My friend and I were looking for an inexpensive place to stay in Amsterdam, preferring to spend our money out and about than on a fancy hotel. For this, Hotel Kap rated pretty well. It's on a relatively quiet street that isn't a terribly distant walk from the centre, and was indeed inexpensive. I would note that other travellers should definitely be aware of the very steep stairs - we totally underestimated how difficult it would be to carry a heavy suitcase up them! The staff were also friendly and let us check out in the evening as we had to leave before the front desk opened.

The room, however, was definitely budget style. The sheets on my bed were ripped and stained, the shower had mold in it, and the hotel only provided a tiny sachet of soap and shampoo. There was just one plug in the entire room, which was already in use, so we had trouble charging our phones and Kindles. This is cheap, but be aware that what you're getting is also cheap.

As readers of my other reviews of Amsterdam hotels will already know, I tend to keep my expectations low - and still have them dashed. Unless you're paying big bucks, you'll be faced with poorly-maintained, insecure, often bed-bug infested dives you reach by something closer to a fire ladder than a staircase.

What a pleasant change to find a clean, pleasant, quite well-maintained and friendly - but still inexpensive, for Amsterdam - hotel.

The Kap is easy to get to, just off a roundabout around which quite a number of the major tram lines run - including at least one serving RAI. It's in a quiet back street, and just opposite the Asterisk, where my wife and I spent a very mediocre weekend once.

I arrived late-ish evening, having already eaten, but the welcome was friendly, and there was none of the nonsense other hotels try, asking for large deposits for the TV remote control or a plastic card-key. In fact, the keys were the real, metal variety. Although my room had a private shower, the shower was just down the corridor - not an arrangement I've seen before.

The room was small - little more than twice the space occupied by the single bed - but clean and tidy, even if the sink had a crack. The bed linen was clean, fresh and looked reasonably new.

I did use that shower. The shower room was tiny, and didn't smell all that fresh, but in a room that small, with nowhere to fit an extractor fan, a degree of damp's probably unavoidable. There wasn't much space (or dry floor) for changing, so I'd recommend anyone else staying here goes to the shower room with as little clothing as decency allows. Once the shower was running, the dank smell went away quickly, and there was plenty of hot water.

Back to the room, and "lights out" time. The bed was comfy - so comfy, in fact, that I overslept. Entirely my fault, and it didn't matter - I had plenty of time in hand the following day, and the check-out time was a very civilised 11am or 12pm (I forget).

The breakfast buffet downstairs, included in the room price, runs from 8am to 12pm - even more civilised! No surprises- it's the usual Dutch fayre of breads (toasters provided), cold meats, cheeses, preserves and cereals. The orange juice was fresh-pressed and tasty, the coffee also fresh and not at all bitter. I didn't notice any hot foods, but I wasn't in the mood anyway, so might have missed them. The breakfast room is bright, airy.and pleasant, and there was no sense that the owners were in any hurry to get rid of their guests.

The departure was as friendly and civilised as the arrival.

Would I come back? You betcha. I'm not convinced it's an ideal hotel for a young family, for for a solo business traveller, or a young couple without lots of money to spend, it's about as good as you get on a budget in Amsterdam, and it'll be at the top of my list for next year.

The good: quiet street, close to tram stop
The acceptable: narrow, steep stairs. We expected this. Kap seems to be proud of their dangerous stairs.
The bad: WiFi never worked (we stayed 4 nights) - a cardinal sin, as the availability of WiFi was one major reason I picked Kap (I have to be able to connect to work, in case of emergency). Our room was never made up by housekeeping before 4:30 PM. Hotel maintenance over the years has been patchwork and marginally-skilled DIY. I'm pretty tolerant, but this was too funky for my style. Bed sheets were an odd set of 2 horizontal sheets. This was uncomfortable in the night as they'd slide around and get tangled. Bed was very soft. Bathroom exhaust fan only worked one night, then died. In a very humid climate, this caused nasty steamy room. Bathroom sink is cracked. Toilet had no cover on it. Drains stank. Mildew stains in the shower and on bathroom wall. The table in the garden had the same drink rings on it during our entire stay. The PC in the dining room was infected with viruses (only used to check in for flight).

The hotel Kap is on a one way street, quiet and not very busy. Tram and bus stops within 1 block and the Carousel restaurant in the park down from the hotel. Rooms were clean and fresh , the staff were also very friendly and helpful except for one and he knows who he is I am sure his aloof (Synonym) attitude has hurt their business some. I would recommend this hotel to anyone of my friends.