Amstel Botel - Amsterdam

I stayed in the Botel for a week while on holiday in Amsterdam. As a base camp the botel is ideal but if you are the type of person that likes to pop back to your room 2 or 3 times a day then this is not for you due to the ferry required to get you to and from the city. I think the botel would suit anyone as there were all types there during our week.

A unique setting in Amsterdam. Quiet location and peaceful yet the main part of town was reachable by free ferry which was only five minutes from the Botel. The ferry took ten minutes to cross the harbour and ran at frequent intervals. The room was adequate although the en suite shower room was rather small. Breakfast was good. An enjoyable place to stay for a short break.

Good location, right next to the ferry stop so it was easy to get to. Also close by is De Pannenkookenboot (The Pancake Boat). Dinner cruise on the Amstel with all you can eat pancakes. Great fun. The Botel is geared for a younger crowd, but we had a nice stay there.

This hotel is really well-managed. It feels like everyone is there to make your trip more enjoyable. Usually, hotels are a pretty forgettable part of a trip (unless they are bad), but the botel is one of my fond memories of Amsterdam. The rooms are quite small - be warned - but the bed is comfortable, and there is a small desk in each room, and the staff is great. Also, don't worry about transportation. Though the botel itself is a 15-minute free ferry ride from the Central Station, after hours there is an all-night shuttle van, so getting to and from the botel is much easier than you would think. The area is very quiet, but there is a funky artists neighborhood nearby and also a Greenpeace boat you can tour - very interesting locale. I hope to stay there again one day.

This is a 3 star Hostel/Hotel. You find there all kind of people (younger/older). The rooms are OK according to a 3 stars hotel. The price is also OK for Amsterdam (expensive anayway but Amsterdam is expensive). The realtion situation/price I think is good because altough you have to take a ferry to arrive Central Station, the ferry takes 15 minutes, it's free and there is one every 15 minutes.

Bathroom so small that you have to walk out to change your mind.

Hotel was moved to the opposite side of Station & needed to use ferry We wasted 1.5hrs to reach there! We wanted VERY clear Information that the Hotel moved ONLY one good point? => will become good memory

We feel that we've been cheated. When we booked the hotel it was located near the central station.

Amstel Botel has a new location that it is not near the station. You must take a ferry (that starts every 30 minutes). This is very annoying! By the way rooms are good and breakfast is fantastic! Anyway it is a good compromises between price and quality. PS1: Venere.com tells me the old address of the hotel, the first day we found that the hotel has moved! PS2: The last day i had a problem with a noise coming from the door electrical system during the night. The employee was not capable to solve the problem so the last night was horrible.

GREAT location = good value

Quite and good location for city centre,railway, bus, and tram stations. Cleanliness is ok breakfast too.

Good value, cheap accommodation. This isn't the Ritz Carlton, so don't expect luxury, but then again, it is not trying to be. It is a good option for a few nights and I would stay again. Rooms are small, but fine for one or two nights. There is building work on the adjacent lot next to the boat (Jan 2008), so make sure you get a room away from it! Overall, a good experience with pleasant staff.

The hotel is located in a good spot. You can easily walk to anywhere you want from the hotel, plus you can go back & forth to the hotel with ease. It's location is good for any tourists visiting.

Hotel is located in the perfect position. Next to the train station and only a short walk from central Amsterdam. We will stay there agin and again.

Albergo molto carino e particolare.Stanze non eccessivamente piccole,sempre molto pulite,silenziose e ben riscaldate. Colazione ottima. Vicinissimo alla stazione centrale. Con 2 minuti di Tram si è in pieno centro. Consigliatissimo anche per il rapporto qualità/prezzo.

No es una maravilla, pero se puede ir sin problema. No esta mal del todo.

Bar furniture, etc is not up to modern standards of comfort. Choice of room at port/starboard would have been appreciated. Breakfast very good.

Remember this is Amsterdam. This is not what you would usually consider a 3 star establishment. On the plus side the rooms are clean, come equipped with everything you would expect, breakfast is adequate and the hotel bar is very reasonably priced and comes along with a pool table. I would recommend the botel, however would probably not stay here again , but that is only cos I like to yry new places. I have read reviews where people are complaining about the size of the bathroom. OK it isn't a sumptious palace , however i am 6ft 2 in tall and 18 stone and I managed fine. If you are looking for a reasonable priced place with an excellent location in the heart of Amsterdam then you are in the right place - Enjoy ! P.S - Try and get a room on the 3rd deck facing the city

Rooms were very small even by European standards.The boat is old and has not been kept up very well, however, it is extremely convenient to the train station and the pier where the Rhine River cruise boats come in. We did not have to hire a taxi at all.

