Hotels in Amsterdam

Not a Rick Steves Hotel, but centrally located with excellent connections to public transportation including an express bus to and from the airport.

Hotel Vondel in the museum district was an excellent hotel, 1 block from bus, 2 blocks from tram, walking distance to all museums. Several restaurants nearby and a grocery store 1 block away.

Never been on Rick Steves trip but i know for sure he recommends one of my favorite European brand hotels
The Ibis right by the train station
https://www.accorhotels.com/gb/hotel-1556-ibis-amsterdam-centre/index.shtml

In Amsterdam most hotels are close to public transport so you do not have to stay in the very center because PT is everywhere in the city and for that matter , in the whole country .
Amsterdam - Zuid ( south ) or old-West are also very nice and close to the center within minutes by bus or tram .
Hubby and I walked from old-south to the center in about 30 minutes ! For Amsterdam -Noord ( north ) you will have to go on the free ferry to cross the water behind Centraal Station . Hotel prices are a bit lower in that area.

Be aware that the Ibis next to Centraal Station doesn't have AC. A better hotel near the stationl is the very modern Doubletree hotel, which features an excellent roof bar with commanding views of the city center, especially at night. A short walk away is the Avenue Hotel. A good 3-star hotel with AC, a hot breakfast buffet, and ice machine.

We stayed at the Hotel Chasse. It is near multiple tram lines and is in a very quiet location. Plus the rooms are large with wonderful bathrooms.

I have been to Amsterdam a few times, and always stay at The RHO Hotel adjacent to Dam Square. Stellar location, nice staff, included buffet breakfast and an elevator if you need one. Although the elevator is very slow. Book early for the best rate.

http://www.rhohotel.com/

I stayed in the Museum Quarter at the Hotel Piet Hein last April and it was perfect--pleasantly busy and slightly upscale neighborhood with plenty of shops and restaurants (and the museums, of course) nearby, tram and bus stops (good for taking the Airport Express bus if you're leaving via Schiphol), quiet in the evening as the street only has buildings on one side--the other side is the Vondel Park.

We stayed at the Hotel Alexander on a Rick Steves tour. It's near the Vondelpark, and lots of public transportation options. I don't remember if it had a/c or not, but there were parrots in the trees outside our room.

Just spent 2 weeks at the DoubleTree on business. Expensive, but modern with excellent service. Can't beat the location, especially because we had to train it to the client's offices at Schipol. Also stayed at the new airport Hilton a few weeks back. Fantastic hotel, but real real pricey. I actually left behind my Bose headphone battery and charger there....came back a month later, and they had it waiting for me.

Going back for another week soon and again staying at the DoubleTree. It just works for me due to the ease of access to trains and trams. If you are into traditional hotels, with steep narrow stairs and tiny but warm rooms, look elsewhere.

No A/C is probably no problem as it seldom gets hot enough in NL to need it. The good thing good about having A/C is that it may muffle noise .

There are many luxury and affordable hotels in Amsterdam. I am sharing a list of affordable hotels, such as: Amstel Botel, Van der Valk Hotel Purmerend and Hampshire Golfhotel - Waterland. Thanks.