Ajax - Amsterdam, Netherlands     

I have stayed in third world countries, and had better accomodation than this. I won't bore people describing the rooms, as this has been covered in previous reviews, very well I might add. The one incident I would like to mention, involved two of our friends. They came back to the Hotel late afternoon on the second day, to find their room door wide open, and all there belongings gone! The person in reception told them that they were due to check out that morning, and had not done so, so they did it for them. Their bags were under the table in reception. When they checked them, they found all their toilettries, and smellies were missing. After some conversation between staff the missing items were returned in a large polythene bag, no explanation was offered, as to why they had been removed. We were not due to check out until the following day anyway!! We also found out that staff members have access to the code that opens the room safes, you get a key! Obviously there has to be a question mark over the security in this hotel, as well as the cleanliness.

This was the first place I stayed at when I traveled from America to the Netherlands for the first time. I was glad I secured lodging at this hotel while staying in Amsterdam. Plan ahead, because Amsterdam is a hot-spot for people to come to. Since I traveled in July, vacancy was almost non-existent everywhere I looked. This hotel is very, very accessible to the tram system because it's on Rokin downtown. My friend and I arrived in short time from the Central train station and found the hotel with no trouble. At the time, the Euro was 1.37 to 1 US Dollar. The cost of the room was about 150 Euro per night and a 2 night minimum was required. This hotel is situated upstairs from the shop below. When they say "Dutch staircase" they mean it. It's a small staircase that ascends straight up; I'm not joking, straight up. So, lugging big bags will take some strength. Once you are inside, the owner and staff are very nice and casual and love to chat you up and tell you where to go. The main office serves as the common room and the breakfast room. This room has a nice view of the downtown area. At the time, there was a lot of construction going on right across the street. My friend and I rented a small room with a double bed and bathroom. The rooms are small and compact. Don't expect to lay out your stuff. The bed is in the center of the room with nightstands on either side. The bathroom is also compact and reminded me of an RV bathroom. There was a peculiar mold smell in our bathroom and a pigeon serenaded us in the hollowed out once-was-a-bathroom-vent space outside. The bed was comfortable and a TV is attached to the wall. There was even American shows and movies on their stations. Overall, our room was clean. The staff came everyday to make the bed and put out a fresh bath towel. Remember this: having towels of any kind in Europe is a luxury, so bring at least a face cloth and a bath towel, because some hotels do not even supply them for you. The hotel was very secure. They had security cameras down the halls and at the Dutch staircase. The room doors had to be unlocked with keys and relocked from the side you were on. The staff also holds your keys when you leave the building, so you don't lose them. On our stay, it was also very quiet. The noises you heard were the dinging of the tram system outside and the passerby people. Breakfast was included in the price of our room. It consisted of two kinds of cereal, breads and jams, hard-boiled eggs, sliced cheese, assortment of sliced hams, tea, coffee, milk, and juice. Light by American standard, but still good. Since this hotel is situated downtown, it's in prime location to everything. The locals walk and ride bikes, but you can get just about anywhere else from the tram. If you are extremely picky, don't stay here, but I'm pretty laid back and I would recommend this hotel to people I know traveling to Amsterdam; and I would personally stay at this hotel again.