Blue Square Hotel- Apparently near, yet so far.

Advantages: Lovely bedrooms, large shower, bar staff friendly, luggage room to leave bags.
Disadvantages: Too far from city centre, transport costs to hotel very dear, area undesirable.

...My partner and I recently visited Amsterdam (in late May for 4 nights) and as I was so busy with work, left it up to him to book the hotel and take care of the details. We have been to Amsterdam before and the hotels we usually stay at had no vacancies, so he booked us into the Blue Square Hotel, and proudly showed me the documents he had printed off and the website. "Looks lovely, oh it says it's close to the town centre- within walking distance- can't wait!" was my reaction. Out of the airport we trundled a few weeks later with our cases and got into a waiting taxi. He drove us to the hotel. It took a LONG time. As he was unloading our cases with us he said "This is not a good area for you." I asked him what he meant by that. "Is not a good area and is too far to walk to town, you will have to use trams. Don't pay all the time...

Lofnorsk 16.07.2009 · Read review
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Review of Blue Square Hotel, Amsterdam

On the Square

Advantages: Good location, good standard, clean and pleasant
Disadvantages: A bit anonymous

...The Square is a mid priced hotel situated in the heart of Copenhagen, on Radhuspladsen and overlooking Tivoli Gardens. A short walk from the Central Station it is very handy for transfers from the airport and provides an excellent base for touring the city. Part of the ARP-Hansen Hotel Group it is one of several hotels in Copenhagen and like their other properties offers a good standard of accommodation geared towards the modern business or tourist traveller. Location ~ Despite the claims that the hotel overlooks Tivoli gardens this is somewhat misleading. Granted, from the top (6th) floor you can see the giant Tivoli sign but that's about it. There aren't really any other views available as it isn't in the prettiest part of town. A few minutes from the station it occupies a large portion of an unprepossessing retail...

brereton66 04.09.2008 (05.09.2008) · Read review
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Review of The Square, Copenhagen

My Amsterdam experience

Advantages: Fun, lots to see, easy to get to, clean
Disadvantages: A bit seedy and very cold in winter

...I've been to Amsterdam Airport more times than I can remember. Living in Cardiff, taking the KLM flight to Schiphol and changing was quicker than going all the way to London. But I'd never actually left the airport, I was always just there in transit. To be honest, I'd never felt any great pull to leave the airport and look around the city. I love culture but I'd never thought of Amsterdam as having lots of old churches and museums for me to look around. I'd always associated it more with the Red Light District and 'coffeeshops' which didn't really interest me. Then I got a call from a friend saying that she was planning a girls trip to Amsterdam. 'How do I get out of this one' I thought. Another friend persuaded me, saying that she would accompany me to the 'boring' parts while the rest of them drank to their hearts...

tartlette83 08.04.2006 · Read review
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Review of Amsterdam (Netherlands)

Jolly Carlton Hotel - Amsterdam

Advantages: Friendly staff, modern decor, lots of handy facilities, great location
Disadvantages: Rooms are a bit on the small side and cramped

...A couple of weekends ago I went to Amsterdam with my boyfriend. We wanted to find a hotel which was close to the centre so it was easy to get around, but that wasn't too expensive (if we could help it!) I went on lastminute.com and I saw a deal for one of the 'secret hotels'. This means that you don't know which hotel you will be staying at, but that you will get it at a discounted price. It told us the rough location (around Rembrant Square), the room and hotel facilities and the star rating. You find out which hotel you are staying at as soon as you have made the booking. We thought it would be quite exciting to get one of the 'secret hotel' deals, it was in the right location for us and sounded like it had everything we needed so we went ahead and booked it for the price of £287 for three nights. The deal was also that we would get...

ivytoad 12.10.2008 · Read review
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Review of Jolly Carlton Hotel, Amsterdam

Heineken Experience, Amsterdam

Advantages: Free Heineken
Disadvantages: None

...the Heineken history, we decided to take a look inside. This is a large, square brick like building, with Heineken Experience displayed on the outside. It is nestled amongst other buildings close to the main tram line and road. There is a river flowing outside the building. Inside: On entry to the Heineken Experience, you are greeted by a Heineken personel who gives you a leaflet about the experience in your own language. You then pay ten euros at the cash desk and you are given one white disk and three orange disks. (I will explain this later). There is a locker desk where you can leave coats and stuff. You are now inside the big square building and it is fairly dimly lit. 1 HISTORICAL AMSTERDAM First stop - the toilets (not that we needed them at this point). We did take a visit to the toilets however, because in...

ailuj34 06.03.2007 · Read review
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Review of Heineken Brewery, Amsterdam

Rho Hotel Amsterdam

Advantages: Great location, good price
Disadvantages: None at the price!

