Amsterdam - Page 3 - TravelPUNK Backpacker College Student Budget Travel Message Boards!

**aliz** · 04-19-2009, 06:00 PM

Stayokay Vondelpark is very clean (frequented by school groups though, so maybe a little too clean for you?) and in a really great location - just on the edge of Vondelpark and 5 min walk from Liedseplein

**marc873** · 04-20-2009, 10:09 AM

J!!! The Hortus Pension for sure!!!! Breakfast served, free internet, smoke friendly, cooooolest owners. I thought the location was just fine. less than 10 min walk to Leidseplein or Dam square.... Welcome to HotelHortus Amsterdam We now offer Free WIFI to All our Guests

**Canadian Bacon** · 04-20-2009, 04:28 PM

Thanks Aliz, Marc - i just reserved hotel Hortus. Is this place a HOTEL or HOSTEL??

**marc873** · 04-20-2009, 04:34 PM

Hey J, its kinda in between. What I call a pension.... It feels like a Hostel, rooms from private to 6-8, same backpacker types, but in a nice 3 story building. The stairs are CRAZY.. In our room, we had a shower (sort of) more like a closet with a shower head, but we had a community bathroom per floor... You can smoke anything and they don't care. Pull up to the computers, pool table, couch, and puff away

At breakfast, the table has bread/toaster/jelly etc... and he walks around asking who wants fried eggs! After a good A Dam nite, that is a godsend in the morn... The entrance is off a little side street, and if you want, I can get you the tram # from Centraal.
Cheers

**marc873** · 04-20-2009, 04:36 PM

Hey also ask the front desk for directions to the closest Albert Heijn! Cheep cold beer and groceries. I live in those places

And I can indeed tell you theres a cpl pretty good coffee shops on the way to AH's!!

**Canadian Bacon** · 04-20-2009, 05:33 PM

Thanks for the tips buddy! My only concern is: do they have a common room that is conducive to social interaction? That's my number one beef with hotels... no one wants to hang out or meet people in sterile lobbies, vs the living room-like common rooms of the hostels...

J

**marc873** · 04-20-2009, 05:51 PM

Yeah man, its got a great common room. Couches along a beautiful window, pool table, kitchen area, computer area, all on the 1st floor where the dining room is. Big area with lots going on. At breakfast, there would be atleast 30 stoned hungover people chowing down and having a blast!! Can't go wrong. Its funny, my profile pic was taken in the window of our room at the Hortus... Heres a pic of the outside...

**Canadian Bacon** · 04-20-2009, 07:07 PM

Sweet bro... that's what I needed to hear! now just gotta wait for the booking confirmation... =)

Let the debauchery begin!!!

**Canadian Bacon** · 04-21-2009, 01:04 PM

Damn Hortus was full, so I'm staying here instead: St. Christopher's Inn - The Winston - Amsterdam, Netherlands

I'll let you know how it goes!

**Dig** · 04-21-2009, 03:32 PM

During my last stay in A-dam the Hortus was full also. I guess that is a good sign.

St. Christopher's looks pretty cool in an awesome part of town. Have a blast man!

**Canadian Bacon** · 05-11-2009, 08:06 AM

Just got back... Amsterdam was not bad, and I definitely finished all my unsettled business there in terms of sampling quality urb.

But it was a mistake to meet up with my friend who flew in from Toronto, since he's not much of a backpacker and quite anti-social and not about being friendly to new people, so it was ironic that I was in Amsterdam, but I spent much of the time sort of bored with chilling with my buddy instead of mixing it up with random folks. Had this been actual backpacking we would have had to split ways by the second day.

Other than that, it was great. The Winston (our hotel/hostel) was a decent place, although a little too much of a bar for my tastes (rather than a hostel).