Clean and Comfortable and other Amsterdam, Netherlands Hotel/Accommodation Reviews

Value for money this is a perfect hotel. The rooms are fine, if a little basic. The tram stop at Surinameplein into town is only a minute, if that, away and the journey takes about 20 minutes.

If you are looking for a mid-price hotel and don't need to be central I would certainly recommend the Belfort.

The only little hiccup is that it is the last stop on the night bus route from the centre - which means that it is about 45 minutes when heading back at 3am, but such is life!

Unique Qualities: Excellent staff. Travelling by myself the single rate was not too hefty. When I came back most mornings, about 4 am, the night porter was perfectly happy to sort me out a brandy or two as a nightcap. Reception was friendly and efficient. Breakfast is ok - the coffee is good!

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Theme: Hotel
Comparison: less expensive than average
Prices: US$80-120  » Currency Converter
Phone: 020 624 90 80
Address: Surinameplein 53, 1058 GN,, , Amsterdam
Directions: Get the tram to Surinameplein - the hotel is on the crossroad ahead, turning left and below the block of flats.
Website: www.belforthotel.nl

There is nothing wrong with this hotel at all: excellent location, on the river, pretty much central but not too central to be noisy.

Rooms are fine, if a little basic and if you book in advance and pay a small supplement you can get a front (river-facing) view. I think they also have some self-catering apartments if u stay more than x days.

But then all this info is on the site.

I should note I only stayed one night and so didn't get to know any of the staff, didn't really get a proper feel for the place............but....

Unique Qualities: Ha...........polemic mode now!!

Nice easy check-in, unpacked and phoned down for iron and ironing board, - still can't work out why it is that the lighter I travel the more my clothes get creased up - but that's a digression to be returned to! (Actually I think the baggage handlers do it on purpose - find the lightest, squishiest bag ............and put it on the bottom of the pile, underneath the sets of golf clubs, then build from there...........)

Back to the polemic - having been assured the iron and board would be dispatched immediately............after about 45 mins I am considering ringing down again when it finally arrives..............and it is the crappiest possible iron and board. Anyway such is life!

No problems whatsoever with facilities, comfortable bed, hot and cold water, TV worked fine but only viewable from bed, but not here to lie in bed watching TV so not a big thing!

Check-out, no problems. "Can I leave my bag here for a couple of hours?"

"Certainly Sir. The luggage room is on the left, I'll ring for the concierge."

OK so far.

5 minutes later some guy with a tweed jacket turns up and using his swipe card opens luggage room - I'm standing here like a lemon - "Can I put this in here?" I asked.

GRUNT REPLY "You'll have to get the concierge to do that!"

Hey, just a minute..........I?? will have to get the concierge to do that.

These little things really bug me - I'm assuming that Mr Tweed Jacket was the General Manager...........so no wonder that there seemed to be no "service mentality" with the staff.

When the concierge did finally arrive he was actually a really nice guy - all smiles and moustaches.

And when I picked my bag up a couple of hours later he was the only person who actually smiled and said "Thanks for staying with us, have a good day."

OK, I'm a nit-picker, but a few more smiles make everyone's day (even if they're fake!)

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Theme: Hotel
Comparison: about average
Prices: US$80-120  » Currency Converter
Phone: +31 20 530 78 78
Address: Amstel 144, Amsterdam, 1017 AE
Directions: On The Amstel, pretty much opposite the Opera House
Website: www.edenhotelgroup.com

At the time of booking I didn't realise that this was part of the Eden group, otherwise I might not have bothered. But having booked it through "Expedia" purely on a basis of price and location I was pleasantly surprised with this hotel.

This is a good modern mid-market hotel with all the basics done right. Comfortable (if slightly small - but this is Amsterdam) room, internet access from room (at an extra charge) or free access in bar.

Unique Qualities: The thing I was most impressed with was the friendliness of the staff, nothing was a problem, except that they do not seem to stock condoms.

That was not actually MY problem. I was sitting downstairs on the computer about 2 am when this guy comes up to me and asks if I have any condoms I could spare him - at my age, me still carrying condoms just in case!

Check in/ check out was friendly and efficient, my comings and goings were all acknoweledged in a friendly manner. Sitting with a coffee after checking-out I watched new arrivals being shown the luggage room as the check-in time wasn't for a couple of hours.