Enjoyed stay at amstel botel will use again and will recommend to friends clean & warm welcomed well by staff

Rooms are very small, but if your just looking for a cheap place to put your head down for the evening then the botel fits the bill perfectly.

Excellent hotel for a lads trip to Old Man Amsterdam

Very Good Value for money! Close to Central Station and main attractions. Rooms were very warm!

I recommend the "Botel" for a good short stay in Amsterdam. The Hotel is very clean and the staff friendly. The breakfast is big and there´s enough for all. Good news for late risers, breakfasttime is until 10.30! The ship in 5 minutes away from centralstation and the old town of Amsterdam, so it is easy to go out at night, you don´t need a bus or taxi to come back to our hotel. !!!!!But parking is very expensive! We have paid for 2 days parking 50 €! So think about doing park and ride, for something about 6€ a day.

Ideal central location but would recommend asking for a room over looking the city and not the building site behind.

If the prime objective is a well situated hotel close to railway etc, then this hotel is a good selection. Hotel appears at the lower scale of the 3 star ratings. Very basic standard and whilst cabins are fine for short sea trips they don't engender themselves as substitutes for good hotel accommodation.

Vastly overrated - and I've never said that about any of the other properties I've booked through Venere. The idea of staying on a boat-hotel in an Amsterdam canal may sound romantic, but in fact, Venere customers are more than likely to be placed on the lower floor/back side of the boat, which faces a construction site and a few feet of garbage-strewn water, not to mention the constant barrage of train noise from the nearby Centraal Station. (It does appear that the upstairs rooms on the front side of the boat offer nicer views and a quieter environment.) The rooms itself was of poor quality - shabby, with none of the touches one might expect in a three-star hotel - not even a little bottle of shampoo in the bathroom. The staff, at least when I was there, was utterly unhelpful. A huge sign on the boat says "Internet," but in fact, their Internet connection did not work, and when I asked for help, the man behind the counter told me to "follow the instructions on the paper we gave you," then turned his back on me. (I needed to confirm my flight the next day and spent nearly a half hour convincing them that their Internet connection didn't work - then several more minutes begging them to let me use the perfectly good computer they had behind the counter.) I'm trying to think of something good to say - so, yes, the bar was nice. In general, though - Never, ever again.

If you stay here, request a room on the 2 floor or higher. the lowest two floors are visible to passers by outside. Be prepared for no AC and loud neighbors. Amsterdam is a party town and sleeping is not easy as sound travels well over water.

Although the rooms were cabin size they were adequate and the bathroom though small was clean and very satisfactory.Ask for a room on the front though.The view is wonderful

The hotel is located near Amsterdan central station. There are many good restaurants neaby. The girls in the reception were not too friendly and depending on the room you get, you can hear people walking through the steel passageway. The payment is made upfront. Overall, I thought it was too pricey for what I got (Eur 109 per night).

The only reason this hotel was chosen was because of its location (especially because its my first time to go to Amsterdam). However, there are many things unexpected: 1. the washroom is very small, even from the point of view of an Asian. I can't believe how the big size westerners can use it; 2. it is noisy. My room was on the side facing the railway. There is a large construction work there. Also, the travel of the trains was quite noisy; 3. there is no air-con. It is not a problem when I went there (in Apr). However, I need to open the window in order not to be suffocated. But it made the noise problem more prominent; 4. the room is not that clean. For a room with such quality, the price/value ratio is lower than expected. When visiting the town, I found many better options that may need to walk a bit (or take tram/bus) but with better quality. So will not go to this one anymore.

It's a good value for money unique hotel in an excelent location. The rooms are small and it was a little noisy with centraal station and a huge building works across the way but with the windows closed in the room it seemed to block most of the comotion out. The breakfast is brilliant and very good quality, the staff are friendly and helpfull.

Nice hotel at this price level. Good location with five minutes walking distance to central station. Rooms are small as are the bathrooms. Lots of smoke in breakfast room, which must be considered sub-standard internationally these days.

