Hotel Barbacan - Amsterdam, Netherlands     

My friend and I wanted somewhere cheap and clean to sleep whilst in The Netherlands for a week. The Barbacan provided us with that. It is situated a few minutes away from the Zoo and trams stopped near by. It was quite a long walk to the main attractions though so unless you are super fit or crazy, I wouldn't walk to places like Dam Square or the train station. Getting a tram is recommended. Just around the corner was a bakery which smelt delightful every morning. I regret not buying anything in there because it smelt wonderful and i'm sure it would have tasted just as good, judging by the huge queue outside! The hotel was down a small alley way (Our taxi driver didn't even know the hotel existed! - after several calls to people, he finally found it!) and the hotel certainly wasn't a looker! When we got there, check in was quick and easy and the man behind reception spoke English very well. He told us our rooms, gave us a key and off we went to our rooms. The stairs were quite steep (as expected in Amsterdam) and our room was very small and very basic. We shared a twin room but there wasn't much room for anything else except the beds and a TV on the wall. The beds were uncomfortable and squeaked a lot with the slightest bit of movement which was very annoying. The beds were basically fold out beds and were quite low to the floor and after a few days of walking non-stop in Amsterdam, they were the last kind of beds you'd want to go back to! The bathroom and toilet was shared and was kept reasonably clean but I don't think they were cleaned as often as I would have liked. Overall I wouldn't stay here again. There are better places around for less than the price we paid and in a better location.

We stayed in the 6 person room For 2 nights. It was very clean and the staff was very friendly and helpful. It was also very quiet at night. We had a private bathroom with shower but it was so small you could hardly move, But thats the only complaint I have. The stairs going up to the rooms are very nerrow and steep, So I dont reccomend this place to anyone who may have a hard time with them. Breakfast is very good, and will give you a good boost to your day. There is a tram stop close by to get you to where ever you want to go. I would definately stay here again, it was a wonderful experience