Let me start by saying two things: (1) I always read tons of reports before I finally choose a place, and (2) this was a last-minute vacation.
I have been to Amsterdam a few times, but this was my partner's first trip. We just wanted to get away for a week. Yes, we wanted to do some touristy things, but mostly we wanted to be in cooler summer weather (we live in Florida) and we wanted to take it easy walking along the canals, eating out, and being on vacation.
Houses in Amsterdam are old, narrow buildings, one right up against the next. Blue Moon is one of these buildings. We think the whole building has 5 floors on it, but we're not sure. It has 2 places for rent: the Contemporary Suite and the Nouveau Suite.
We had the Nouveau Suite, and we loved our place. It was perfect for what we wanted. It had a big bedroom, a bathroom, and a separate sitting room. I'll try to paint a picture. You open the door into a small foyer perhaps 8 ft by 4 ft and see two doors. One door is your bedroom with the bath, and the other is the sitting room.
Both rooms have huge windows overlooking the street below and the park and canal across the street. Just beyond that are the museums. These windows were important for us because we slept with them wide open at night because the July temperatures were only in the upper 60s, which we loved.
FYI: It can be hot in summer and there is no air conditioning. This is not a complaint; it is a fact. I get so tired of people complaining that it was hot in the summer. (Duh... summer... hot...) but we were lucky with the cooler temps, and we used the fan, too. [NOTE: If you want a hermetically sealed room, go to a chain hotel.]
This is not a chain hotel; you are in a real Dutch house/building. You will have to walk up STEEP stairs. (51 steps in fact to get to our room!).
We were very well taken care of during our week. We asked for help with an adaptor so I could use my Apple Computer and were quickly given the right apparatus. We asked for a blanket and were given a blanket. We asked for info on restaurants and were given information.
We like B&Bs, but you should know that we felt Blue Moon was more like a cross between having your own apartment and having a true B&B experience. We travel a lot, and we have stayed in B&Bs and in apartments -- and try to avoid hotel chains when possible because we want to meet locals. We have nothing but positive things to say about Blue Moon.
The location of the place is excellent. If you have ever been to Amsterdam, you know that it is FULL of tourists and young backpackers who are suddenly facing legalized marijuana cafes and glass brothels, and you can imagine the mayhem. We are very happy to report that Blue Moon's location is just right -- away from all that nonsense (we don't smoke) but close enough to the touristy stuff. PLUS it's only a few blocks from open-air marketplaces where REAL Amsterdamers shop for their goods.
I'll repeat my introduction: I am an analyzer who reads tons of reports before making a hotel selection. Blue Moon is a GREAT destination. It has wireless (email junkie here!), a great location, and a very good price. You will be helped as much as you want to be helped, and you'll be given a key plus instructions for everything.
This one is a no-brainer, and I know that we will DEFINITELY be staying here again on our next trip.
PS Restaurants: Leave the hotel, turn right, and walk to the square: Leidesplein. There are many restaurants there. Be prepared for different types of food: Argentinean steaks (expensive), pasta (can be cheap), Indian (good), etc, but the best value we found in a Dutch restaurant (we saw only ONE!!!) in this Ledesplein area on a side street. The best lunch values were back in the Albert Cuyp Market, which is close to the hotel but a few blocks the other direction.
