Hi,
We are going to Amsterdam in May, and I have never rented an Airbnb before. We traditionally stay in hotels or bed and breakfasts. Even the hotels with small rooms are pricey. Our budget is about $400 a night. What have people liked better? I want to be in walking distance to sites, preferably on the canal, and we need sleeping arrangements for three people.
Thanks so much.
Amsterdam is expensive. You might look at booking.com to get an idea of what’s available for your time period.
I don't think it's a matter of which is "better" it's a matter of what your needs/wants are. Last spring we used both airbnb and hotels depending on what are needs were at different locations. We used an airbnb in Normandy (traveling independently, but in Amsterdam because we were on a RS tour, we extended our stay at the hotel we were staying in. It was a very nice centrally located hotel; a very old hotel but very modern and updated. It was by far the smallest of all of our accommodations throughout a 3 week vacation (part independent/part tour). It was about 450 euro for two people and though the bed was queen equivalent, the room barely was big enough for one person.
I like airbnb's for extra space; laundry, and any other nice amenities. Personally, after our kids became teenagers, we always booked 2 rooms or an apartment or airbnb, because we just don't find being squeezed into a hotel room (even a roomy one) at all enticing with more than 2 people.
I have heard of airbnb's being cancelled randomly, but we've never had a bad experience domestically or internationally. And our airbnb was owned by a local high school teacher in Normandy; so I don't have any guilt about renting it.
I won't use AirBnb because it is so harmful to every local housing market. You can't expect AirBnb investors/entrepreneurs (not poor, impoverished apartment owners, they are now in the minority ... ) to be ignorant of hotel rates in their city. They are in it for the money.
I agree with Tim, we don’t and won’t use AirB&B.
Amsterdam is cracking down and limiting Airbnb- type accommodations. They are also limiting the growth of hotel rooms. The goal is to decrease the over tourism in the city, and lack of housing for locals. Some folks have reported Airbnb- type hosts canceling their reservations, as the number of days a property can rent are being decreased.
The result - expensive lodging. Cameron Hewitt's Blog, here on the Forum, reports an average room in Amsterdam to be around $400 a nite.
And, May is the conclusion of tulip season.
Three people add some difficulty , make sure the third bed is not a pull out sofa.
We stayed in both Haarlem and Leiden, outside of Amsterdam, and loved both towns. Lodging is less expensive, and both towns still have the canal and windmill charm, just fewer bikes. It's a quick train ride into the city.
I'll attach my recent trip report, perhaps it will be helpful.
Enjoy this beautiful area!
We greatly enjoyed staying at Ostade B&B in De Pijp district: https://www.ostadebb.com/ The owners are great and they keep the refrigerator stocked with food and drinks (even taking requests). Definitely walking distance to everything except the huge indoor flower auction, Aalsmeer --- we took a bus to that. The B&B's classic Dutch staircase looks impossibly steep at first, but it was actually a fun experience and we got used to it quickly. I am pretty sure that one of the hosts helped us get our suitcases up the stairs.
"Hotel vs. Airbnb" is right up there with "carry on vs checked bags" for controversy. In Europe, where the stakes are high and we can lose valuable time if something goes wrong or we get cancelled last minute, I always use hotels. Hotels are better equipped to make you happy if there's an issue, and far less likely to cancel on you. I would personally find the best hotel that approaches my budget, and enjoy the city.
I personally generally opt for Airbnbs when I travel, despite concerns I have about affordable housing for locals. I’m pretty diligent about seeking out properties that are owned by individuals/families rather than corporate rentals and am comfortable renting a room (with private bath) in a home when traveling solo. When I rent an entire apartment it’s because I’m staying for 3+ nights and want to have some kitchen facilities and laundry available to me since I’d rather have breakfast at home and travel exclusively with carryon luggage. I like getting to know my host and now have connections in Dublin, Berlin, Florence and Parikia and return to their properties repeatedly.
I'm a devoted AirBnB user (and a host), but I won't use that platform in a city like Amsterdam because I know the impact it's had on the local population. Next month, I will be staying at the Hotel Nadia, which was recommended on the forum. It was nothing like $400/night. Certainly, it will be higher in May. Where I would love to stay if I weren't traveling with a friend I don't want to share a bed with is in one of the bridge houses. Here is the link: https://sweetshotel.amsterdam
Since Amsterdam is excessively expensive, have you considered staying somewhere closeby that could be cheaper? Haarlem?
