Amsterdam (Rough Guide) - Martin Dunford [95]
Accommodation |
Hotels and B&Bs
The Amsterdam Tourism & Convention Board classifies all of the city’s recognized hotels into five categories, with five stars the most luxurious, one star the most basic. The stars are allocated according to set criteria – if reception is open 24hrs for example – and this relates to the price, but location and aesthetics are not, indeed cannot be, graded. Amsterdam’s hotels start at around €80 but at the lower end of the market you have to be careful – some of the least expensive rooms can be very grim, though at least some form of breakfast – “Dutch” (ham, bread and jam) or “English” (eggs, ham, bread and jam) – is normally included in the price. Consequently, it’s advisable to ask to see the room before you slap down any money, and if you don’t like it, refuse it. Note too that with some of the independently run hotels the cheapest rooms often have shared facilities, and en-suite rooms, if available, could be an extra €10–20. A significant number of hotels in Amsterdam have large three- or four-bed family rooms available from €180. B&Bs are on the increase; those listed are among the best.
Prices given below are, unless otherwise indicated, for the high (summer) season, though Amsterdam is such a popular spot that you can’t assume you’ll pay much less in the winter.
Accommodation | Hotels and B&Bs |
Accommodation prices
The hotel and guesthouse prices in this book are given for the cheapest double room available during the high season, and, unless indicated otherwise, include breakfast. Single rooms, where available, usually cost between sixty and eighty percent of the price of a double. For hostel accommodation, the price per person for a dorm bed is given. Hotel prices vary enormously with availability. For example, the official rack rate for a double room at the Hotel Arena is €289, but when booked at least 21 days in advance the price can go down as low as €99, so doing a bit of research before you go is well worthwhile.
Accommodation | Hotels and B&Bs |
Old Centre
Bellevue Martelaarsgracht 10 020/707 4500, www.bellevuehotel.nl. Two-minute walk from CS. All rooms are decorated in a modern style and the location couldn’t be more convenient. Prices start at around €160 for a double, not including breakfast.
Botel Amstel Moored at Oosterdokskade 2 020/626 4247, www.amstelbotel.com. Five-minute walk from CS. The idea of a floating hotel may seem romantic – especially in houseboat-heaven Amsterdam – but the 175 identically decorated rooms here are poky and connected by claustrophobic corridors. Something a bit different certainly, but you might find staying here is a bit like spending your holiday on a cross-Channel ferry. The well-equipped bar has internet access and stays open until 12.45am. Prices depend on whether you want a view of the water or not, but rooms are at least cheap, at €90–100 for a double, and around €120 for a triple (with bunk bed).
Convent NZ Voorburgwal 67 020/627 5900, www.theconventamsterdam.com. Not quite as atmospheric as the name suggests, but it’s very well placed, 5min from Centraal Station and Dam Square, and occupies a historic building, formerly home to a newspaper and a number of medieval residences. Its 148 rooms admittedly don’t exude a lot of character, but they’re comfortable and well equipped and there are frequently deals on offer, and not just on weekdays. There’s a nice downstairs bar too.
The Crown Oudezijds Voorburgwal 21 020/626 9664, www.hotelthecrown.com. Five-minute walk from CS. This is really a hotel for single people, and its pricing policy – €40–70 per person – reflects that. The rooms at the back are dark and a bit austere; the ones at the front are nicer, but prone to noise from the busy canal outside. Very safe despite its location right in the middle of the Red Light District. The 24-hour bar has a pool table and amiable staff. Triples, quads and six-person rooms are also