Spotted around the periphery were a number of drinks stations serving coffee and juices, in addition to fresh fruit and a small selection of beer and wine.

A meal station stood forlornly near the entrance, a limited selection of salad items sitting in the shadows (although you really can’t go wrong with coleslaw). There was a pot of lentils and a stew accompanied with rice as far as hot foods went, so fair warning – there’s not a lot to choose from.

But if you need a break from the crowds or want to sate your thirst, there are worst places to spend an hour or so.

The post Review: Aspire Airport Lounge, Amsterdam appeared first on etrip.tips.

There are a few hotels actually at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam, and the Hampton by Hilton Amsterdam Airport Schiphol is not one of them. No – as the name suggests, the Hampton is in the nearby suburb of Hoofddorp, a brief 20 minute free shuttle bus ride from the airport, nestled beside the rail line which serves the business park, and a fifteen minute walk into the shopping district serving the residential area nearby.

We’d decided to give the Hampton a try after Ange was coming in on a long haul flight to Amsterdam and wanted to start getting over the jet lag prior to starting our Scottish adventure.

We’d looked at the hotels actually at the airport and decided on trying something a little less pricey. The free shuttle swayed us and so I found myself just outside the main terminal at Schiphol looking for bus stop A7 and the free shuttle bus which served the Hampton, the Crowne Plaza and the Holiday Inn express.

I checked with the driver that the Hampton the bus was going to was the one in Hoofddorp, and then waited. I was amazed that I had actually made it onto the bus as my EasyJet flight had spent ages taxiing to the gate after landing, ejecting me into the terminal at about 9:45pm and the bus was supposed to leave at 10pm.

I was convinced that wasn’t going to be enough time to make it from the cheap end of the airport where the budget carriers arrived (no air-bridges), through passport control and out to the bus stop. At a 40 minute wait should I miss it, the last thing I wanted to do was to arrive and see the backside of the bus just leaving.

Surprisingly I managed to get through the e-gates after waiting for just one other person (the manned gates were likewise occupied by a tiny queue) and found myself at the bus stop with five minutes to spare.

There was a little confusion around the bus stops with a number of other hotel buses all competing for space at the same stop, but a lady was going around indicating that those looking for the Hampton, Crowne Plaza and Holiday Inn express should go to the nearby bus stop because that’s where the bus was.

I think we waited another ten minutes after our scheduled departure time to ensure that we got everybody, but then the full-sized bus set off for Hoofddorp. I was surprised that it was a full-sized bus – I had assumed that it would have been a minibus. Oh well. Not long later we were pulling up outside the Hampton and I made my way in to meet up with Ange.

At reception I was third in the queue of 10 and was astounded that they only had two staff on the reception desk. A manager was replenishing bottles of water at the snack bar and I assumed that he would help out when he saw the length of the queue, but no, he finished what he was doing and then sat in the reception area.

I couldn’t figure that out but it didn’t matter as the person in front of me got checked in and I could explain that Ange had already checked in and that all I needed was another swipe card for the room. And then I was away to the pair of lifts and up to the room.

The Room

The room was an ok size with muted decor. The bed was comfortable and a desk in front of the TV allowed you to get any work done. An office chair at the desk and an arm chair rounded off the main living area of the room.

The bathroom was well appointed with lots of light and the toiletries were in pump dispensers alongside the sink and in the shower. They were Spa Therapy by Waterl’eau.

Breakfast

In the morning we headed down for breakfast which was included with the room and were happy with what was on offer. Alongside the typical continental offerings were the standard hot foods of bacon eggs and sausages, and the welcome addition of mushrooms and the unwelcome addition of baked beans (not a fan).

Juice and coffee etc plus pastries mean that the nook they had set up the breakfast area in was very crowded periodically during the breakfast session – something to note and plan your trip accordingly. (I managed to capture a photo when it had thinned out).

The best part of breakfast though was tucked away a little removed from the breakfast nook. Beside the coffee machine was a waffle maker. A little cup sat under a spigot where you could get the waffle batter, and then you could open the waffle iron and pour the batter into it.

Once you closed the waffle iron you flipped it over which started the electronic timer. After two minutes a little alarm went off and you could open the waffle and remove the waffle, using the plastic tongs to extract the waffle should it stick to the iron. Then there was another nozzle out of which flowed maple syrup.

I found that one and half cups of the batter made a slightly thicker waffle – not that there was anything wrong with a single cup, but that made the waffle just a little thinner than I liked. Anyway, that was certainly the highlight of the breakfast for me!

