Amsterdam - Late November

HelpImAlive

Hi guys

Myself and a friend are travelling to Amsterdam for the last weekend in November, just looking for tips on places to stay etc.

Looks like Amsterdam is fairly spaced out and you can reach anywhere by tram but we would prefer somewhere we can walk to all the main attractions in a 10-20 min walk.

Budget is approx 150-160 euro each for the 2 nights, so total of about 300-320euro but as low as possible preferably..

Does anyone have any good suggestions on hotels or hostels to stay in, or suggestions on what to do/see over there? Is it best to book things online beforehand, etc?

Yamanoto

I've directed folks on a budget to the hotel below & it's proved most popular.

It's clean, quiet, free WIFI & extraordinarily good value - €50 p/n.

It's very well situated on the Bloemgracht Canal in the Jordaan, with the Anne Frank House virtually beside it & Dam Square less than a 10 minute walk away.

http://www.hotelvanonna.nl/

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/hotel/82085/Hotel-Van-Onna-Amsterdam-hotel-review.html

The other option I'd suggest is to use Pricelines 'Name your own price' function to bid on a 4* property for your dates in the City Centre / Central Canal Zone area.

The NH hotels - Carlton, Caransa , Amsterdam Centre & Museum quarter are regularly available at a serious discount (see link to get an idea of prices & bidding strategy).

http://www.tripadvisor.ie/ShowTopic-g188590-i60-k2906561-o2120-Bidding_on_a_4_star_in_the_center-Amsterdam_North_Holland_Province.html

Wyldwood

Have a look at the Rho Hotel on Nes. It's right next to Dam Square and just a short walk from Central Station. I haven't stayed there (it's beside my favorite hotel in Amsterdam, the V Nesplein) but my daughter and a friend who were on a budget stayed there in June and said it was fine, plus breakfast is included.

Be aware that there is tourist tax payable on top of the rates quoted in most hotels, I think it's about 5%.

Can I also recommend the restaurant Mappa on the same street.

poppy37

+1 for the Hotel Rho, stayed there a few years ago, clean and very central and the breakfast was a huge plus as most hotels in Amsterdam don't include it in the price.

Amsterdam is a great city, have a great time

JohnMearsheimer

Yamanoto wrote: »

The other option I'd suggest is to use Pricelines 'Name your own price' function to bid on a 4* property for your dates in the City Centre / Central Canal Zone area.

The NH hotels - Carlton, Caransa , Amsterdam Centre & Museum quarter are regularly available at a serious discount (see link to get an idea of prices & bidding strategy).

http://www.tripadvisor.ie/ShowTopic-g188590-i60-k2906561-o2120-Bidding_on_a_4_star_in_the_center-Amsterdam_North_Holland_Province.html

I used Priceline when myself and my girlfriend were in Amsterdam back in March. I ended up getting the Movenpick Hotel for €230 for the 3 nights. I think it was a 4 star hotel. When I looked on the Movenpick's own website for the same 3 nights it was coming out at €520. I've been using Priceline away since and can't fault it. The Movenpick was about a 5 minute walk from Central station and not that much more from the main sites. It was very handy for getting the train out to Schipol as well.

Yamanoto

Yeah JM, I mainly use Priceline in the States, where it really comes into its own.

In Amsterdam, I think I paid around €65-70 p/n in those NH Hotels near the Muntplein (beside the flower market) & Leidseplein respectively.

Never stayed in the Movenpick, but the location's great & it's undoubtedly a cut above the NH Hotels - you did very well there.

JustAThought

You could also try AirBnB which I love it comes with reviews and googlemaps so you can see where you'll be...

Muahahaha

Make sure you wrap up well, Amsterdam can be frightenly cold in the winter, even more so than here

Soft inda Head

I bid on Priceline NYOP 3 nights first weekend in Dec and got Movenpick Amsterdam City Centre for €68 per night! Looking forward to it.

Soft inda Head

I bid on Priceline NYOP 3 nights first weekend in Dec and got Movenpick Amsterdam City Centre for €68 per night! Looking forward to it.

JohnMearsheimer

Soft inda Head wrote: »

I bid on Priceline NYOP 3 nights first weekend in Dec and got Movenpick Amsterdam City Centre for €68 per night! Looking forward to it.

It's a lovely hotel. It's only one tram stop from Central Station or a 10 minute walk. We couldn't complain about our stay.

The hotel will definitely feel like it costs more than €68 per night. The Travelodge down the road from me is €50 a night. You can't beat Priceline.

Muahahaha

JohnMearsheimer wrote: »

I used Priceline when myself and my girlfriend were in Amsterdam back in March. I ended up getting the Movenpick Hotel for €230 for the 3 nights. I think it was a 4 star hotel. When I looked on the Movenpick's own website for the same 3 nights it was coming out at €520. I've been using Priceline away since and can't fault it. The Movenpick was about a 5 minute walk from Central station and not that much more from the main sites. It was very handy for getting the train out to Schipol as well.

