bweeble

My husband and I are going to Amsterdam in August 2017. I have read so many hotel reviews that I am dizzy. We want to do a lot while there, Anne Frank House, Rembrandt House, Zoo, Rijksmuseum, Canal Boat Ride, just to name a few. I was thinking of staying in Central Amsterdam so we could go in a different direction each day. Any suggestions? Is it worth paying extra for the breakfasts in the hotels?

bamafam

Hotel Estherea in central Amsterdam is one of my favorites in the world, and convenient to almost all the big sights. Most hotel breakfasts aren't worth the cost IMO, but theirs is. It's a few euros cheaper if you go through their website rather than a booking engine.

rncheryl

Will give you a Non-recommendation. We stayed at Swissotel at Dam Square a couple of weeks ago. The room was lovely, quite, staff very accommodating.

But, it was nonstop go go go all the time outside. Next time I would stay somewhere in the Jordaan district. Hotel Estherea that bamafam mentioned looks lovely.

Couple of non hotel recommendations. There is an English 30minute presentation prior to the Anne Frank tour. try to get tickets, as it really added a lot of information and interest.

We used Context tours for the Rijks and Van Gogh museum; highly recommend.

Finally, our canal tour was with Those Dam Boat Guys, and after seeing the size of some of the cruise boats, I am glad we made this choice.

Final thought: you might want to consider air conditioning in August. Our hotel had it, and with temperature 90degrees, we were happy

jkbritt

We stayed at the Movenpick Hotel a couple of years ago. Great hotel. Great staff. One of the best hotels we have stayed at in our 18 years of traveling in Europe. It is about a 15 minute walk from the train station, where you can catch all of the buses going about into the city. See: http://www.movenpick.com/en/europe/n...FQlZhgodICcJFw

Bedar

Hotel Estherea was marvelous !!

Tabernash2

We liked the Hotel Residence le Coin. Large rooms with kitchenettes. Renovated row homes, turned into a very nice, simple hotel. We enjoyed the location a lot.

Most of all, we loved Amsterdam. It was friendly, charming, contemporary and quaint at the same time. You will love it, I predict.

For canals, I'll take Amsterdam over Venice, Italy, any day.

Dukey1

Take a look at the Crowne Plaza. You can walk to the canal boat ride starting point as well as the train station. You can buy tram tickets/passes in the hotel lobby. Tram numbers 2 and 5 which will take you to some of those other places you want to go and both stop about one block from the front door.
You can walk to the Dam.

There are a lot of hotels in "central" Amsterdam and yes it can be a very hard decision because everybody thinks theirs was THE place to stay.

suze

<thinking of staying in Central Amsterdam so we could go in a different direction each day.>

No need to do that. You don't have to stay central (RLD, train station, the Dam) to have a convenient location. I also suggest the Jordaan, Leidseplein, the neighborhoods around Vondelpark. They are still plenty convenient but a LOT nicer areas than what is considered "central".

KTtravel

We, too, were very pleased with our stay at the Hotel Estherea. Their breakfast was delicious. You could always decide to eat breakfast some of the time at your hotel and elsewhere on other days.

Sue81

HI, I've stayed at the Delphi Hotel on Appolinaire. this is a quiet neighborhood right on a tree boulevard in a very nice area. I've stayed there about 3 X and plan to return next Summer. Not taking reservations yet. It is a Best Western which is much better in Europe than US. There is a tram stop 1/2 block away and about 5 mon to the Rijks and Van Gogh museum. It is reasonable, and a safe neighborhood with a nice breakfast. Get a Gold Crown Club card for free to get some extras. Interesting statue just out front on the Boulevard dedicated to some Resistance Dutch people who were killed nearby. You can go to Best Western or Delphi and look at a map. Sue

Sue81

Also get a one, two, three day tram card at airport or other spots and ride the tram all over, easy to do and cut costs. Sue

330east

2 great hotels are the Pulitzer and the Ambassade. You also might look into the Hotel Toren

NewbE

We haven't stayed there in years, but the Ambassade is one of my favorite hotels anywhere, and it gets great current reviews here and elsewhere. It's very charming, and very plush, but without that generic you-could-be-anywhere vibe. Lovely breakfast, good location.

schnauzer

Another vote for don't stay in the Centrum area, I thought it was too busy and noisy. Move out a bit and you'll be much happier. Trams and walking are easy from anywhere.

Sue81

It is definitely worth paying for breakfast if it is not included in the room rate. Again the Delphi is out of the chaos and a nice quiet walkable neighborhood 1/2 blk from tram. Sue

eastenderusvi

Another vote for the Ambassade. Perfectly located. Great space including the best bathrooms I've run into in Europe. Get a room overlooking the canal. We always had breakfast on the way from the hotel to our first stop of the day. Waffle shops abound,frequently across the street from coffee shops in a brilliant marketing scheme...;-)

menachem

Pension Homeland, once again, in the former Navy Special Forces officers' mess and lodgings. The restaurant is really good, which is a bonus in Amsterdam and it's good value for money.

http://pensionhomeland.com/en/

It's the location that is the most special though. Because the entire area was restricted and secret (you still can't see it properly on google maps), it was never as extensively developed as the rest of Amsterdam. The result is a hotel that sits in its own semi private park and is very centrally located at the same time.

It's also a historical locations, because this was the spot where East India ships were built and kitted out for their voyage to the East.

bweeble

thank you all for your suggestions