Just booked Dam for dam in april

[smithybud]

Morning people

Just wondered if anyone here still does what i used to do 10 years ago and book there hotel when they get to dam, at the hotel reservations outside central station, is it still there? is it still ridiculously cheap? I remember staying at the renaissance hotel for 35 euros a night and it was lovely!! Or would it be easier these days, to book before i go?

Any advice welcome

Cheers

Smithy

Any chance anyone could change the title??

Edited January 23, 2013 by smithybud

[ghost?]

I used to get a hotel upon arrival, until one year we turned up and struggled to find a room

Found out it was some big bank holiday celebration.

[Chomper]

Accommodation in Amsterdam is a bit strange...there is often little price difference between some grotty hotel and the nicer 3 or 4 star ones. Personally, I would book before travelling.

I've found that using a booking site usually brings the best deals. Something like booking.com or channels.nl has a good hotel booking link.

It also depends on what you want from your hotel. Do you just want some thing basic but clean or do you need something a little more luxurious? Which side of town do you want? Do you want to be near the RLD with all the noise and partying that goes with it or do you want somewhere a little quieter?

Hotels I have stayed in and would recommend:

Grand Krasnapolsky. Right on Dam square, excellent 5 star hotel, but I would only book if there is some sort of super deal on.

Greenhouse Effect. Great place right in the heart of the RLD, Very noisey, good for groups with their appartments. Excellent breakfast and very stoner friendly.

De Compagnie - near the mint tower. Nice modern and clean hotel.

Hotel Rho - just off Dam square, quiet, clean and comfortable. Great bar next door (Nes Cafe) where you can smoke herb, easy walk to RLD.

Winston Hotel - nice place, young feel but noisey. Close to RLD.

Any of the 'big chain hotels' .....Marriot etc, if you can find a good deal through a travel site.

Accoms in Ams are not cheap.....there is always the hostel route if you fancy that. Flying Pig is the one most often mentioned.

Have a good time

[Ineedweed]

Yep, always turn up without reservation, often forget it's Queens day or something and spend the day staggering around looking for somewhere to stay. It's more fun like that though.

[smithybud]

Thanks for replying everyone, Ive just booked hotel Luxur...... Anyone stayed there? its basically opposite hunters from what i can make out.

Cheers people

smithy

[Chomper]

Thanks for replying everyone, Ive just booked hotel Luxur...... Anyone stayed there? its basically opposite hunters from what i can make out.

Cheers people

smithy

Forgot to mention (sorry).....don't book the Luxor (I've stayed there) or any of the hotels on that particular end of the street.

It's a good area for coffeeshops, bars, RLD, easy walk to central station, trams etc. But; it is incredibly noisey and I always try to avoid the area if possible.

The other thing I will mention is the type of building in that part of town....they are old and extremely narrow in design. The rooms are often oddly shaped and so small; I mean really tiny.

You might be okay with this smithy, but it's not my cup of tea these days.....I'm getting on a bit and enjoy a good nights kip in a room that doesn't feel like it's caving in all around me ::

Last time I stayed up that end of town, I had some balilika band playing folk jigs at 2 in the morning.....it sounded like they were in my fucking room. Not good with a trip to Gouda and a business meeting the following morning.

On the plus side, you are a 2 minute walk from Thai Bird where you can get excellent Thai food at a very reasonable price.

Edited January 23, 2013 by Chomper

[smoky2004]

I always pre-book hotel, last thing I want to do when arriving in Amsterdam is hunt for accommodation, pre-booking I have complete control of the location I want to stay and price range I want to pay.

[smithybud]

Forgot to mention (sorry).....don't book the Luxor (I've stayed there) or any of the hotels on that particular end of the street.

It's a good area for coffeeshops, bars, RLD, easy walk to central station, trams etc. But; it is incredibly noisey and I always try to avoid the area if possible.

The other thing I will mention is the type of building in that part of town....they are old and extremely narrow in design. The rooms are often oddly shaped and so small; I mean really tiny.

You might be okay with this smithy, but it's not my cup of tea these days.....I'm getting on a bit and enjoy a good nights kip in a room that doesn't feel like it's caving in all around me ::

Last time I stayed up that end of town, I had some balilika band playing folk jigs at 2 in the morning.....it sounded like they were in my fucking room. Not good with a trip to Gouda and a business meeting the following morning.

On the plus side, you are a 2 minute walk from Thai Bird where you can get excellent Thai food at a very reasonable price.

Hi man, thanks for your advice! I choose the luxur in the end cause ive stayed there before and cause its right in the middle of everything, i know the rooms are small but they are clean and tidy. Hopefully theres no folk bands plaing while were there but the misses and i plan to stay out late anyway, my previous trips to dam have been just to get stoned but this time were planning to go out drinking in the evenings. Im starting to get on a little so this will be the last time i stay in the thick of it.

Smithy

[Chomper]

... but this time were planning to go out drinking in the evenings....

In that case you must go the 'In De Wilderman'. It's only a couple of minutes walk from your hotel and has a great range of unusual beers.

I also like Cafe Belgique (just off Dam Sq)

Hope you both have a great time

[BudFan]

I had a good streak of visiting Amsterdam at least once a year, every year, between 2002 - 2008 inc. Glory days.

I always booked the hotel in advance, purely to avoid any hassle on getting there. You just want to get checked in somewhere decent and get straight out and about as fast as possible! No faffing about looking for rooms etc. Plus, in the 90s the guide books said the train station could be dodgy, with a lot of chancers claiming to have rooms available etc. Its not like that nowadays though, ive never felt it to be dodgy in anyway.

plus, with all the great things like trip advisor etc, there really no excuse to check out the places beforehand, for the best deal and security.

I really miss Amsterdam, and its not likely I will visit again for a while yet

Sigh.

[groovelick]

Best not be the last days in April as its usually rammed queens day and all that. If it was I'd be booking

[smithybud]

Best not be the last days in April as its usually rammed queens day and all that. If it was I'd be booking

I booked for the beginning of april man, cheers for the heads up.

Smithy

[wheresKOMA]

Hi theres a tourist info place on the damrak roughly opposite the grasshoper(stay away from there<<<)

You can usually get a nice hotel cheaper if you go here the guy in there will find you accomadation no probs

peace

wK

[Seand]

I'd say pre-book. Last time I went, we drove up for a weekend on a spur of the moment, from the south of the country. We ended up walking for about 2 hours in the blazing heat carrying guitars and things, stoned out our faces trying to find a room. Eventually found a small, gas chamber-esque room with one double bed, bed mites included, for 35 euros each (two of us) a night. ultimate rip-off but we were desparate by that point.

We were fine in Brugge, Breda. Aachen and Luxemburg... just Amsterdam was rammed.

[willowisp]

I've grabbed a place on arrival a couple of times. There's a little street that runs parallel with the Damrak, if you have the Grasshopper on your left it's down the right. There's a place called the Travel hotel, they always seem to have places.

First time I went back in the 80s...we booked a room, three blokes all in there, then we ran out of money. The bloke kicked us out and for the last night we kipped in a building site for a bit til the cops chased us off, then in a park where a mob of Ajax fans all took a piss which went all over us...finally ended up with the tramps in central station - fell asleep and woke up to someone kicking me, I lashed out madly and got a gun in my face - it was a cop !