...OK so there is another review, I know. Here's mine. The hotel is very conveniently located about a 10 minute walk from Amsterdam CS (central station), just off the SE corner of Dam Square. Just look up as you enter the square - you cannot miss the Rho sign. Our room was on the second floor and as a result somewhat noisy at night. (It was locals too, not tourists, making the noise!!) Our friends were on the top floor and had a much nicer and quieter room. Try to get top floor when you check in! The rooms were clean and light. Of reasonable size (our friends room was actually very large) and really quite comfortable. The staff were very friendly and of course (this being The Netherlands) English was spoken perfectly. The hotel is surprisingly large and is always busy especially at breakfast. The breakfast rooms are large...

NomisG 15.11.2008 · Read review
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Review of RHO Hotel, Amsterdam

I <3 The Heart of Amsterdam!

Advantages: Cheap, friendly and nice atmos
Disadvantages: My Scooby Doo i.d card was stolen

...It doesn't get more central than the heart of Amsterdam, which is about 30 yards into the vibrant red light district. I would urge people to take the other review with a pinch of salt, bearing in mind that this is more suited to young people who are going to Amsterdam to generally get wrecked. Having said that, it will suit anyone, as it is a hotel and hostel, with the choice of rooms or dormitories with up to 10 beds. The rooms are well priced and will set you back 200 euros or so for a week. The dorm rooms are more modestly priced and can be snapped up for the bargain price of 20 euros a night, leaving you with more spending money. I generally found the place to be friendly, safe and clean, all for an unbelievably cheap price. It may be better to try and book out entire dorms, as this removes the risk of there being any weird strangers...

toepunt10 30.03.2008 · Read review
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Review of Heart Of, Amsterdam

Experience Shopping at Eldon Square!

Advantages: Good Shops
Disadvantages: Mainly highstreet stores

...When I was younger I used to go to Eldon Square in the school holidays with my grandma and we would meet my sister and my nephews in Newcastle and go shopping. Therefore, for me Eldon Square has some happy memories as well as some great shops :) Eldon Square is an indoor shopping centre located in the heart of Newcastle and as I am now studying in Newcastle I have been here quite often recently. Eldon Square first opened in 1976 and serves a catchment area of 2.7 million people. There are a number of entrances but I usually enter at the one on Northumberland Street. This leads straight to the shops. It is lovely walking into Eldon Square on a cold day, as it is really warm (so especially good at this time of year!) The entrance on Northumberland Street is on a bit of an incline and it's the usual type of flooring in indoor...

bluejules 24.11.2007 · Read review
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Review of Eldon Square (Newcastle)

Amsterdam- A Unique Place!

Advantages: Multi-cultural, fairly compact and easy to get around
Disadvantages: Sometimes the whiff of cannabis can give you a headache

...a couple of "rides", 3 free beers (soft drinks if you prefer.) and a free gift at the end of the tour (Heineken Glass). This was an enjoyble couple of hours. I am glad we did it. (10 Euros- includes 3 free drinks and a gift) Food and Drink- There is such a diverse selection of food and drinks in this city. Think of ANY country and their food and you will be able to find a resturant that caters to it! Amazing! We ate mostly along Leidsepleln. This is a few stops from the Train station with a lovely little square, outdoor sitting, pubs and resturants. Redlight District- We only walked through it during the day time. As we passed the "cafes" I got a horrible headache from the smoke coming from them. I guess that is just not my thing. Amsterdam is a lovely place to visit. There is a variety of things to do and see. We...

ukusa 29.03.2005 · Read review
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Review of Amsterdam (Netherlands)

Camping in Amsterdam

Advantages: Cheap public transport, world renowned culture, very friendly city
Disadvantages: Some dodgy areas, reckless cyclists!

...We spent 4 days in March camping in Amsterdam this year, and it was fabulous. We travelled by Stenaline, from Harwich to the Hook of Holland, and it cost a total of £209 for 4 people and a car to travel both ways - a bargain. We booked it directly on the internet. The crossing was smooth, the Ferry was really comfortable, and the journey time was around 5 hours - getting us into Holland at around 4pm local time. We drove from the Hook of Holland to Amsterdam, and once we were used to driving on the right and the slightly unnerving habit of some of the Dutch to drive straight through red lights, it was plain sailing to drive to Amsterdam itself, taking less than an hour to reach our campsite on the outskirts of the city. We stayed at Camping Zeeburg, and we couldn't fault it. If you are considering camping in Amsterdam, we would...

JoannaScott 08.04.2007 · Read review
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Review of Amsterdam (Netherlands)