Keukenhoff

After breakfast we headed out to Keukenhoff as we we’d done some research beforehand and knew there were was a massive botanical garden and fields of tulips out there. A special Keukenhoff bus left from the Hoofddorp bus/train connection and for EUR 10 each you could get a return ticket for the twenty minute journey.

Nearby was also a castle – a castle in name only as it was more like a stately home. Still nice, but be warned! At EUR 5 for a tour it was much better priced than the botanical gardens which cost EUR 30. The huge car-park and infrastructure around Keukenhoff indicated that the gardens were certainly a popular attraction to see!

After walking around the neighbourhood taking photos of the local flower beds (not tulips we discovered later, it was late March so we were too early), we headed back to the hotel for lunch, only to discover that for the period between breakfast and dinner that the kitchen totally closed down.

We could certainly avail ourselves of the snacks for sale but after our trek around Keukenhoff we really wanted something a little more substantial and so got directions to the shopping area of Hoofddorp.

Fifteen minutes later (which felt like 30 minutes) we were on the main street of Hoofddorp proper and found a local eatery to fill the void. The area around the hotel is largely an office park and thus devoid of eateries – and eerily quiet on the weekend.

The township of Hoofddorp on the other hand was a bustling suburban town centre with a cinema and shopping centre complete with a fashion show of the local latest styles. We were exhausted at that stage and just settled for Subway.

My legs by that stage were letting me know just how many steps I had done, and so we slowly made our way back to the hotel, finding on our way the short cuts we should have used on the way into town.

Gym

We checked out the gym on the way up and were quite surprised with the selection of equipment and the large exercise room. A pair of treadmills, exercycle and weights along with Swiss balls and yoga mats all looked out over the intersection outside through semi-frosted glass.

A warning sign contained a stern admonishment not to over-exercise, and so I took that advice to heart and we headed back up to the room.

Restaurant

That evening we elected to try the restaurant for dinner. It was a bit difficult to work out how it all operated. There was one staff member who suggested we talk to her colleague before slinking away. Eventually, after snaffling a couple of menus, we worked out that we ordered at the bar from the other staff member who was out of sight when we arrived.

They were out of Radler, as they transitioned from one season’s menu to the next, so I made do with lemonade and beer (which is pretty much the same thing). Ange and I both ordered the burger which came with side salad and a smattering of potato wedges.

The meat patty was very thick so I certainly think we came close to getting our money’s worth, even if it was heavily seasoned with salt to make it tasty. Service was a little slow with dirty tables not being cleared between when we arrived to when we left and some guests had to clear things off their own table so that they could sit there. We didn’t stay for dessert.

The next day we made sure to book our spots on the free shuttle bus back to the airport and saw the remainder of the loop that the bus took. Because the Hampton was the first stop after the airport, we hadn’t seen the other hotels it serviced and it was cool to see the other two, the Crowne Plaza and the Holiday Inn.

We could also see why the bus had a 40 minute periodicity – it took twenty minutes to pick up all the passengers and get to the airport and about the same to drop them all off.

Would I return?

I wasn’t too impressed with the service at the Hampton (specifically check-in and dinner), and while the breakfast waffle station was cool, if I needed a Schiphol hotel, I’d try one of the others. If you don’t want to faff around with a shuttle bus, and want to stay actually at the airport, you’re looking at a substantial bump up in room rate, but as always that is the cost of convenience.

The post Review: Hampton by Hilton Amsterdam Airport Schiphol appeared first on etrip.tips.

Expectations for airport hotels tend to be lower than for standard hotels – the location usually doesn’t lend itself to anything beyond a view of the airport or an adjacent industrial park.

The Best Western Plus Rotterdam Airport Hotel managed to both surprise and delight with a lovely parkland outlook, featuring a lake and pastures.

Location

We had taken a bus from the metro station at Meijersplein and the stop servicing the Best Western Plus was just after the airport itself, meaning we had a brief leg of the journey jammed in with all the newly arrived passengers before we popped out on the road opposite the hotel.

Judging from the signs out the front, the hotel also features conference facilities and a business lounge. We were glad to see the courtesy van parked in front – not needed by us, but definitely handy if you were flying in or out of the airport.

Check-in

The entrance is a sprawling area with ample lounging facilities including a library nook, a coffee shop and ample and varied seating along with bikes you could hire to explore the area.

