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Hotel Arena ’s Gravesandestraat 51 020/850 2400, www.hotelarena.nl. Metro to Weesperplein, then an 8min walk. A little way east of the centre, in a renovated old convent on the edge of the Oosterpark, this place, formerly a popular hostel, is a hip three-star hotel, complete with split-level rooms and minimalist decor. Despite the odd pretentious flourish, it manages to retain a relaxed vibe attracting both businesspeople and travellers alike. Lively bar, intimate restaurant, and late-night club (Fri & Sat) located within the former chapel. Official rates start at €289 but you will usually pay half, sometimes even less when booked well in advance or very last minute. Breakfast is an extra €16.

InterContinental Amstel Professor Tulpplein 1 020/622 6060, www.intercontinental.com. Metro Weesperplein. The absolute top of the range – one of the best and most luxurious hotels in the country, occupying a grand, chateau-style, nineteenth-century mansion beside the Singelgracht canal, and favoured by visiting celebrities. If you have the means, splash out; cheapest doubles from €450.

Lloyd Hotel Oostelijke Handelskade 34 020/561 3636, www.lloydhotel.com. Tram #26 from CS; three-minute walk from the Rietlandsparken stop. See map "Zeeburg". Situated in the up-and-coming Oosterdok (Eastern Docklands) district, this ex-prison and migrant workers’ hostel has been renovated to become one of Amsterdam’s slickest hotels. Rather pretentiously subtitled a “cultural embassy”, it has an arts centre too, with regular exhibitions, readings and performances, an art library, and a nice, bustling feel that revolves around its airy central restaurant and lobby area on the ground floor. Uniquely, it serves all kinds of travellers, with rooms ranging from one-star affairs for €100 to €340 offerings. Some rooms are great, others not, so don’t be afraid to ask to change. The location is better than you might think – just 5min by tram from Centraal Station – but at these prices you still might prefer to be in the centre.

Lloyd Hotel

Accommodation | Hotels and B&Bs |

The Museum Quarter and Vondelpark

Acro Jan Luyckenstraat 44 020/662 5538, www.acro-hotel.nl. Tram #2 or #5 to Hobbemastraat. This hotel has small and fairly functional rooms, but a friendly welcome and a nice bar on the ground floor mean that it gets booked up a long way in advance. Doubles €110–140 with breakfast.

Bema Concertgebouwplein 19b 020/679 1396, www.bemahotel.com. Tram #5 or #24 to Van Baerlestraat. Large, clean rooms within a huge house under the canny eye of the friendly manager-owner. The eight rooms aren’t modern but they’re full of character, and the hotel is handy for the Concertgebouw and the main museums. Minimum two-night stay at weekends. En-suite doubles €90, including breakfast delivered to your room. Triples and quads also available, and a couple of apartments too.

Bilderberg Hotel Jan Luyken Jan Luykenstraat 58 020/573 0730, www.janluyken.nl. Tram #2 or #5 from CS. Nicely refurbished, good-sized rooms mark out this decent stab at a mini four-star, full-service hotel, with prices starting at €150 for one of the smaller standard rooms. There’s a nice lounge and bar downstairs too.

College Roelof Hartstraat 1 020/571 1511, www.collegehotelamsterdam.com. Tram #5 or #24 to junction of Roelof Hartstraat and Van Baerlestraat. Converted from an old schoolhouse, the College is one of the most original and elegant recent additions to Amsterdam’s accommodation scene. Original, because it’s largely run by students of the city’s catering school; elegant, because of the sheer class of the refurbishment. The cheapest doubles start at €235 (less when booked in advance) – and are well worth it.

College

Filosoof Anna van den Vondelstraat 6 020/683 3013, www.hotelfilosoof.nl. Tram #1 from CS to Jan Pieter Heijestraat. A lovely, small hotel, with each room decorated according to a different philosophical theme. It’s all beautifully kept, nothing is too much trouble, and the garden outside