I only stay in small hotels or Pensionen, local hotel chains, ie, Motel One, Mercure, Ibis, etc. or the B&B. These other options Vrbo and AirB&B are most definitely not options, not interested in them and never selected that option.
Have you considered a houseboat? This will be my second time going and staying on one. www.bookahouseboat.com
Hotel rooms in central Amsterdam are more than likely going to be expensive and
small. If you're willing to stay a bit outside of the center, but locate yourself near a tram
and/or subway stop, you can save a lot of money. A 3-day unlimited tram/metro ticket is $21.
One place I like is Skotel Amsterdam.
I also avoid AirBnBs due to the damage they cause to the local housing market (which has been particularly acute in Amsterdam). We were in Amsterdam last month and stayed at the Owl Hotel for only €234 + €27 city tax for two nights (the room was small but had everything we needed including an ensuite bathroom): https://www.owl-hotel.nl/en/
It's well located near to the Vondelpark and Rijksmuseum with an easy walk or tram ride to the Grachtengordel. It will likely be more expensive in May but still affordable. Good luck!
Not only is AirB&B damaging to the housing market for local residents— any AirB&B host can cancel on you at the last minute, leaving you High& Dry without a place to stay. Then, finding a place to stay just days before you’re due to arrive in Amsterdam is going to cost you an arm and a leg because you’ll be scrambling for a place to stay at the last minute. With a hotel, this will not happen.
Buyer beware!
I also stayed at the Owl hotel and recommend it for location, relative affordability and an elevator. I believe it might not have air conditioning which may not matter in May.
My wife and I stayed at the Amsterdam Canal Suites for a week last summer. It was right on the Keizersgracht a couple doors from the Amstel River. There's a tram stop at one end of the street. Nice restaurants in every direction. Walkable to the museums and to the main train station. Our apartment had a bedroom, living room, small kitchen and a combo washer/dryer and a canal view. We found it very affordable especially compared to the tiny boutique hotel rooms we had been looking at. Being in a renovated house there were winder stairs to climb but that wasn't an issue for us. We were very pleased with our stay.
We have stayed at the Holiday Inn Sloterdijk Station and found it quite nice and affordable. It is literally next to the train station, bus depot and tram stops so very convenient to get to airport, downtown, museums, trains north and south, etc. And the hotel restaurant had good food and service. No evening strolls along a canal from the hotel tho'.
My colleagues and I had a very disappointing experience with Airbnb, and as a result, all of us made the decision to discontinue using their services. What happened was that their vendor (apartment owner) had cancelled at the last moment (late in the evening), and it was too late to book another unit. So we contacted Airbnb and gave their staff an opportunity to find a replacement property. This was not done (due to late hour); and instead we were expressly told by Airbnb representative to go to a hotel. It was clearly discussed that it’s a more expensive option because we needed at least three rooms. This was clearly understood -- and we proceeded to do as instructed.
Subsequently, very surprisingly, Airbnb refused to reimburse the costs that we had to endure associated with the three hotel rooms (in excess of the original budget, per the cost of the apartment I had contracted from Airbnb). I became aware that Airbnb collected $50 as penalty from the reneging owner/vendor. Strangely, however, Airbnb didn't even offer that amount towards my unplanned costs that night (caused by the breach/cancellation). Needless to say, this is dishonest/unacceptable, so we’ll not work with Airbnb in the future. Fortunately, alternatives do exist.
Wee stayed at the Hotel Estherea in Feb. 2024 and loved it. It was a bit pricey, but my daughter looked t their instagram page and they had a promo that included breakfast, so ti turned out to be cheaper than the other hotel I was considering that cost less. So look at all aspects, and look for promos.
My husband and I have been Airbnb users since 2015. We tried it twice in Europe and weren't too keen on our experiences. In Rome, the road outside was very loud, and the bathroom had a sewage smell. At a hotel, we could have asked for another room, but we were stuck with the Airbnb. Our last European Airbnb experience was in Utrecht, NL. As we discovered upon check-in, the family lives in the home and leaves when guests are staying there. They didn't do a great job of putting their stuff away, and their level of cleanliness was not up to par. We never felt comfortable in this home. Now, we only use Airbnb for trips in the US or Canada.
I will admit that it's nice having the extra space and a full kitchen at an Airbnb. However, you can find hotels that provide some of these perks. Rooms at the Citadines chain have a kitchenette with dishes, sink, fridge, microwave, and hob. In fact, we booked a room at the Citadines in Toulouse, which is a short walk to the local market. We look forward to prepare our food finds in the room. I saw that Citadines has a couple of locations in Amsterdam.