We were keen to check out the room though, so after getting the key cards we headed upstairs.

The Room

The room was basic but ticked all the boxes – a comfortable bed plus a place to work and a couch for lazing. A kettle, cups and selection of coffees and teas was a welcome addition for weary travellers.

Where it excelled was with the outlook – a lovely lake vista facing away from the airport (which meant no noticeable noise) – totally unexpected!

The Bathroom

The bathroom also exceeded my expectations – gold tiles and chrome fittings gave the impression of style and class, while the Aroma brand toiletries were accompanied by great water pressure in the shower.

Dinner

We decided to dine in the restaurant, kind of a forced decision with a distinct lack of other eateries in the area. We were a little early and settled into one of the booths looking back over the carpark.

The location of the hotel made this a perfect location for aircrew stopping overnight and we amused ourselves with watching the crew of some airline unwinding after a long day. We knew they were airline crew because one of the pilots made a point of letting the barman know he’d been up since 5am and made the point multiple times.

The tables each had a black disk built into them which turned out to be a charger for cell phones – you just laid your phone on top of it and it would charge the phone while you were using it.

I ended up having the burger while Ange had the fish and chips. All perfectly adequate – Ange’s coming with a nice fresh side salad and my burger coming with a side of fries accompanied with mayonnaise the way the Belgians have them.

For desert we shared the cheesecake which came in bite sized chunks topped with a little nasturtium flower.

Breakfast

The following morning we headed down for breakfast to discover the restaurant was overrun by a double bus load of Indian tourists. They were all middle-aged couples but the reason it was noteworthy was that they were pretty uniform in height and I felt like Gulliver looming over them all.

There was a good spread of both Continental options (cold cuts of meat, cereals etc) plus some hot options kept warm in serving dishes.

Pros and Cons

Would I Return?

If I was flying into or out of Rotterdam airport on business I would definitely go back. I liked the proximity to the airport and support for the business traveller with the Business Lounge, plus the little library nook definitely gave the hotel a homely touch.

The Best Western Plus Rotterdam Airport Hotel supported our Return to Europe trip by providing a complimentary stay. All opinions remain our own.

The post Review of the Best Western Plus: Rotterdam Airport Hotel appeared first on etrip.tips.

We’ve stayed in some nice hotels: some expensive where you expect them to be flash, and some where the luxury was a surprise. The difference between the expectation and the reality is where delight and disappointment dwell.

When we arrived for an overnight stay at the nhow Rotterdam hotel, my expectation was for a budget experience thinking it was the cheaper brand in the NH family. The rate was too low for a 4 star hotel, I thought. So why choose it? (We pride ourselves here at etrip.tips on more of an upmarket experience after all!)

We were attending a conference just down the road, so the location was perfect, and we’d had a whale of a time in Berlin at the NH Collection Berlin Mitte Friedrichstrasse.

Room

Style is the word that sprang to mind on arrival. We’d made good time on our train down from Amsterdam, so we tried our luck at reception and to our surprise the room was available even though it was before 9am.

With a smile and a wave they checked us in and we made our way past the giant green life-sized statue of a rhinoceros, past the pair of 90s style pinball machines to the bank of elevators which whisked us up to the 20th floor.

We were lucky and had been upgraded to a corner room, so as a result we enjoyed views across the Nieue Maas river and along the Erasmusburg Bridge back towards the city proper.  The room itself was sparsely furnished with wooden floors and huge floor to ceiling windows which made the room look bigger than it was.

The bed was a good size and there was also a chair and table available for enjoying a coffee while you stared out the window.

The usual amenities (coffee machine, safe, minibar etc) were discretely tucked away so as to not take up too much room.

The bathroom had nhow-own brand toiletries, the red of the packaging contrasting nicely against the white and black decor.

The coolest part of the bathroom design were the dots on the glass wall separating it from the bedroom: allowing you to see into the bedroom but not the other way around.

We headed straight out to the conference, happy with the room we’d have waiting for us afterwards.

After the conference we popped into the hotel on the way out to the night’s shenanigans to check out the bar.

Elevated above the river, the bar featured an outdoor deck with spectacular views.

The seating outside was already full of people enjoying the sunshine and we could tell that it would only get more crammed as the night fell.

On the way back to the entrance we took in the wildlife motifs in the restaurant – little statues of monkeys holding lights. Quirky.

And so that was the nhow Rotterdam hotel.