Confusion between twin room, & double bed. bathroom sucks. your description on YOUR website is misleading

GREAT

I was very pleased with the leval of service i recived whilst i stayed on the amstel botel the room was nice the staff was very very helpfull and patient, i would recommend it.the food that was served was excellent so all in all for the price was good value for money and a choice of stay.

Check in staff a little aloof - but got the job done. Very well situated. Rooms are small, but big enough for the price and the great location.

I would stay there again

Was very small. there was a coffee stain on the sheet, but i guess the sheet had been washed but the stain hadn't gone. room could have been bigger for the price. but the people were pleasant to deal with, esp. this night clerk who was very nice to talk to and very helpful.

BEDS WERE HARD BUILDING WORK GOING ON BEHIND THE HOTEL THE LOCATION IS THE ONLY REDEEMING FEATURE OF THIS HOTEL.

The staff were very helpful, the rooms were quite basic for the price (no tea/coffee facilities) and the view of the building site was not expected! The floating chinese resteraunt next door is highly recommended.

We had a great time at the botel,two gripes were that the hotel did not have our booking and we ended up with a room on the 1st floor with the metal bridge right outside. The other complaint was the noisy residents at 2 and 4 am.Breakfast excellent, would definately stay again but on the top floor!

Room was very small and bathroom miniscule. The room was damp, had one single glazed window that would not close properly. Was given possibly the worst room in the hotel and after booking 6 months in advance was not impressed, ok for a place to crash but not a plesant hotel. Breakfast was good.

A great place to stay in the heart of Amsterdam. Great breakfast. Thourghly enjoyed our stay.

This hotel is not a bad place to stay-the rooms are reasonably clean and a little on the small side, which is expected for an Amsterdam hotel at this price. However, I do want to mention some disadavantages. My room was on the land side of the boat. There was construction noise (very loud) from early morning into and far into the night(it probably was not as bad on the other side of the boat). The safe in the room did not work. The beds are small and not very comfortable. The location is a mixed bag-you are very close to the train station but to go anywhere else entails a long walk across some very busy roads. I still think this place provides good value for the money and I really like the free buffet breakfast.

OVERALL THE BOTEL WAS CLEAN AND COMFORTABLE BUT WAS SPOILT BY THE ROOM BEING LOCATED ADJACENT TO THE RAILWAY LINES WHICH SEEMED TO BE OPERATING LATE INTO THE NIGHT WITH EXTREMELY NOISY TRAINS. ADDED TO THAT A BUILDING SITE STARTED WORK AT 7AM EACH MORNING. HOWEVER, IF THE ROOM HAD BEEN ON OPPOSITE SITE TO THIS WE WOULD HAVE ENJOYED A MORE PEACEFUL NIGHTS SLEEP AND BE ABLE TO OPEN WINDOW....HAVING SAID THIS I WOUL D RECOMMEND THIS BOTEL TO OTHERS AND WOULD RETURN MYSELF.

Very small room and bath, you can get it if you need just sleep in te hotel.

Good breadfast, near train & tram station.

The room was on the canal side of the botel and the people walking on the dock to the resterant could be heard in the room as the walked by -- noisy.

The hotel is within a 5-minute walk from Amsterdam Central Station and this is great. However, the outlook of the hotel totally does not correspond with the photo shown on www.venere.com (as in July 2005). We stayed in Room 447 on the top floor and overlooked a construction site! There were dirty waters between the hotel and the construction site. The room is small. Once we placed our suitcases between the beds and the walls, further manoeuvre became hardly possible. We once had our washing done and hanging for air-dry inside the room and did not want the housekeepers to come in and tidy the room during the day. Therefore, we put the 'Do not disturb' sign on the door knob outside the room before we went out in the morning. When we came back in the evening and, to our surprise, the room was tidied. We are confused whether this is regarded as 'service' or 'ignorance' by Amstel Botel. The toilet is small and the space for shower is tiny. When I was taking a shower in that pathetically tiny little space, either my ass touched the shower curtain or my knee hit the wall. Never come here again!

I really feel that the rooms, even though they're clean, are too small for the price. Most hotels are expensive in Amsterdam, so I guess it's par for the course. The staff were friendly and helpful and the location was great, so I was happy in that respect.

The location of Amstel Botel is by far the best, you never get lost because all the sign posts are for central station,the hotel is adjacent to the station. We arrived at 10am and were given our room immediatly,i requested a room on the 3rd floor facing Amsterdam and not the station and my request was granted. The buffet breakfast is varied and very enjoyable.The staff are very welcoming and call you by your first name.I have stayed here twice before and would always choose the same hotel.

