Thanks for everyones help. I have two hotels. hotel groenendael or the Hotel Abba. Both have similar prices and seem to have good locations. Any suggestions on which to pick?

Are you aware that the Hotel Groenendael is right outside the train station? Not the most charming area but convenient (especially since ALL the trams go there).

While neither location is ideal, I think the Abba location is better. Not the MOST central (it's 3 blocks outside the Singelgraght), but certainly close enough and a more pleasant area than the train station.

IDEALLY, I would be somewhere in between these two hotels (between the Singel and the Singelgraght), but if you can't find someplace in the canal rings on your budget, then the Abba is OK.

Take a look here for a perfectly located budget hotel:

http://www.hotelprinsenhof.com/

A single w/ shared bath is 45 Euro (includes breakfast).

I would definitely not want to stay near the train station myself. That central part of the city is not very nice (in my opinion) and does not feel as safe to me as I did staying out in the canal rings, Leidseplein, or Vondelpark. I would rather share a bathroom to keep the cost down in a better neighborhood.

How far is the Hotel Abba walking from the train station?

We stay at Hestia, on Roemer Vischerstraat, near the Abba but closer to Vondelpark. It's too far, in my opinion, to walk with luggage... I'd say a fun 30-minute walk without dragging anything.

It's about a 10-12€ taxi ride from Centraal, or there are a number of trams that pick up right in front of Centraal. I know lines 1,2 and 5 go to Leidseplein, but I don't know offhand what line is closest to Overtoom, where the Abba is situated.