Please recommend a 2 BR apartment in Amsterdam
 

Hello. My 88 yo dad and I will be staying in Amsterdam for a few days in April prior to a river cruise. Can you recommend a 2 bedroom apartment? I do have a map, but am unfamiliar with the city.

Thanks.

We stayed in a wonderful Airbnb in Amsterdam, but unfortunately, it was a one bedroom so I can't help there. But I do recommend the Jordaan neighborhood! It's perfect!

Most short term rentals in central Amsterdam are illegal if they rent for more than 30 days a year. For just a few days stay in a hotel.

Thanks. Anyone else?

Would you consider two adjoining rooms? The Hotel Residence le Coin is well-located, with large rooms and kitchenettes.

Please please please book a hotel or a an aparthotel and have a great holiday in the knowledge that you're not contributing to Amsterdam's housing crising. Most apartments on the market for shortstay lets are illegal.

Please don't rent apartments there. They're illegal.

Pension Homeland's apartments at the Navy Yard, Zoku on Weesperstraat, YAY's serviced apartments etc: can all be found through booking.com.

Please have some consideration for ordinary Amsterdam residents and don't help exploit their rental market.

Actually, Pension Homeland's apartments would suit you fine, as they're right opposite the cruise terminal, but on a calm, green, island, yet with easy access to the city.

Maybe the concept of illegal needs some explaining . . . ?

No, but thank you for your offer, And thank you to the rest of you who have made suggestions. I have inquired of all of them.

Good luck. We loved Amsterdam.

Isn’t it nice, how respondents assume your question indicates you are trying to do something illegal? Had the same pile-on happen to me once, also. Maybe we can assume the best, not the worst of people. Just a thought.

Hi MoBro! Good to "see" you!

I'm just asking people not to contribute to what's going on at the moment.
Tourists don't and can't know what they're booking. So I'm making people aware of what the context is. Why is that a "pile-on".
Easy enough to do the ethical thing and book an (apart)-hotel. What's so awful about that?

Adding. Amsterdam has fewer than 1M inhabitants, but 18M tourist visits annually. So, where you put your money in the city has a very real impact on Amsterdammers' lives. Why is it so awful to be aware of this and acting accordingly.

Hello menacham. I very much appreciate your input.

Unfortunately, Pension Homeland does not rent apartments for less than 1 week, and all of Zoku's XXL units with 2 bedrooms are booked. I have yet to try Yaay's, but will.

FWIW, I'm not sure MoBro was referring to you.

Enjoy the day.

April is peak Amsterdam. If your father is up to it maybe consder another city and travel in by train a couple of times, rather than struggling to find something in a good area of the city.

hetismij2, thanks so much for your reply. I would love it if you would recommend some areas to stay. As I said, I have a detailed map, but am completely unfamiliar with the city. Also, my father is in excellent condition for his age, so we are willing to do a fair amount of walking. Our must sees include the Anne Frank House and several of the museums.

Thank you.

Well you could try Haarlem, which is the most obvious alternative to Amsterdam. It is a lovely small city and you may enjoy a visit to it anyway. Utrecht is another possibilty. There are smaller towns around as well.
Do be sure to buy your tickets for the Anne Frankhuis as soon as they are on sale online. You can only go with timed entry tickets and they will be even more popular than usual in April.
You don't say when in April you are planning on going but bear in mind that Easter weekend falls on the 12th of April and 13th is a bank holiday though the museums will be open as normal. Also Kings Day is on April 27th, and Amsterdam will be even busier that day.

hetismij2, thank you. We do wish to stay in Amsterdam, though. Would you please tell me what areas you refer to which are good areas in Amsterdam?

Many thanks.

First of all: it's good not to stay in the centre of town: crowded and expensive, and a little tatty.

Because of easy access to the centre though, anywhere along the new #52 would be a good idea. So that would get you: Around the Vijzelgracht stop, De Pijp and a bit of Oud Zuid (Museums! Vondelpark!) and Rivierenbuurt (the quietly genteel part of the city).

All also prime hotel territory and prices are high in Amsterdam. Which weeks of April are you traveling?

