Hotels
Our choice of Amsterdam's best character hotels.
As a tourist magnet,
Amsterdam is stuffed full of accommodation of every category, from
cheap beds on canal boats to the usual luxury international hotels.
In between there's an often bewildering choice of well-run smaller
hotels that offer great hospitality and an intimate atmosphere,
one such being the Estherea, a hotel
which features the bonus of views overlooking the picturesque Singel
canal. Another canal-side hotel is the excellent Park
Hotel, a luxury, centrally located establishment from where
boats can be boarded.
Bilderberg
Garden Hotel *****
Dijsselhofplantsoen, Amsterdam
This
culinary hotel is firmly rooted in Amsterdam's culture of shopping
and museums, combining a central location with the facilities you
expect from a popular five-star hotel... (more)
Park
Hotel ****
Stadhouderskade, Amsterdam
The
Park Hotel offers guests a central, canal-side location with the
facilities you expect from a popular four-star hotel... (more)
Victoria
Hotel ****
Damrak, Amsterdam
Reputed
to be the world's friendliest hotels, the Victoria belongs to the
Park Plaza Hotels range but it isn't just the service that is first-rate.
The facilities on offer are quite simply, out of this world. Whether
you're on business or just want to relax, look no further than the
Victoria. Be sure to investigate the hotel's Active Club, home to
a heated swimming pool, solarium, fitness room, sauna and beauty
parlour. Phew!... (more)
Bilderberg
Hotel Jan Luyken
****
nr Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
In
the centre, but in quiet surroundings, the Bilderberg Hotel Jan
Luyken is a beautiful 19th century townhouse, recently taken over
by the Bilderberg chain. Due to the size, the atmosphere is very
cosy and personal.... (more)
Hotel
die Port van Cleve ****
Nr Dam Square, Amsterdam
A
hotel with an intriguing history, the Port van Cleve offers good,
modern facilities, entertaining restaurants and bars and great location...
(more)
Best
Western Eden Hotel ***
Amstel, Amsterdam
Crafted
out of a typically Amsterdam style building, right in the middle
of the city, the Eden hotel represents great value for money. Now
part of the... (more)
Best
Western Eden Lancaster Hotel ***
Artis, Amsterdam
An
elegant white stucco exterior fronts a hotel of quiet charm that
is centrally located in what is known as the greenest district in
town... (more)
Hotels
- Instant Booking
Dozens of Amsterdam hotels, with instant online booking. Great
for last minute availability.
(more)

Essential
Amsterdam
Quick
guide to Holland's capital.
Introduction
For
a city boasting such a wide variety of sights, sounds and experiences,
from globally famous art through the global trade in diamonds and
drugs to lurid sex, Amsterdam is a surprisingly peaceful city, exuding
a brand of calm that arises perhaps from the renowned tolerance
of its citizenry.
Top
Sights
Luckily most of the major sights in Amsterdam are
packed into a relatively small central area, within easy walking
distance of each other. A popular place to start is the Centraal
Station. South from there runs the Damrak, a bustling street which
leads to the Dam, or Dam Square, where you'll find the Royal
Palace, numerous bars and a variety of street performers. Just
around the corner lies Rosse Buurt, the famous/notorious red light
district with its eye-opening displays of in-yer-face sex. Carrying
on south, there's a succession of pretty canals before Leidsetraat
(the main shopping hub) and Leidseplein (a café laden square that
is especially e xciting
at night) are reached. From Leidesplein, it's a stroll of
only a few minutes to the museum quarter featuring the Rijksmuseum
(especially good for Dutch Old Masters), Stadelijk Museum
(Modern Art) and the Van Gogh Museum. Off our sight-packed
north-south route, at the north end of Prinsengracht canal is the
Anne Frankhuis, a poignant tribute to the young Jewish diarist who
hid from the Nazis. One recent addtion to the range of attractions
is the newMetropolis Science and Technology Centre, a science-is-fun
type museum that, apart from anything else, boasts a great view
over the city from its roof top.
Shopping
The
busiest general shopping area is probably Leidsestraat and streets
adjacent to it, while the premier department store is De Bijenkorf,
found on Dam Square. For more specialised fare try the Rokin
for traditional, expensive, diamond cutting-houses; the Bloemenmarkt
(on the Singel canal) for flowers - yes, including those tulips
from Amsterdam - and the Rokin for trendy craft hang outs and antiques
shops.
Culture
Apart from the preponderance of museums and galleries,
high culture is well represented in Amsterdam by the Concertgebouw,
the home of an orchestra of world renown and the Muziektheater,
where
ballet and opera are staged. These two are essentially national
status symbols and do not really get to the heart of Amsterdam culture.
For that, all you have to do is walk - or ride - the streets and
look out for style avant-gardists who like to adopt the latest (and
oldest, for there are still plenty of hippies here) youth culture
paraphernalia and give it a laid back twist.
Nightlife
Amsterdam
is home to immigrants of many different cultures and benefits from
the influx in terms of the range of cuisine on offer. Most notable
is Indonesian, which has representatives all over town. Check
out especially the signature rijsttafel, a lavish feast of seemingly
endless spicy dishes. Traditional Dutch food is more mundane, but
if it's hearty soups, raw herring or French fries with mayonnaise
you're after, there is no b etter
place. International style bars and pubs have emerged in recent
years as a genuine challenger to the more earthy Dutch variety,
though the latter are still in plentiful supply. Most common are
the brown cafes - warm of atmosphere and basic in decoration
- that apparently get their name from the tobacco fumes that have
coloured their ceilings. Then there are the almost entirely misnamed
coffee-shops, which are world famous as relaxed, and legal,
venues where you can enjoy a toke on a cannabis joint.
Essential
Info
Currency
- The Guilder.
There are about 2.50 US Dollars to the Guilder, a little less to
the euro and around 3.60 guilders to the pound sterling.
Weather
- Temperate climate with cold winters and warm/hot summers.
Airports
Schiphol
(south of the city) There's a fast rail link (about half an hour)
between the airport and Centraal Station. Taxis take a little longer
and cost a lot more.
Flights
to Amsterdam:
KLM
(UK)
Skydeals
(Thomson Travel Group, UK)

Useful
Links
- Amsterdam
City
www.amsterdam.nl
City of Amsterdam online. It has a reputation
for hospitality, history and culture. A thriving flower market;
old churches; canalside houses; cafés and terraces; old masters;
street organs: it is difficult to be bored here.
- Smokers
Guide To Amsterdam
www.smokersguide.com
This website is for over 18s only. Provides all
the info that you need to soft drugs. There is nothing illegal
about it. Well at least when you are reading it on the net and
having a bong in Holland.
|