Amsterdam

For a good budget hotel check out the RHO hotel located at Dam Square. Hotels in the summer fill up very quickly in Amsterdam, especially on the weekends. With just two weeks left you may have to pay a bit more:(

If you go with a hostel, Vondelpark hostel is nice enough. It's well located near the museums and a convenient tram to the center.

We stayed in Hotel Casa 400 - if you can get a good deal it´s a great choice. They are currently running a promotion on booking.com, I found rates for 79 eur p/night at the end of June. The hotel is close to the Amstel Station and run by students but don´t worry, the quality is great :)

My sister stayed at the Seven Bridges and loved it. They delivered breakfast to her room every morning. It is on a canal (which I think is a must)and in a great location, near everything, and very reasonable prices.

I enjoyed staying at the hotel Brouwer on my last visit. It's an old canal house on the Singel Canal and in easy walking distance of the train station. I walked with a small backpack and rolling bag.

I don't prefer hotels or hostels. I prefer bed and breakfasts. We used to stay at a small B&B out by the Olympic Stadium, however they split it up into apartments and sold them. There are a number of B&B's in Amsterdam Sud that are reasonably priced, and just a 7 minute ride to Schiphol Airport. The nicest and least expensive room we ever had in Amsterdam was one exit out the motorway from the airport. Hotel Schiphol is a business hotel with incredible facilities. And the 5 minute ride to Schiphol and the train into town is free. See: http://www.hotelschiphol.nl/en

I have stayed at about a dozen different hotels in Amsterdam over the past 25 years, but for my last half dozen visits Ive stayed at the Hotel Piet Hein near Vondel Park. It is comfortable, reasonably quiet, and near the museums and nightlife areas.

We went with Priceline and got a four star hotel overlooking the Amstel for $100.