Thank you menachem! That is just what I was looking for. I will be in Amsterdam for 3 nights arriving 4/21.

Also, though Yays has 5 properties in the city, only 1 offers options for stays less than 7 days. That one is called Entrepothaven.

I suggest you stay within Amsterdam, if at all possible. It's such a charming city for walking.
If you looked at the Hotel Residence le Coin, it's in a great location, although I don't know the name of the area. The University recommends this hotel for visiting guests. We were there several years ago, when DH had a conference at the U. We had two connecting rooms for our family of four. It was perfect for us.
https://www.lecoin.nl/en
Two cafes on the same block as the hotel were wonderful: next door, Café Katoen for a university atmosphere, and Café de Jaren, for great table seating on the canal.
It's across the street from the more expensive Hotel l'Europe and Hotel Doelan
https://www.deleurope.com/?utm_sourc...medium=organic
https://www.nh-hotels.com/hotel/nh-c...dam-doelen/map

I'm assuming something apartment-like with an extra bedroom is pretty essential, no?

LeCoin is excellent.

However, some of those connected rooms with kitchenettes are to the back of the building and although there is an elevator to the floor, getting to them involves a couple of up and down stairs and steps. Something to take into account and inquire after when you're booking with them.

That area is "the university area", because of the proximity of the old University building at Oudemanhuispoort and the former Binnengasthuis (now University)

Entrepothaven is a bit out of the way of tramlines, but a very nice part of town, near Artis and the Plantagebuurt.

Some suggestions for your dates:

http://www.booking.com/Share-U0tCDJ

and a B&B with a famous owner in a great location (on the Amstel River, with great public transport and the Wibautstraat station for the metro means easy access to central Amsterdam)

https://www.bedandbreakfast.nl/bed-a...house-bb/2577/

and this one at Westerdokseiland, near Central Station

https://www.bedandbreakfast.nl/bed-a...-batavia/6517/

That B&B with the famous owner can be the source for some cracking Amsterdam stories: it's Xaviera Hollander, "the happy hooker", formerly a pretty well connected escort in the US with a number of books to her name.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xaviera_Hollander

I used Hilton points and stayed at two properties last April. Enjoyed both. LOVED the gorgeous harbor view at the Doubletree near the train station. I was on a high floor. Absolutely wonderful. They have a great breakfast and of course great views of the city on the top floor. Easy access to anywhere you want to go via public transportation. I would return in a heartbeat - and may in a few months. The other property was further out but easy access via public transportation as well. The Hampton Inn Arena Boulevard. Less expensive, free breakfast. Overall, you may have less walking to do if you stay at either one than on a canal. I also used Uber a lot. Neither were "quaint". I chose them based on availability with Hilton points but would enjoy returning to either. You'd have to share a room though and I know you are looking for a 2 bedroom. There are other Hiltons in the city that may provide that option, but as heti pointed out, prices are very high in April. She offered excellent advice in ordering your Anne Frank House tickets on the day they go on sale (2 months prior). Also good advice to avoid King's Day (which you are). There's a house museum I really wanted to visit but it was closed on King's Day. I was there Easter week and the lines for the Rijks were VERY long (my skip the line ticket was useless) and I had to book a semi-private tour just to get in the Van Gogh museum - as did others on my tour. Loved the tour though!

Here's the link to the house museum I missed (but will be returning to see). It was recommended by Cimbrone (who no longer posts here) -
https://www.museumvanloon.nl/

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...c09a98fbbb.jpg
Gorgeous view from my room at the Doubletree. I loved watching the boats.

The SkyLounge on the top of the Doubletree -
https://doubletree3.hilton.com/en/ho...skylounge.html

Amsterdam's secret places. Museum Van Loon is an excellent example. Other options are

Museum Willet Holthuysen, the Portugese Synagogue, and more specifically the Livraria Montezinos, the Pinto House, on Jodenbreestraat, now a public library branch.

And the Ritman Library (esotericism) in a stunning mansion on Herengracht. https://embassyofthefreemind.com/en

And in Jordaan: Claes Claeszhofje
https://goo.gl/maps/dCndnD1rnasnenWKA

Thanks for the recommendations. I have booked 2 rooms at a hotel.