It is not a three star hotel!! the location is good and the receptionists are kind. the rooms are spacious and quite and clena in general. but if you smell the coverlet you'll understand how dirty they are! nevermind the moquette!! the breackfast costs 10 euros but we suggest you to go out find a bar to have a better breakfat paying less. So, if you want to stay in a nice place as a boat close to the city center without expecting too much, go to amstel botel!! non è un hotel a tre stelle!! il posto è carino, anche alla reception sono molto gentili. le stanza sono tranquiklle e spaziose, e in generale pulite, ma se odorate il copriletto capire quanto zozzo sia, secondo noi lo lavano una volta all'anno...per non parlare della moquette! la colazione costa 10 euro, ma vi conviene farvi una passeggiatina verso il centro per trovare bar che a minor prezzo vi offrono colazioni ottime. insomma per concludere, se volete stare in un posto vicino al centro città e alloggiare su una nave MA senza aspettarvi molto, andate all'amstel botel!!

Amstel Botel is ideally situated for a short stay in amsterdam. Bathrooms were very small, but the room larger than expected, overall was value for money in a central position.

Tutto sommato ne vale la pena. Solo che i treni che passano continuamente danno non poco fastidio se si tengono le finestre aperte. Le camere, poi hanno pareti con spessori minimi per cui, si sente tutto dalle altre camere... (non vi dico la notte... sembra di stare in un set di un film hard!)Ma siamo ad Amsterdam, no? E allora... buon divertimento a tutti, vi sembrerà di stare in crociera.

Big differences between photos (very update!!) shown in Your http://www.venere.com and reality!! I'm very upset You didn t inform me and my Wife about Works in progress behind the BOTEL AMSTEL Htl!!! I suggest You to verify before to insert such a kind of hotel into Your purposes in order to avoid You serious image problems!!

Fantastic trip the amstel botel was excellent would reccomend to anyone

Things you need to know about the Amstel Botel: 1)IT'S NOT A FLOATING HOTEL. It is a concrete slab designed to look like a boat. 2) NORTH SIDE CONSTRUCTION ZONE. The entire north side of the botel faces an empty land site. A huge mulit building development commences shortly,which will take years to complete. 3) SOUTHSIDE WALKWAY. The entire southside of the botel is embraced by a popular & well used metal walkway. Hotel guests, patrons of the next door floating Chinese restaurant or the nearby 11th floor discotheque all use this walkway. Don't expect any privacy, as everyone using the walkway can see into every room on the southside of the Botel. 4)ROOMS ARE TINY. Test the friendship of your travelling companion with the size of the rooms. Your cleanliness skills or creating a mess skill will be apparent when staying at the Botel. 5) BATHROOM. The clear winner of Earth's smallest shower competition. If you are over 1.55 cm ( 5ft 3) and/or over 70 kg (11 & half stone), you will not fit into the shower. 6)BREAKFAST. Very basic. 7)FRIENDLY STAFF. Other reviews have mentioned how bad the staff are. However I found the staff to be friendly & courteous. 8)LOCATION. A terrific location within easy walking distance of Centraal Station & the city itself. If your room is located on the southside, the view is great (despite the lack of privacy issue).

The room was clean and comfortable and the central location was perfect. Breakfast was excellent. We stayed midweek in May and it was reasonably quiet but I can imagine that sound would carry if a loud group were on board overnight.

Would definitely stay here again - rooms clean and comfortable, pleasant bar and dining room. Very good location, handy for both the station and the city centre. The bedroom was quite spacious, and although the bathroom was small, we had no complaints whatsoever regarding the overall quality of the accommodation and the facilities provided. We would definitely recommend staying here.

Staff very friendly and helpful. Breakfast is good with a good selection. The room was an OK size but the bathroom is REALLY small. You could have brushed your teeth, showered and used the loo at the same time! Maybe a smaller sink would have made better use of the space. Having said that it's great value for money; the location is great, our view was good and we had a really pleasant stay. I would definately recommend staying here.

The shelf running along the top of bed made it impossible to sit up & watch t.v or read.other than that it was very nice & could'nt get more central.

