Hotel Aspen - Amsterdam, Netherlands 

decent stay for the price
Posted: Wed, Jun 04 2008
Plenty of stairs to climb but I guess that this is the norm for Amsterdam. The hotel manager is helpful and friendly. The bathroom is a little smelly but clean. The shower room is extremely tight. Our room was also quite cozy. The location is excellent, a quick bike ride away to the Anne Frank House or Dam.

A nice weekend
Posted: Thu, May 29 2008
I chose this hotel because it was one of the less expensive I found in Amsterdam. I was a little bit worried before going, but the hotel was okay. It was really clean. The size of the room was normal. We had the key of the hotel main door, so we could get in at any hour. So no problem of finding the door closed. The only bad thing was the tram on the street just under our window... I could'nt sleep well from 6 am, but my boyfriend did'nt hear them... So dependant if you're used to noise during your slee The last thing but not least : the location is great. It is just 5 minutes walk from the Dam place.You're not far from the red light district (just after the Dam place) but the hotel location is safe and there are no people shouting! I would recommend it if you are searching an hotel not too expensive but clean and well located.

Clean budget hotel; bring a light suitcase!
Posted: Sat, May 03 2008
Hotel Aspen is a clean, basic, budget hotel. No frills whatsoever. No TV, no radio. (Phone, yes.) The towels were tiny and scratchy, and the shower basically worked. But overall, the hotel and the room were clean and tidy, and fairly quiet (especially if you use earplugs to block some of the street noise, if your room is in the front of the building facing the street). Rooms at the back of the building seemed much quieter. But beware: the stairs are challenging, so if you stay here, I hope you have a small, light suitcase! One person in our party notoriously overpacks, which she did again this time. Getting her bag up the staircase was difficult, to say the least. The location is pretty convenient. Avoid the pancake house a couple of doors down: terrible food, outrageous prices. For a great meal, go to the absolutely gorgeous public library (across a small bridge from Centraal Station)--which also boasts more than 100 free Internet terminals. The restaurant is on the top floor of the library, and it's AMAZING. Seriously, it's not to be missed. We also liked Bagels and Beans up the street (opens at 9 am) and the little restaurant a couple of doors up on the corner (can't recall the name). By the way, it's easiest to get around town on foot, since most of the attractions are close enough to walk to without difficulty. The tram is OK, but it can be a bit confusing if you are accustomed to a subway-type system.