I stayed at the Apollofirst for four nights with a friend of mine in June 2005 and we really enjoyed it. The room was clean, and the bathroom was HUGE!! The price of our room included breakfast, which was a buffet each morning. The breakfast had a great selection of hot and cold food. The staff was VERY nice and helpful. The location of the hotel is about a 10-minute walk to the museum area. There is a Tram #5, which is right at the end of the block (2-minute walk) which goes to Central Station and just about everywhere in the city. The hotel also has a great little bar area to relax and have a drink or read. It is very quite and away from the hustle and bustle. It is an older hotel, but I liked its classic charm. I would stay there again if I were in Amsterdam.

I stayed in the Applofirst from March 2-6th, 2005. It is a typical old Dutch hotel with some charm, though it could use some improvements (carpets are a bit shoddy and the rooms could use some brightening up). Its pluses are an extremely friendly and helpful staff - it is in a nice neighborhood walking distance to many places (Van Gogh Museum is 15 Minutes on foot, the university is about 20 minutes on foot). I found the price (125 Euros a night) a bit steep, however it does include breakfast (decent buffet style) and room tax. The breakfast room was lovely with windows to the back courtyard. You can have a nice beer in the evening in the "library" (fake books) and sit in a very comfy leather chair. Convenient shopping is near the hotel as well.
Internet access is provided via access cards, which are 5 Euro per 30 Minutes, which works well. The bathrooms were spotlessly clean, which was a big plus, and the TV had German and English programs.
And if you call the Shipholservice taxi company, they have a flat fee to the airport (22.50 Euro) - -------

We stayed at this hotel from 20-22 August 2004. We had originally booked the Beethoven hotel around the corner, but upon arrival were advised that they had overbooked. They did us a favour by sending us to Apollofirst - it was a very nice, comfortable hotel - although it does not have all the facilities in the room that you'd expect with a four star rating - or for the price (115 Euros!).

It is not right in the centre of Amsterdam but it is in a nice area. The tram stops at the end of the street and it takes about 10 minutes to Dam and 20 minutes to get to the central station. The trams are really frequent, so this was no problem.

The included breakfast was a highlight as it included a cooked breakfast and not just pretend-toast or a bread roll and jam! It was also served until 10.30am, which is a definite bonus when you are on holiday.

The staff were really friendly, and we enjoyed the stay - once we got over the fact that we were paying double what we have paid for comparable Western European hotels in our travels! But it seems that was the curse of booking a last minute weekend in Amsterdam - and we have no regrets.

The location is not bad, the tram station is near from the hotel, not too much traffic passing by, there's a supermarkt nearby, some restaurants, and the surroundings look actually quite nice. It would be suitable for people who would prefer staying in a more peaceful part of Amsterdam.
The room is fine, the staffs are friendly too. But I would advice people not to expect a quality of a 4-star hotel (which they claim to be); this hotel would rather do as an 'above average' 3-star hotel.