I’ve been to Amsterdam 4 times in the past 4 years and the Victoria Park Plaza is the place I try to get into first. Stayed previously at the Jolly Carlton which was cramped and the Krasnopolsky which was noisy (and not great value at the price!). So the Park Plaza is perfect.
It’s a great location – just a two minute walk across the square from the mainline station which …
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Posted in: Hotel Reviews
I’ve been to Amsterdam 4 times in the past 4 years and am starting to get a pretty good feel for the place. The first 3 times I booked one of LastMinute.com’s holiday packages and stayed in a different hotel, although one change was only because my preferred hotel was fully booked. My latest trip in 2009 saw me return to my favourite hotel, the Victoria Park Plaza but rather than book a package holiday per se, I booked flights and hotel seperately.
I’ll be honest and say that my visits weren’t strictly for holidays as they were to attend conventions, however the sort of convention I go to, you might just as well call it a holiday as it’s all laid on LOL.
I’ll come back to the hotels in a bit, but first, Amsterdam itself. I would call myself a fan, although it’s the sort of city where IMO you have to be a bit choosy about the times you go. It’s got a very relaxed atmosphere, perhaps not quite to Paris levels, but nonetheless it’s chilled and the layout of the city means it’s difficult to get lost as all roads tend to curve in an arc …
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Posted in: Holiday Reviews
Lonely Planet’s Erin Richards describes Amsterdam (that’s in Holland, or the Netherlands, in case you didn’t know!) as exciting, beautiful and romantic. With it’s cobble stone streets, clubs and nightlife, Amsterdam is so much more than the Red Light District it’s well known for.
Editor Note: Incidentally, I’ve stayed here 3 times and as far as hotels go, I can recommend the Victoria hotel opposite the station (4*). The Krasnopolsky is OK (5*) but wasn’t overly impressed with the room and there was some street noise at night as it’s pretty central. The Hotel Jolly Carlton was where I stayed the first time…nice if you don’t mind living in a broom cupboard! And worth noting that weekends are full of English stag and hen parties. Not really my cup of tea..during the week is the best time to visit IMO.
The restaurants in Amsterdam are something else – some very obscure food and, er, unusual entertainment. My favourite was Supper Club where you lie on beds and listen to chilled music while you eat. Check it out.
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Posted in: Destination Videos