Amsterdam
Our trip started after landing at the 
After our arrival at the Amsterdam Centraal Train Station, we encountered someone who greeted us outside the station, and asked if we needed help with anything. We asked where our hotel was situated in 
After the tour, we stop by a few shops before heading back to the hotel to collect our bags and to check in. I couldn’t believe the never-ending assortment of bongs and pipes they had in these smart shops.
We proceeded back to the centraal train station for the Red Light District walking tour. The cost was 10 euros and there was a good group of us. The tour was a few hours long and we had complimentary drinks at one of the bars. After the tour, we walked around the Red Light district admiring some of the view and keeping the digital cameras hidden for obvious reasons. After having a good time out during the evening, we headed back to the hotel to crash.
The next morning, we got up and checked out of the hotel.
After paying a 12.50 euro entrance fee for the ticket, we entered the Van Gogh museum and were told to hand over our bags at a bag collection point.
Our next stop was the Heineken brewery tour but unfortunately they were closed for renovations and won’t open up until September 2008. We were really looking forward to this tour. This is all the more reason to come back to this great city…LOL. We decided to head back to the Centraal Train Station taking pictures along the way. We made it back to the Red Light district again. I don’t know why, but it seems we were drawn to that place for some odd reason…J
My friend and I leaned on the bridge railing staring at the canal and the boats that went by and wished we would stay there for a very long time.
I love the fact that folks can bike everywhere. You have to keep on your toes when crossing streets and bike lanes because you will more than likely hear a “dinging” noise from bikers kindly telling you to get the hell out of their way. I highly recommend visiting
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Staff: The front desk clerk was very friendly and went out of his way to assist us getting settled in. I believe his name was Ulod (not sure of the spelling).
Check-in: Check-in is at 2pm. If you arrive early, you can leave you bags/luggage at the front desk. The clerk recommends you keep your passport with you for obvious reasons. They will provide you with one card key, and TV remote control. Additionally, they will provide a different type of card key dedicated for the TV to access movies. There is a charge for these movies. The normal TV channels are free.
The place: The lobby was small and did not offer much in terms of a lounging area and wasn't too aesthetically pleasing. The elevator was small which seems to be a constant in any european hotel of this type. They do have stairs if you prefer that option. The hotel is connected to a restaurant next door. This is where you can get a complimentary breakfast if you so desire. Breakfast is served between the hours of 7am to 10am.
The hotel room I was given came with two twin beds (as requested) since I was accompanied by a friend of mine. The room was naturally small but big enough to move about. There are no mini bars... not that I would use it. The balcony is accessible but covered with a tarp since they are in the middle of doing renovations on the front of the building. The balcony door did not lock properly which was a slight concern to me.
The toilet (water closet, or bathroom, depending where you come from) was of modest size. Noted water stains on the ceiling but overall the bathroom was clean. They have 2 soap dispensers. One located by the sink and one by the bathtub. The bathtub did not have any shower curtains to keep the water from spraying on the bathroom floor. There were no showerhead mount to mount the shower head so you are either left with taking a bath, or cleaning yourself using one hand while holding the shower head with the other hand. I can only speak for the room we were in.
The bed was comfortable for me since I spent the last 9 hours touring around Amsterdam. I slept well but woke up a couple of times from the heavy footfalls coming from the ceiling, and the loud conversations from folks in the other rooms hanging out in their balconies.
Check-out time: Check-out time is at 11am. You must bring back you room card key, TV card key, and the TV remote control to the front desk to properly check out the hotel.
I would recommend this hotel only those as a place to drop your bags and to crash for the night after a long day (and night) of touring around Amsterdam, shopping, and enjoying the nightlife.
