We have just come home from a 3 night stay in Amsterdam. We were looking for somewhere special to stay to celebrate my 50th birthday and stopped looking as soon as we found The Park Mansion apartments on Booking.com and saw they had received 10/10 from every reviewer.

We stayed in an apartment on the 2nd floor - there is another penthouse apartment on the 4th. It exceeded our expectations in every way.

Location: a quiet road running alongside the Vondelpark between the musem area and the Leidesplein, a very convenient 30 mins from the airport on the cheap tourist Connexions bus.

The apartment itself is beautiful and spacious (4 rooms) with views over the park and gardens. It is immaculately furnished, with antique pieces and pictures and fabric wall coverings. A fully-stocked kitchen "cupboard" contains everything you could need - sink, hob, microwave, fridge, coffee machine. Wireless internet is free, as are local and international phone calls.

What sets the Park Mansion apart from and above anything we have ever experienced is the service from the owner Charles who lives in the building. He fills the apartment with fresh lillies and orchids, wood for the fire, candles, books and music CDs. We arrived to a kitchen fully stocked with wine, beers, juices, meats, cheeses, salads, breads and nibbles - so welcome after a day's travelling. The first morning came with a basket of fresh breads and croissants. He was so attentive to our every need that we were made to feel very special, particularly when on the second morning he left a lovely artisan quiche, then baked and left a wonderful apple tart for us. The spec says breakfast is included, but in fact we ate in 2 out of our 3 evenings largely on the food Charles provided, followed by a quiet read to pleasant music in front of a blazing fire, a lovely way to end some tiring days touring the city.

This apartment is not cheap - we paid about £270 per night - but for that price you get the space, service and experience that any 5 star hotel would struggle to match.