We stayed at the Golden Tulip Lion D'Or Hotel for 2 nights before we started our river cruise in Amsterdam. Due to a conference being held in Amsterdam, we were unable to find a hotel there and settled on Haarlem - a suburb approx 15 minutes from Amsterdam.

We arrived at the Schipol Airport and took the Bus to Haarlem. I would highly recommend this as it is easy to find, and only 4 euros (which you can pay right to the bus driver). Simply walk out of the main entrance of the Schipol Airport and cross the street, look for bus Number #30 that says Haarlem. Its RED and you can't miss it. The bus has its own lane so you never have to deal with traffic. We got off at Haarlem central station.

From the bus station, we walked 2 blocks to our hotel which is situated across the street from the train station and just up the road from the main shops & restaurants. It was a beautiful city with friendly people and great shopping!

As for the hotel, it was a typical European hotel... lots of stairs (small elevator) and overall much smaller than an American/Canadian hotel. Our room included a queen bed that was very comforable. A small TV with approx 25 channels (some English, some Dutch). The bathroom was comfortable with a stand up shower. A wardrobe which included a safe was also there. Overall, it was very clean. Their hotel room keys are really BIG... So everytime we left, we just dropped them off at the front desk.

The hotel had a restaurant which we ate at 2 mornings from breakfast. Breakfast included toast/danishes, make your own egg station, yogurt, cereal, small fruit, and typical stuff but no sausage, bacon, or pre-made eggs... which was fine for us. I believe it was 15 euro but ours was included with our room. There are plenty of small cafes close that would probably be a much better deal.

Wifi cards were available for purchase at the front desk. We bought one for 9 euro which gave you one hour use (minimum 10 min though everytime you login).

The hotel is on a fairly busy street, so it could be noisy but it didn't bother us. Hotel staff were very friendly..we would ask for food recommendations, directions, etc and the front desk staff would always help us out.

If you have never been to The Netherlands, BE CAREFUL FOR THE BIKES!! Make sure that you watch out for them, I think they have the right of way and if they don't, they definitely act like they do.

Stayed two nights. First night the room smelled strongly of stale cooked food. We asked for a new room and was told that they had none. In the afternoon the hotel agent said she had found a room, and that another guest would have to stay in the "smelly room." The new room was next to a noisy all-night disco, which started partying about 10 p.m. and ended about 5 a.m. Repeated requests to hotel staffer resulted in him calling his brother (he thought I didn't speak Dutch), and then the police after our 5th request. He said police could do nothing. On check-out we were treated poorly, and denied any discount. No apology.

April 28-29, 2010
Arriving early at 7:30 AM from AMS, my wife and I dropped off our bags and walked towards the city center. By 11:00 our room was ready. Although small by American standard, it was sufficient for our needs for two nights. We had a quiet end room, #14, with no noise from the outside. We were concerned about the proximity to the central train station.
The standard room was clean and the furnishings adequate and in good shape. There were enough room for hanging clothes and laying out personal items. The comfort of the bed was reassuring.
The included breakfast was much better than most. The central table has an electric griddle to cook eggs yourself. I saw others using it to warm their pastries and rolls. We were pleasantly surprised by the excellent coffee. The spread was attractive and well stocked.
The front desk is manned 24/7. Directly adjacent is nothing interesting to see. Even the central train station has only a Burger King and not much else. The facade of the hotel is plain and could be easily missed
We paid about E150 per night and felt it was worthwhile. If someone needed a conveniently located, full-service hotel very near the train station, I would recommend this one.

We stayed at the Golden Tulip in Haarlem for four nights in April 2010 before going to Amsterdam. Haarlem is a wonderful city. It is convenient by bus or train to other locations. Its small town charm contrast sharply to hectic Amsterdam. The hotel is located a short walk from the train and bus station. It is only a five minute walk to the plaza--cafes, restaurants, shopping, sights. The hotel is clean, the rooms are a nice size by European standards. There is an elevator if thats important to you. The breakfast is excellent--cheese meat, fruit, yogurt, cereal, hard boiled eggs, a small grill to cook your own eggs. The staff is polite and always available at the desk to assist. The cost is a little high 160 Euros. Recommended by Rick Steves and it did not disappoint. One negative because it was near the train station it could get noisy at night. This would only be an issue if you like to sleep with the windows open.