We did our research online about the Hotel Amsterdam, and we saw that there were more good reviews than bad ones. We were also impressed that the hotel management responded to each review on TripAdvisor. Plus, the price was right in the package we booked, so we took the faith leap and booked our 5 night stay here.
Staying at Hotel Amsterdam was like the movie, The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.
The Good: If location is what swings you on a hotel room, you really can’t beat the Hotel Amsterdam. It’s a 5-7 minute walk down Damrak to Central Station, and you can practically spit on Dam Square, with the Royal Palace. For those Americans that just can’t stay away, there is a McDonalds and a KFC right next door. If vices are up your alley, then it’s mere steps from the Red Light District, the Vodka Museum and the Sex Museum. There are tons of restaurants within walking distance, and there’s a tram stop smack dab in front of the front door.
The Bad: We weren’t terribly impressed with the room we were given upon check in. It looked worn and drab. It was large for a European room, which was great, but it was big on size and small on, well, nice. Stains on the carpet, worn spots on the chairs, and two twin beds instead of one king. We were on the first floor, right next to a shared-by-all-guests restroom (though each room had it’s own) and was straight across from the elevator. It was loud, and kind of seedy, so we asked to change rooms.
It wasn’t possible the first night, but we were moved on night two. The new room wasn’t as big, but had a king bed and looked at first glance to have more charm. There were stained glass windows and a balcony overlooking the Damrak. However, if you peeked behind curtains, there were mouse-sized holes in the walls and more stains. Not to mention that the great view during the day became an overlook for party central at night. We went from a loud room to a louder room. Additionally, the hot water in the bathroom sink was slow in heating, and didn’t actually heat until you turned the tub water on. We should’ve complained again, but didn’t want to be the rude Americans, so we put up with it and avoided our room until we absolutely needed to sleep.
The staff weren’t the brightest bulbs in the bunch, either. There were a few exceptions, but I expected them to be more help with directions and activities (but they weren’t.)
The Ugly: The smell that reeked up our bathroom was almost unbearable. It smelled like the mildew had become self-aware, it had been there for so long. It got to the point where we had to hold our nose to shower.
I’ve grown to expect lesser standards for European hotel rooms that we’re used to here in the States, and I can be pretty flexible in what I can accept. That said, I wouldn’t recommend the Hotel Amsterdam to anyone staying in this beautiful city (which overshadowed the bad hotel experience, thank goodness.) There are so many to chose from, and honestly, in a city with public transport as good as this one, I can’t imagine that any location would have you too far from the action. In this case, I think we’d have preferred to be further from the action - and noise.
by Carmen on April 27, 2009
Hotel Amsterdam de Roode Leeuw
DAMRAK 93 94 Amsterdam, Netherlands
31-20-5550666