We stayed for four nights in room no. 5 on the first floor of this very pleasant 2* hotel in the Plantage neighbourhood of Amsterdam. The staff were all really friendly and we felt very welcome. We arrived earlier than check in time but they cleaned our room so it was ready for us after just a half hour wait. They also had no problem in us leaving our bags there most the day after we checked out as our flight was not til the evening. There was no problem them not having a hotel bar, as 30 seconds away on the corner of the same street is a great little pub, very reasonably priced, serving a wide range of meals, and open late (at least til 1am). The park across the road is small and has a fountain. It was nice to sunbathe on the canal bank there. The landing to the room was a bit scruffy with repair marks on the doors and a dent in the floor, but the room itself was great. It was spotlessly clean and was cleaned everyday for us with fresh towels, beds made, and tea/coffee sachets replenished. The carpet and curtains were new, the beds were comfortable. We would have preferred a double bed rather than the two singles pushed together, but it was OK. The fridge was a good idea, and I recommend getting yourself some fruit juice and milk, as they only provide powdered milk sachets. The bathroom was spacious, newly fitted, good quality and the shower was excellent. There was always hot water and a lovely water pressure. It was a walk-in shower so big enough for two but no separate base so the water did spread across the bathroom floor wetroom style, so don't put your bath mat down first!
One night we were cold and tried to turn on the radiator but the heating was obviously not turned on, however they provide an extra wooly blanket for such occasions.
Breakfast was plentiful, but a bit limited if you don't like what's on offer. On offer is two types of cereal, bread, hams and cheeses, jams, butters, pate, nutella, boiled eggs, mini wrapped fruit cakes. We had breakfast two of our four mornings because we didn't fancy what was on offer, I would've preferred a croissant or some toast and my partner was craving something hot. The quality of the food on offer was very very good, however, so we were just being fussy! The dining room was delightful and so homely.
If like us you choose to walk from the train station to the hotel, do follow a detailed map, and watch the road names closely, as it's easy to confuse one canal for another which I did a few times! If you have to explain to a local where the hotel is, say it's near the Hortus botanicus, rather than trying to describe the park it's next to. The Plantage area is really nice, and not too far out of the centre. We walked everywhere, and usually followed one of the three main canals til it reached the river Amstel then walked up the Amstel to one of two bridges you can take and then it's just a short walk from there. There are some cheap friendly restaurants if you explore the streets around the hotel, and you'll eat out cheaper here than in the centre.
Overall a great place to stay which we highly recommend.
- Parklane Hotel Amsterdam