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Theme: Hotel
Comparison: less expensive than average
Prices: US$40-80  » Currency Converter
Phone: 31 (2) 06834935
Address: Nassaukade 387-390, Amsterdam, 1054 AE
Directions: A couple of minutes walk from Liedsplien, go right at junction where Marriot is.
Website: www.goldentulip.com

This is a scruffy old hotel, but scruffy in a sort of well-worn way, rather than dirty. This hotel is firmly fixed in its 1* bracket despite its aspirations for higher things but for an overnight stay in the centre of the city in late June it fulfilled its function as a place to dump my bag before going out and then as a place to get my head down on returning in the very early hours.

This is definitely not the sort of hotel to book into for a romantic weekend, but it is cheapish and the rooms were pretty much as advertised - I think the hairdryer in the bathroom is their stab at 2* status!

My single room was tiny, as was the bed and the window and the wardrobe and the TV and the ashtray and..................Mind you having said that virtually every hotel I have stayed in here has had small rooms.

I probably wouldn't stay here again unless I really needed to be this central and couldn't get anywhere else, but don't let that put you off, I am getting a bit fussy about my hotels these days.

Unique Qualities: For centrality and easyness to find the location on Damrak, maybe 100 metres from Cetraal Station, is great. Reception was friendly and helpful.

Breakfast is served in the downstairs restaurant but I gave it a miss (what with not getting up until 11) but reports reckon its pretty naff.

One warning - the hotel is on 5 floors and there is no lift!

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Theme: Hotel
Comparison: about average
Prices: US$80-120  » Currency Converter
Address: Damrak 47
Directions: On the right coming up Damrak from Centraal, look out for the big red sign.
Website: www.manofa-hotel.com

I'd heard a lot of good reports about this hotel in the past. Though every time I tried to book it it was either full or more expensive than I wanted to pay but finally I managed to get a 4 night stay here at a reasonable rate - admittedly in the middle of November. As Amsterdam hotels go I can add my recommendation too.

Rooms are immaculately clean, and by Amsterdam standards relatively spacious and well furnished. Service is friendly and helpful and the breakfast buffet worth getting up for. My only little quibble was that the T-mobile internet connection was a bit on the expensive side.

Unique Qualities: The hotel itself is a boat, at present moored on the IJ a short walk from Centraal Station which makes for an ideal location for exploring Amsterdam given that Centraal is the main hub for all forms of transport around the city. BTW - even though it is an actual boat it is very firmly moored and so you have no worries on the seasickness side, only the overindulgence side!

At the time of writing - November 2006 - extensive work is being done on the dock which I believe will require the Botel to be moved sometime in the relatively near future which may take it from its present central location, I assume the website will be updated as and when this happens.

UPDATE 2009

The Botel is now on the other side of the river! It is still only minutes away from Centraal Station but now by ferry!!

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Theme: Hotel
Comparison: about average
Prices: US$80-120  » Currency Converter
Phone: +31 (0)20 626 42 47
Address: NDSM Pier 3, 1033 RG Amsterdam
Directions: Go out the back of Centraal Station and catch the ferry for NDSM Pier 3 - website has a little video showing how to get there.
Website: www.amstelbotel.nl

As a regular visitor to Amsterdam I tend to vary the hotels that I stay according to the deals that I can get, which normally results in OK accommmodation (some more OK than others), but here kinda bucked the trend. For what I paid (booked through Expedia) this was an excellent hotel: decent sized room; well furnished; friendly and helpful staff; good central location (especially for Liedseplien) and with a tram stop virtually outside the front door; interesting features abounding in the public areas - yep all-in-all I was impressed. If I can get a similar deal next time this will be top of my list.

I've noticed that several people who have reviewed the Dikker and Thijs, here and elsewhere, often complain about the street noise - hey what's to complain about? There is a certain amount of street noise, what with being on the main drag to and fro Liedseplien. But to my mind if you want to go to Amsterdam and not enjoy the City's unique sound then you are missing out on something essential - the dinging of the trams as they depart, the late-night revellers, the early morning cleaners: these are all part and parcel of the Amsterdam experience and if you're not knackered enough to get a good night's sleep despite the street's own particular lullabies then you just haven't "DONE" Amsterdam!!