Everything fine, except loo/shower room smelt of urine. Great location within walking distance of main station and drop off point of North Sea ferry (Victoria Hotel)

Excellent location, close to central station. rooms basic but comfortable.staff were very helpful and let us leave luggage in storeroom after check out at no cost.only draw back if want a view(i didn't)is tonnes of soil and building development at the back of hotel

Camere piccole ma abbastanza confortevoli. Anche il bagno è piuttosto piccolo. Ottima la colazione, nel complesso ottimo hotel come rapporto qualità/prezzo. Da notare la posizione centralissima proprio vicino alla stazione.

Stayed in Feb 2005 for a couple of nights and booked again for April when we got back home. Botel is ideally placed, with friendly helpful staff and large clean rooms.I would recommend it as a place to stay to discover the delights of Amsterdam.

Amstel Botel was conveniently located in the heart of the City. Easy to find, clean rooms and lots of hot water for the shower. Good selection for breakfast. Would stay here again.

Para pasar una noche no está mal, los baños pequeños, pero está al lado del centro

CLEAN ROOMS AND AVERAGE LOCATION ( 5 MINUTES TO DAM STRASSE, BY FEET ). ANYWAY, ROOMS ARE REALLY SMALL BUT CONFORTABLE ( AND HOT IN WINTER, EHEHE!). EMPLOYEERS AT RECEPTION: TO BE KICKED OUT FROM THE HOTEL ( ARE UGLY AND REALLY UNKIND ). SORRY AMSTEL BOTEL, REALLY NICE HOTEL AND AN AVERAGE BALANCE pRICE /QUALITY BUT , PLEASE, CHANGE YOUR STAFF AT RECEPTION! P.S. BREAKFAST IS VERY GOOG FOR THE PRICE AND YOU CAN BE SATISFIED ( FORGIVING BREAKFAST ROOM EMPLOYEERS, OBVIOUSLY ). GIANLUCA LOPRETE DIRECTOR OF HOTEL SIENA IN ROME

It is a boat... the rooms are cabins, so you have to keep it in mind when you plan to sleep there. The windows have serious draughts and it is not pleasant during winter! Breakfast is good and various.

Pulito e ordinato a due passi dalla stazione nel centro città un pò rumorosa la camera e il bagno piccolino.

Our room was small and looked at the building site, with the stale smell of cigarettes lingering in the bedsheets and towells. The bathroom was not recently cleaned and the bed cover was filthy. Location was the only posoitive point about it. I certainly would not stay there again and would not recomend it either. Not good value for money.

I have stayed in a lot worse places in Amsterdam. For a "budget hotel" the Botel is good quality

The room was very basic. The bathroom was tiny. The star rating three did not correspond with the reality. Price quite expensive for the quality.

Very nice experience !!

Emplacement idéal; tranquillité ; propreté si l'occasion se représentait je retournerai au amstel botel.

Staff very helpful and welcoming. Easy access. Very handy to station. Excellent breakfast - a wide range to suit most tastes. We enjoyed our stay here and would definitely stay here again.

Molto caratteristico. Personale accogliente, ottima posizione, colazione internazionale non abbondante ma tutto sommato soddisfacente. Camere pulite ma molto molto piccole. Bagno strettissimo. Eccellente rapporto qualità - prezzo.

Hotel bien situe près de la gare centrale demandez une chambre cote ville car de l'autre coté c'est un immense chantier très bruyant jusqu'en 2006 et la voie férrée toute la journée et la nuit dans chambre lavabo fellé et coffre fort cassé dommage pour un trois étoiles accueil très anonyme

Not very friendly welcoming. If you fancy the feeling of an old worn down ferry you will be fine, not at all charming inside.No airco, normal summer temperatures made the cabin impossible to stay in between 11am and 11pm, and rather hot until 2am. Would not stay here again.

Good, sraightfoward place to stay as a tourist plus added interest as a 'botel'. Very good reception staff - important when you have limited time/local knowledge as a visitor.

The Amstel Botel is a great hotel. It is close to the train station where all of the buses and trams originate. The rooms are clean and quiet. Ours overlooked a main canal which provided hours of interesting boat traffic viewing. The staff was extremely helpful and friendly. We will definately stay at the Amstel Botel in the future.

We had a wonderful time staying at this hotel. It was all we needed to enjoy the city. I fully recommend it.

Although the concept and design of the hotel was excellent, we felt that lack of tea and coffee making facilities was a let down. Nevertheless we had a most enjoyable time and would definitely recommend your hotel to others