Pros and Cons

Would I Return?

If I was based on the south bank of the river in Rotterdam it would be the perfect spot. The nhow Rotterdam hotel is also close to a metro station so if you wanted to stay away from the centre of town to save some money, it doesn’t take very long at all to get anywhere where you want to go.

The post Review of the nhow Rotterdam Hotel appeared first on etrip.tips.

Google Maps reckoned it would take 55 minutes for the 12.4km (~7½ mile) cycle ride, so we arranged for hire bikes from our hotel (standard price EUR12.50 per day) and headed out on our Zaanse Schans day trip.

You can pretty easily divide the ride into three parts – a semi-industrial part on the south side of the river Ij, a free ferry ride across the river, and finally a semi-rural section on the north side of the river. All pretty well marked, all on dedicated cycle lanes and all very easy riding.

The semi-industrial section alternated between motorway over-bridges and quite picturesque tree-lined cycle-ways, separated from the road by a small grass verge. The traffic was a mix of trucks and cars but since they had their bit and we had ours, we could take in the surroundings and not worry about dodging 18-wheelers.

Where there were intersections, we had our own traffic lights, so the whole stretch was quiet, well managed and an easy introduction to cycling in Amsterdam.

The free ferry across the Ij had a clock counting down to the next arrival so we knew exactly how much time we had to wait. It turned out to be ample time to check out the kissing statue adjacent and take a few pictures before the ferry arrived, disgorging a couple of cyclists and the odd moped rider before the passengers on our side were allowed to board for the very short trip across the river.

On the other side of the river there was only slightly more variety with the path leaving the river and heading towards the city of Zaandam, turning away just before reaching the built up city centre and instead following the railway lines north.

The long stretch of open cyclepath was only brought to a halt when we needed to turn right and cross the road for the short kilometre-and-a-bit stretch to Zaanse Schans.

What to do in Zaanse Schans

So what is Zaanse Schans? Two parts: a windmill village featuring ten old windmills dotted along the river, plus a number of cottages featuring various traditional Dutch goods like: ceramics, clogs and cheese.

Zaanse Schans Windmills

Coming over the bridge as we did from the rail lines, the windmills revealed themselves majestically along the riverside – very photogenic! Across the bridge we locked up our bikes and then went for a stroll.

Most of the windmills will let you in to look around for a few euro, but the first one was free. A lot larger on the inside than you first realise, the whole ground floor was taken up with a shop selling typical tourist tat.

There was enough of the original machinery around to give you an idea of what the windmills do: mill stones are turned by the windmill’s sails, crushing grain on a disk and the husks and the seeds are separated, the seed to be bagged and stored.

Interestingly there’s a cool display of the routes that the trading ships took back in the height of the Dutch trading empire – south around South Africa and then across the Indian Ocean to the Dutch colonies in what is now Indonesia.

In fact the Dutch colony at the Cape of Good Hope was a refuelling spot for the long journey. The impressive journey which bypassed the land routes and allowed the Dutch to capture the premium given to the goods produced on that side of the world – spices, hardwoods and textiles amongst others.

Other Things to Do in Zaanse Schans

We continued along the river, checking out the windmills from the exterior before we reached a boat waiting at a dock, half filled with tourists waiting in the hot sun.

The captain looked up as we approached and asked if we wanted to go across the river. We were starting to get hungry by this time, but I was concerned that there wouldn’t be any place to get something to eat on the other side. I looked at the nearby map and couldn’t see anything, so we shook our heads no and turned back toward where we had parked our bikes.

Back towards the entrance were a bunch of low slung buildings on little islands, separated by canals crossed by bridges. Each featured a shop or museum with a product historically associated with the Netherlands.

We were hungry so made a bee line directly to the restaurant, glad that though it was pretty close to noon, the swarms of tourists that we’d dodged on the little bridges were avoiding the restaurant entirely.

Clog Shop Zaanse Schans

After lunch we checked out the clog shop. A narrow hallway separated the main shop area from the entrance and they’d put some museum style exhibits up to explain all you’d need to know about clogs. What they were made of, how they were made that sort of thing.

They promoted the idea that clogs were the shoes of the common folk, comfortable, safe and affordable. And just to skewer that idea they also had a diamond encrusted clog – definitely not an everyday piece of footwear!

At the end of the building there was a workshop with machinery showing how they made the clogs. When the seats in front of the machinery were full, one of the staff would come over and show how they made the clogs.

