luvsmacca

Is it me or are Amsterdam hotels really expensive? I am tring to find a decent twin room in the center of things that isn't a hostel and has private facilities. Is there anything in the city for under $100 a night?
This is the last city we will visit and is turning out to be more expensive even than Switzerland, which I had heard would be the most pricey on my trip.
Anyone have any secrets for finding a decent room in a nice area for $100 or less? The exchange rate being what it is is making this seem like an impossible task!
Thanks

Betsy

Have you ever used Priceline? At biddingfortravel.com I just checked the hotels they use in Amsterdam:

City Centre and Museum Quarter

5 Star
Grand Sofitel Demeure
Sheraton Hotel Pulitzer
Sofitel Amsterdam
Hilton Amsterdam

4 Star
Marriott Hotel
Renaissance
Radisson SAS
Swissotel City Centre
Crowne Plaza American
Jolly Hotel Carlton
Victoria Hotel
Bilderberg Garden Hotel
Le Meridien Apollo

3 Star
AMS City Centre
Le Meridien Park Hotel

Checked some recent bids at BFT and found that the Marriott is going for $77/night. If you're interested, go to BFT and learn how to use PL. I have no affiliation with either site. If you need more help with BFT or PL, just post here. Good luck!

KennyL

Try www.bookings.nl if you don't feel comfortable with Priceline

ira

Hi luv,

If you don't mind winging it, get on line at the VVV counter at the train station (platform 2). They will find you a room.

My wife and I did this on our first visit. They booked us a very nice, comfortable room, not far from the station, at a very good price, bkfst included.

It turned out that the other rooms on our floor were being rented by the hour, but they were too noisy.

ira

Hi luv,

If you don't mind winging it, get on line at the VVV counter at the train station (platform 2). They will find you a room.

My wife and I did this on our first visit. They booked us a very nice, comfortable room, not far from the station, at a very good price, bkfst included.

It turned out that the other rooms on our floor were being rented by the hour, but they weren't too noisy.

Bitter

Luvs: We have opted to stay in Haarlem for this reason. We enjoyed Haarlem and it is a good place for trips to places other than A'dam, but if the bulk of your time will be in A'dam it is probably worth paying A'dam prices.

Travelnut

Try these:

http://www.hoteldemunck.com/

http://www.acro-hotel.nl/rates.html

A little over 100 Euro... http://www.owl-hotel.nl/rates.htm

Travelnut

I forgot this one:

http://www.kaphotel.nl/

Flyboy

Amsterdam hotels within the canal zone tend to have high rack rates, but you can often find deals if you keep looking. Besides Priceline, I've had good luck by just staying at it and then grabbing deals when they came up. Under $100/night is not much if you're looking for a higher end property, but I've picked up the Crowne Plaza Amsterdam Centre and the Sofitel in that same area for $125 or less within the past year. I've seen other properties that looked pretty decent for less. Just stay at it, as you would with airfares.

TracyB

Yes, Amsterdam hotels have become very expensive..We have been going there for the last 15 years and when we were just there a few months ago (from Canada..if you think the American $$ is bad against the Euro, try the CAD $$)we were forced to stay in a 1* hotel, for the first time!! A mixture between the hotel's raising there prices and the bad exchange, it is not the time to be looking at 4 or 5* accomodations, unless of course you are a rich traveller...But to say the least, the hotel we stayed at was called the Hotel Hoksbergen, on the Singel Canal, next to Hotel Estheria (where we used to stay)..The hotel has private bathrooms, plenty of breakfast and clean, but the rooms are quite small...We stayed there for 92 Euro's per night and it was the best deal I could find for the location we had wanted...And if you aren't interested in that, try Sunhead of 1617...Go to there website, they also rent out apartments...They are very friendly and when we stayed at the Sunhead a few years ago it was excellent.
http://www.sunhead.com/

Danna

Yes, Amsterdam hotels are expensive, and they fill up. I don't agree with Ira's suggestion of going to the vvv counter. We saw folks at that counter who were finding the rooms in town filled. This was in October! If you want to stay in town, I suggest you make reservations. We love the Hotel Washington, in the Museumplein. We are making reservations this week for September. It's a bit above your $100 ceiling. You can find the info in the rants and raves section of Fodors. Amsterdam is a great place, have a grand time!

indytravel

I didn't like my two star hotel in central Amsterdam in 2001. So I poked my head into several lower end hotels in the city center as I wandered about.

I came to the conclusion that most budget (2 star or less) hotels in the city center were run as flop houses for pot heads. I've stayed in much nicer 1 star hotels in other countries.

It did not contribute to my loving Amsterdam in the least. What a shame.

RobynFrance

I just got the Renaissance Amsterdam on Priceline for $110 a night for 3 nights in late May--a busy and expensive time. That amount is before taxes. I elected it as with the current euro/dollar exchange rate, it was becoming apparent that even at $150 a night, we were working with hotels which had tiny rooms and often up many flights of stairs and 2 stars or less.

I don't think that this particular property is one that would have been our pick, as we prefer more local options, but after reading and checking for a week, I decided to go for it--it is actually a 5 star property which Priceline only rates 4 star (read biddingfortravel.com before using Priceline---I always do, but I think it is undoubtedly the best I could have gotten for less than $150 a night.

suze

along the lines of indytravel's observations, i stayed at hotel kap for 57 euro (two years ago) in a tiny room, top floor with a private sink and toilet but shared toilet.

i was not happy there (my personal comfort, not a comment against the hotel) and would spend more $ to have a nicer place to stay if I visit A'dam again.

hopscotch

Often cheaper than hostels are B&Bs in NL. You'll have a private room and often a private privy, plus a hearty home style Dutch breakfast. You'll still have the steep stairs and bicycles in the hallway, but this is a Dutch tradition.

Google for B&B Amsterdam. You can also try Haarlem and Leiden. They are about 20 minutes by train from Centraal Station Amsterdam and you might find better deals in those cities, not to mention interesting things to see and do without the hassel of A'dam.

Kate_W

I loved the Hotel de Filosoof. I stayed there in 2003 for about 100 euros a night in May including breakfast. Check out www.hotelfilosoof.nl. Each room is decorated differently, accordingly to a philosophical concept or theme. The hotel is about a 15-20 minute walk from the central core of the city, but there is a streetcar less than 5 minutes away from the hotel.

Patrick

I'm surprised you're finding the hotels there more expensive than those in downtown Zurich and Geneva. I'd expect them to be just as expensive. Surely you aren't comparing the prices in a major city to those in little towns?

artlover

I've been bidding on priceline, but no luck so far, but am wondering if maybe I should take Rick Steves' advise and stay in Haarlem since it's so close, and so much less $. Has anyone done this?

martytravels

No, definitely stay in central A'dam. If you search hard enough, you'll find something in your range. Ibis hotels usually have great rates, and I think there are a couple of Ibis hotels in A'dam. Also, check out the Best Westerns in A'dam.

twoflower

Ira's right. Turn up at the Tourist Office outside Central Station and tell them your price range. They'll find you something. I always wing it - always - and I consistently get prices below the published rates for the establishment I'm in. I'm guessing the reason for this is that, regardless of advertised rates on internet or anywhere, if they still have vacancies for that very night they'll jump at almost any offer to fill them.
It works for me, anyway, not that price is my reason for winging it. The reason for me is flexibility. I don't like being committed to having to arrive at any particular place by any particular date.