Accommodation and parking in Amsterdam

Hallo,

Ive got to drive down to Rotterdam next friday so i was thinking about then popping to Amsterdam on Sat for a few days and meeting a friend or two from the UK who could fly over.

So, two questions - Hotels? any recommendations? Im after somewhere stylish but not too dear.. maybe around 150euro tops. And do you think i have a hope of booking somewhere like that just a week or so beforehand?

Also i heard a while back that parking is weird in amsterdam - you have to leave the car outside the city and take a train in is that right?

thaaanks!

Ps. also, i know its a cliche british tourist thing but i'll just have to go and get exceedingly high at some point, can anyone reccomend some nice places with a nice atmosphere - not too hectic or touristy?

I'd do a web search for a Hotel with secure parking. You can park on the street but it's severely limited. With luck you can find something near the Hotel but you could also end up miles away. Break-ins are a real problem (especially with German-plated cars) so a secure parking lot is the way to go.

yeah i never have much luck with web searches for hotels.. all the best ones seem to come through recommendation.. I like smaller, unique ones with bit of style. I kind of figured those sorts of places wouldnt have their own parking too, but ill check it out

We really liked our hotel- it was in the museum area, and a 5 min. tram to the center of town. Was a B&B with nice owners, great breakfast and directly on the tram line with cute places for dinner nearby.

Hotel Zandbergen

They did not have parking, but they send you to a secure garage that is via tram and not far. Was also super cheap!

If you email Mikes bikes in Amsterdam, they recommended a good place for smoking. I cant remember the name, but it was also a bar and had a pool table, so better than a strict pot shop that basically just has people sitting around smoking. Gave you more to do and felt a bit more 'normal'.

Have fun.

The Rembrant, right on Rembrantsplein, nice and not over priced, but no parking from what I remember. You could park your car outside in a parkinglot and take the train in.

I like the Mitland hotel in Utrecht and it's only about a 25 minutes from Amsterdam and you don't have to worry about parking in Amsterdam. I got a friggin boot on my car in Amsterdam and I'm very reticent about parking in that city again.

Here's a link to the Midland http://www.mitland.nl/home_e.htm

Btw, my favorite hotel in Rotterdam is Hotel New York. http://www.hotelnewyork.nl/2007/?lang=en

Their rooms are beautiful and the food is great there too!

I just booked a house boat for 4 nights. I haven't been there yet so can't say if its good or not. I think it sounds cool though. Heres the site. http://www.boatforrentamsterdam.com/

Yeah. im after more of a boutiqe hotel really, but the few ive now found are booked as its valentines bloody weekend - forgot about that! that rembrandt place looks ok for a more traditional hotel so im going to give that a shot i think, cheers for that.

Houseboats look great, but i guess not for 2-3 nights, if i like the city i will definitly book one of those babies for the summer!

Also how does the parking work, i assume it's just obvious when i get close where to go..?

Oh and cheers for the rotterdam place im going to stay there on the friday.. whats rotterdam like anyway, do you know where would be a good place for a single guy out on his own to hang out & meet people?

Look around Amsterdam Nord. A 2 minute ferry hop behind the Central Station. Excellent accommodation for a fraction of the cost of staying in the centre. Nice and quiet too.

Yeah. Stay where the streetlights are on, and preferably within sight of a policeman or two.

Rotterdam can be bloody rough if you venture down the wrong street.

also can park there for free

top stuff thanks guys

A really great boutique hotel with a central (Leidseplein) location Hotel Weber. I stayed there last October and couldn't have been more pleased, as were all my travelling companions. There is a parking garage nearby (not included). They are so nice there and like most Dutch, speak excellent english.

www.hotelweber.nl

I've also found Tripadvisor to be a reliable site for recommentations.

A great website to look at: www.specialhotels.nl
It shows the availability immediately and with credit card you can simply book online.
Also translated in English.
Good luck.

Hey thanks.. I actually booked into hotel Weber in the end, thanks bde.

On the off chance: If anyone fancies a trip to Holland this weekend I'm driving early Sat morning, nipping to Rotterdam for a quick meeting Sat midday then up to Amsterdam until Mon 4-5pm. I would be happy to drop someone off and meet them again Monday just for the company in the car