As you can imagine, repeating this over and over during the day generated a whole bunch of clogs of not necessarily export quality.

This was born out by bags of the “demonstration” quality clogs for sale at reasonable rates. The difference between those clogs and the rest of the clogs in the shop was in the finish – nicely sanded and painted in an amazing array of designs, the shop was rammed with thousands of pairs of clogs.

Looking up into the attic the scene was repeated up there as well – row upon row of clogs and clog related paraphernalia. A size chart showed how to convert between US, UK  and European sizes, but we weren’t in the market so made our way back outside.

Out the front of the shop were comically oversized cogs which you could wear and a single enormous clog which was swarmed by children using it as a jungle gym.

The funniest part was a lull between the waves of children when a tourist got her child to pose while sitting in the clog. She’d just walked away a little to frame the photo when the next wave of children came by, trailed by a posse of parents. Before she knew it the little girl was sharing the clog with a dozen other children all posing and calling to their parents.

The look on the little girl’s face was priceless as she looked from the other children to her mother and back again, somehow unable to fathom the invasion.

We were starting to feel the effects of the sun, our bike ride and the walk along the river and back, so decided that we’d forgo the cheese factory and other exhibits and head back to the hotel.

My butt wasn’t looking forward to the trip on the bike back so we compromised and decided to ride back to the train station (just across the river), take the train back to town and then ride from there to the hotel.

The speed at which Ange agreed to my proposal made me wonder if she may have been thinking along the same lines.

Training it Back to Amsterdam

And so we unlocked the bikes and rode back across the river to the train station. There we got a bike ticket for the train (€12 each!) and settled in for the train ride back into town.

The rail carriages at the beginning and end of the train were for bikes but since it was the middle of the day there wasn’t anyone else in the front carriage so we pretty much had it to ourselves.

Just as well really as it was rather awkward getting both ourselves and the bikes up the few steps into the carriage. The underpass to get access to the station had a rail alongside the stairs so that you could easily push your bike up or down to the platform level, but there was no corresponding assistance to get the bike into the train.

Still, we managed to man handle them aboard and then tried to cool down as the sun had been relentless for our walk around Zaanse Schans and for the short ride to the station.

At the other end of the train ride we wheeled our bikes into the lift and rode up to entrance level. I approached the ticket machine and tried to touch the reader with the ticket. Instead of going green and the gate opening, nothing happened. I tried again. Nothing. Hmm.. I said, and got Ange to try hers. No joy.

OK, I said, let’s ask for help. We wheeled our bikes awkwardly to the glass walls separating the outside world from the interior of the station, and tried to make eye contact with one of the staff in their little booth on the other side.

Before too long one of the staff members, pink hair and piercings galore (but tastefully done) noticed me waving and waved back sarcastically. I smiled as she approached and explained what was happening.

Ah, she said. That’s the ticket for the bike, you also need to pay a ticket for yourselves, and that’s what will allow you through the turnstiles. My eyes opened a little wider as I indicated my surprise that the bike itself cost  €12 .

Oh, I said, looking around while knowing that travelling in Europe without a valid ticket usually brought at least a €50 fine – well we got on at Zaanse Schans, where can we buy a ticket for that fare?

Our new friend smiled wryly and said that next time we should pay for both ourselves as well as the bikes and then opened the gate and let us through.

Phew!

The post Zaanse Schans Day Trip, Amsterdam appeared first on etrip.tips.

The Location

The first thing you notice about the Westcord Art Hotel is that it’s not in the CBD. Westcord has four hotels in Amsterdam:

• two Art hotels (a 3 star and a 4 star) beside each other in Spaarnhammerdijk,
• the Fashion hotel opposite the World Fashion Centre and
• one opposite the Central Train Station in the CBD.

We stayed all four nights in the 4 star Westcord Art Hotel.

The Art

The second thing you notice heading to the Westcord Art Hotel is the Art. A pair of life sized cows painted in Batman and Robin costumes stand on the roadside outside.

A red cow sits nearby (I never did figure that one out) and as you enter the hotel foyer there’s a smart car parked in the corner and various art works on the walls.

The Reception

Both the three and four star hotels are served by the same reception area, the four star rooms in an annexe accessed by a glass walled corridor.

Check-in went smoothly and we were suitably impressed by the board explaining all the amenities available, from bike hire, through to bus and museum tickets. A selection of snacks sat on the counter along with a price list, saving a trip across the road to the service station for a guilty treat.

