Mercure Amsterdam Arthur Frommer - Amsterdam, Netherlands     

We booked through Airmiles to stay 2 nights at this hotel. The Airmiles pictures definitely make the hotel look more luxurious than it is in person. The fixtures and furnishings in the bedroom are ready for refurbishment and the bathroom needs a deep clean. The location is ideal for exploring Amsterdam and there are tram links close by. Don't hail a cab unless you can speak Dutch because we were truly ripped off; I don't think the taxi driver realised we had been in Amsterdam for a couple of days and had walked the road numrous times when he took the scenic route and charged us E15 for what should have been a 3km journey. The breakfast buffet at the hotel is good - healthy and fresh with plenty of choice, but don't expect service with a smile. General value for money was about average, I reckon.

Good location, quiet, yet within very easy walking distance to the main shops and bars and restaurants. Trams 16, 24, 25 run from close by to city centre tickets can be purchased from most shops. Trams are every few minuets, so you are never waiting around for long. On arriving at Schiphol airport, and not knowing our way around, we went to the tourist information desk and bought a return ticket for the shuttle bus, which took us right to our hotel. If you have never been to Amsterdam before like us, then I can recommend you use this or you may never know how to get to the hotel. For 19 euros it was easy. The hotel staff are all very helpful and polite, the rooms are basic and well maintained, and not bad size wise, which were cleaned every day. They have a free safe deposit box, T V with some English channels as well as Dutch. The bathrooms are average in size with shower, however the showers do not have doors, and water goes all over the bathroom floor unless you turn the shower head against the wall, but there is always plenty of hot water. Continental breakfast, with a good variety on offer. Part of the hotel is none smoking, which suited us fine. You must buy a good map, don’t rely on the small free maps that are given away. Always be careful of the cyclists, they don’t give a dam and seem to have right of way, they don’t bother to stop if you get in their way. The Anne Frank museum is well worth a visit, but be warned, it’s a very moving experience. The Heineken experience is also a must. For 10 euros you get about 3 hours of fun and drinking. We certainly had a good time at the Arthur Frommer, and can recommend this hotel to the more mature traveller.