Will be traveling to Amsterdam in February, and was wondering what is a good, clean, safe place to stay with some reasonable rates, or rather, what's the best way to get reasonable rates??? THANKS!!!
i can't help you with the safe part, but i found the best place to stay when traveleing as far as rates go is with people. meet some nice folks that won't try to kill you in your sleep and crash on their couch. but be sure they know how much you appreciate it.
Im booked to go in Feb too and have just found out that the weekend I'm there the Chinese community are celebrating their new year with Dragons and Firework displays which will be interesting to see while stoned. As far as Hotels are concerned you will not find anything cheaper than 35 Euros unless you want to do the Hostel thing. I pay 40 Euros a night in a very nice, clean and well run restaurant/hotel smack bang in the Centrum with breakfast included.
I'm booked in the Greenhouse Effect Turkish Delight room 11-12 Anybody stayed there before? We've rented an aprtment in the past but always wanted to try Greenhouse Effect because of the theme rooms.
Stay @ the Flying Pig - it's an amazing hostel, very cool & fun environment, clean, safe, and central to everything. I can't recall the rates, but very cheap. Book well in advance - they're the best for a reason and people know it.
I'm staying at the Greenhouse Effect December 24th - 27th. I went there last year and it was great - stayed in the Tropical room. I'm in the Canal view room this year which is right underneath the Tropical room. Both have a pretty good view over the Canal and the Grasshopper is just off to the left. The bar was very cool (if a little small) and the staff were friendly (hope it's still the same this year!). Our room is right across the road from the bar/coffee shop but I have heard that some of the rooms are a little bit away from there. One great thing about Greenhouse effect is the price of the beer if you are a resident - it was almost a third of the price of other places! I'd recommend this place to anyone - hope this has been helpful to you. Merry Chrismas!!!
My suggestion is Jonas' Houseboat, located near Central Station. Very affordable, clean, and just nice in general. gentle rocking of the boat to put you to sleep. the reflection from the water into your room to give you a light show to wake up to. other than the construction happening at the station, it was a very quiet, very pleasant stay. http://www.trav2amsterdam.com/wri/property.php?HostelNumber=1518
the flying pig is the best by far... i've stayed at 3; the first was called stayokay, i think. it's one of the hostelling international ones, or whatever, and it's huge and cold and unfriendly and SUCKS. the bulldog was ok, but also a little too big and unfriendly. i prefer small, personal or private hostels.
Hotel Brouwer located centrally on the Singel canal between train station and Dam Square, near Lijnbaanstreeg at Singel #83. Includes yummy breakfast.
If you ever think about stopping outside of Amsterdam I can highly recommend the Sativa Hotel in Haarlem http://www.hempcity.net/cannabisshops/sativa/bedandbreakfast/sleeponsativa.html €45 a night for 1 or 2 breakfast in a coffeeshop included, nice rooms and only 10 mins away by train from Amsterdam (the coffeeshop/hotel takes about 2 mins to walk to from the train station) Jon