Can I ask how exactly Priceline works ? Like do you tell them you want to stay at Hotel X and then they go get you a deal ? Or do you just give them dates and they come back with options on lots of hotels ?
Also how long does the process typically take, are you waiting just a few hours for an offer or is it more than a days wait ? Do you think it might be good for booking last minute, I.e. That very night ? I often notice when booking last minute hotels try to shaft you, this is despite the majority of them having empty rooms that they're not likely to sell. They play hardball as they know you gotta sleep somewhere. If Priceline acts as a counter to that kind of price gouging I'd be keen to give it a try.

JohnMearsheimer

Muahahaha wrote: »

Can I ask how exactly Priceline works ? Like do you tell them you want to stay at Hotel X and then they go get you a deal ? Or do you just give them dates and they come back with options on lots of hotels ?
Also how long does the process typically take, are you waiting just a few hours for an offer or is it more than a days wait ? Do you think it might be good for booking last minute, I.e. That very night ? I often notice when booking last minute hotels try to shaft you, this is despite the majority of them having empty rooms that they're not likely to sell. They play hardball as they know you gotta sleep somewhere. If Priceline acts as a counter to that kind of price gouging I'd be keen to give it a try.

You are bidding on a hotel room. Priceline will give you a map of the city. You pick an area within the city. You then pick a star rating you would like your hotel to be. Then you pick your dates. For example, you can tell Priceline that you will give a 4 star hotel in Amsterdam city centre €50 a night between x and y dates. Priceline then throws your bid out to the hotels. The hotels can decide to accept or decline your bid. You can up your bid if it's declined.

When you bid you have to be serious about it. You have to register your credit card first (or log in to your account if it's already registered) before you bid and if your bid is accepted your card is charged immediately. There's no looking around before you bid. You also don't know the name or the address of the hotel you are booking until after your bid is accepted.

I've used it 3 times and I've nothing but good things to say about it. I used Hotwire a lot before but I find Priceline better. Myself and my girlfriend used it last month for 4 nights in Lisbon and it came to €220. €110 each, slightly over €25 each a night. We got the Marriott in Lisbon.

The first time I used it was out of curiosity but I'm glad I did

Muahahaha

Wow sounds great, thanks for the info. Would you have any guidelines when bidding for a room ? I like the concept but am wondering how you find the sweet spot to get a bargain, would bidding 40% below the rate on similar starred hotels in the area get you any takers! or it is more like 20% discounts ? I suppose one way to find out is to lowball the first offer and then when it gets declined up it by €10 a night and see what happens.

It sounds like a good system but one reservation I'd have is not knowing which hotel. It's good that you know the area but I'd also be fearful that if you selected say a 3 star economy hotel in X area you might end up at the worst possible hotel of all available in that area. I suppose the risk is relative to how much money you're saving.

Just out of interest -was the Marriott in Lisbon a five star? If so €50 a night is a total bargain, it even is for a four star and many threes.

Roxirose

De Lanterne is a cheap and cheerful hostel. Stayed there a few times. It will be freezing so wrap up!

the_syco

You going for the artwork, or the coffee shops? If the latter, check out the White Tulip hostel. Situated in the middle of the RLD, surrounded by coffee shops, and a nice crêpe place a few doors down. Went in February myself 3 years ago, and found it to be grand and cosy.

Yamanoto

Muahahaha wrote: »

Wow sounds great, thanks for the info. Would you have any guidelines when bidding for a room ? I like the concept but am wondering how you find the sweet spot to get a bargain, would bidding 40% below the rate on similar starred hotels in the area get you any takers! or it is more like 20% discounts ? I suppose one way to find out is to lowball the first offer and then when it gets declined up it by €10 a night and see what happens.

Many folks begin with a lowball offer, then bid in increments as low as $1 'til they hit the sweet spot.

I use Priceline quite often, but usually only have a day or two's notice before travel, so I take a look at their 'Express Deals' for the particular area I'm interested in & place a bid $10-15 below that. Just be mindful that your bid is exclusive of taxes & service fees (though you'll see the full amount due before you hit the purchase button).

Express Deals from Priceline are certainly worth consideration too - basically it offers you a discounted room at a set price which you can book there and then, i.e. no bidding. The rooms are typically discounted to a far greater degree than Hotels.Com, Booking.com or other big consolidator sites. Again, it will tell you what part of the city the hotel is in & what the *star rating is for that particular property, but it won't reveal the name of the hotel until after you've booked the room.

Muahahaha wrote: »

It sounds like a good system but one reservation I'd have is not knowing which hotel. It's good that you know the area but I'd also be fearful that if you selected say a 3 star economy hotel in X area you might end up at the worst possible hotel of all available in that area. I suppose the risk is relative to how much money you're saving.

Just out of interest -was the Marriott in Lisbon a five star? If so €50 a night is a total bargain, it even is for a four star and many threes.

The general consensus seems to be that it's prudent to stick with 4 & 5* properties on both Priceline & Hotwire.

By using sites like www.betterbidding.com & www.biddingfortravel.yuku.com, it's possible to get a pretty good idea of the properties on offer in any given area. The blind bidding aspect may appear a bit of a risk at first, but I've yet to be disappointed by Priceline & I regularly bag Sheraton, Marriott & Hilton properties in the States for €50-€60. Both Priceline & Hotwire fly under the radar here on Boards for whatever reason, but I find Priceline in particular an invaluable resource tbh.