Unique Qualities: Unfortunately I didn't have a canal view room but the room I did have, overlooking Liedsestraat, was HUGE by Amsterdam standards. The location is great for enjoying the delights of Liedseplien into the (very) early hours and easy to find no matter what state you end up in. I have heard reports that breakfast is well worth having but being served sometime before lunch just didn't fit in somehow and so the in-room coffee making facilities sufficed to kick-start the day ;)

The hotel also has in-room WiFi which is the expensive T-mobile connection but I seemed to be able to connect without charge to somebody else's which was definitely a big plus!!

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Theme: Hotel
Comparison: less expensive than average
Prices: US$40-80  » Currency Converter
Phone: 020 620 1212
Address: Prinsengracht 444, Amsterdam, 1017 KE
Directions: On the southern side of Prinsengracht, pretty much on the right hand corner of Liedsestraat.
Website: www.dtfh.nl

This is definitely the most characterful hotel I have stayed in, in fact so characterful that I will eventually get round to putting together a travelogue on some of its unique features, yep, amazing place!!

The hotel itself dates from 1921 built in that solid "Amsterdam School" - style with some striking Art Deco touches and has had, over the years, various uses including as an immigration centre and as a young offenders institution. It is now a 117 bedroom, officially 3*, modern hotel with all the facilities one would expect of a good standard city hotel. The roms are actually graded (and priced) from 1* to 5* and are all individual. My 1* room was fairly basic, still retaining a very insitutional feel (and decor!!) but perfectly comfortable and spacious and the shared facilities once again insitutional but perfectly clean and functional.

Despite the different room gradings all guests enjoy the same level of service including 24hr room service, free wi-fi throughout and use of the hotels other facilities. Service is spot-on and reception friendly and efficient - definitely stay here again.

Unique Qualities: Even at 1* this isn't the cheapest hotel in Amsterdam but the rooms are spacious and with views over the docks. The free wi-fi is a big plus and there are various exhibition spaces and an art library open to all. Not quite sure what the Cultural Embassy bit was all about but the place certainly is buzzy and arty - might spend some more time here next time.

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Theme: Hotel
Comparison: more expensive than average
Prices: US$80-120  » Currency Converter
Phone: 561 3636
Address: Oostelijke Handelskade 24
Directions: By Foot - follow the docks East from the back of Centraal Station (about 20 mins).

Tram 26 from Centraal, alight at Rietland Park and the hotel is about 100 metres veering left.
Website: www.lloydhotel.com

I know that Amsterdam hotel rooms tend to be on the small side but this one really does take the biscuit! On opening the door I almost tripped over the tiny single bed and it was only the fact that the door opened the other way that allowed it to open at all. Having said that though, there is absolutely nothing wrong with this hotel at all. The room itself, despite its doll-house tininess managed to squeeze in a small wardrobe, a fold up wooden chair, a shelf just big enough to perch precariously my laptop and an en-suite shower and bathroom. Service throughout was friendly, efficient and helpful. Breakfast was good (the normal cold meats etc.) and the breakfast room doubles up as a lounge with a coffee machine. The free Wi-Fi worked perfectly and there is an in-room direct dial telephone.

As I've said before in other tips - Hey you're not here in Amsterdam to spend your time sitting in your hotel room and so if the price is right I would definitely stay here again.

Unique Qualities: The hotel has all the basics done perfectly, even if on a small scale and despite being slightly out-of-town is situated in the lively de Pijp area with literally scores of reasonably-priced and buzzy bars, cafes and restaurants all around. Not only that, but being a predominantly residential area then all the local faclities, such as shops, liquor stores, kebab take-aways, laundrette (the essentials!!) are all within short walking distance. Plus the famous Albert Cuypmarket is only a couple of blocks away.

This really is an ideal location and the tram stop is literally just round the corner (Stadhouserskade). Next door (across the road at the corner) is the ex-brewery of the Heineken Experience, about 10 minutes walk is Museumplein and 10 minutes in the other direction is the night life of Liedseplein.

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Theme: Hotel
Comparison: about average
Prices: US$80-120  » Currency Converter
Phone: 020 3053 344
Address: Stadhouderskade 76
Directions: On the opposite corner from the Heineken Experience.

Website below is for the parent company and at the time of writing doesn't feature the Vivaldi but the Paganini is Vivaldi's twin-sister hotel just down the road and bookings can be made there.
Website: www.symphonyhotels.nl