a good location – in Amsterdam city centre, near the Central Station.

Some of the nearby attractions were maritime museum, science centre ‘Nemo’ and the Dam square.
The reception staff were helpful, concerned and polite. Hotel service was average, the room was ordinary and clean enough, the bed was reasonably comfy (no bed bugs!). I had a private shower and toilet. The shower was great – hot and powerful, towels were changed daily. There was a television,but I can’t comment on the channels available as I think that spending time on watching TV when in Amsterdam is a real crime! There is so much to see and to do here!

The inclusive Dutch breakfast was substantial with a good choice of food, juices, tea and coffee.

All in all, I think cheap Amsteram hotel – Hotel Y boulevard was OK considering the price I paid.”

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.”