Good news for swimmers: the public swimming pool behind the hotel was free for guests.

The  Standard Room

We headed through the glass corridor and past a suitably arty robotic mannequin, up two lifts to our room where we were pleasantly surprised.

We were on the top floor facing away from the street, our view overlooking the neighbouring Train Repairing Centre, and while the room itself wasn’t huge, there was enough room to unwind.

The bed was a good size although it had two mattresses in the European fashion (not a fan).

There was a window seat in front of the window allowing for natural light while you read or relaxed and some framed art above the bed.

The Bathroom

The bathroom featured a sunken bath and glass walls meaning that you’d need to be on close terms with anyone you shared the room with!

Thankfully the toilet was in a separate room closer to the door, so no dangers of sharing too much through glass doors there. The separate shower had dual heads and the toiletries were Fayr.

The Junior Suite

The Junior Suite was closer to the lifts and on a lower floor, but was also in the Four Star annexe. It was largely the same, but the window seat was that little bit little wider and the bed that little bit bigger.

Again, there was art above the bed, but this time the cupboards were hidden on each side of the bed, and little alcoves on either side of the bed were the perfect size to hold a cup of tea.

The bathroom was a little bigger and had a separate shower plus a generously sized bath and separate toilet.

The slightly larger sizes of room, bed and window seat weren’t hugely noticeable by themselves, but in total they did add up to a greater sense of space and comfort.

The Breakfast

So, what do you get for breakfast? Almost anything you like. There’s a great spread, with eggs two ways (scrambled and boiled), potatoes two ways (rosti and hash browns), bacon and sausage, baked beans and mushrooms in the hot items.

Cereals and a salad bar complemented the cold cuts and an array of colourful conserves accompanied the varieties of breads and pastries.

Amusingly enough above each of the bins of breads there were “inspirational” sayings. In front of the last bin (“If I call  you darling will you make me pancakes?”) were boxes of chocolate sprinkles.

One of the staff members noticed Ange checking them out and came over to let us know just how popular the sprinkles were, and not just among the children.

The breakfast area was busy but not over full and the indoor outdoor flow allowed you to sit outside allowing a view over the neighbouring public pool.

I thought I had read that the pool admitted nude swimmers from 7am to 9am, and mentioned that to Ange. She’d just finished telling me that I must have misread whatever poster or brochure I had read, when a long haired young man left the water to dry himself under a tree, completely starkers. Ange didn’t know where to look!

Room Service

So we decided that we’d eat in and try various dishes on the different nights that we were at the Westcord Art Hotel.

I introduced Ange to bitterballen – the Dutch delicacy consisting of deep fried broth, served with a small dish of mustard for dipping.

For the main Ange had the risotto and I had the burger, and we finished off with the trio of ice creams.

Strangely enough we were given sorbet instead of ice cream, but we thought we’d give them a go. I must admit I was very happy with my burger: it came with fries (as you would expect) and a corn on the cob (which I did not). Ange was disappointed with her risotto – the consistency was all gluggy, and when I tried it I had to agree. The sorbets were a bit weird in that they had a powdery bits at the bottom.

Always game for another try (every chef has an off night), we ordered room service again the following weekend, and were so glad we did. This time we tried the fried prawns and onion rings with dipping sauces plus a prawn salad, beetroot salad and satay pork skewers with a cheesecake to finish.

We loved it all – the prawn salad was my favourite: a good balance between the boring yet healthy lettuce and the more exciting boiled egg and prawns.

The Neighbourhood

According to Google Maps, the nearest places to get food nearby was a service station and a micro brewery gastro pub separated from the hotel by a confusing intersection.

It would have been easiest to get to the pub by merely crossing the road outside reception, but the dual carriageway had barricades in the middle indicating that someone in authority had deemed that too dangerous, so we needed to walk away from it, over an over pass and then past the service station and finally across the road.

We ended up heading to De Prael Houthavens and the place was packed. The sun was out, so the outdoor eating areas were rammed with mainly locals who had cycled to the micro brewery for an artisan ale or two and a meal before heading back home on the dedicated cycle lanes.

While the picnic tables outside and the bike racks were filled to capacity, inside was a different matter so we had our choice of seats. Very much a good news/bad news situation:

• Good news: lovely day with sunshine.
• Bad news: every man and his dog was there.
• Good news: inside was near empty, so our choice of seats.
• Bad news: crowds meant delays in getting someone to take our order and then to get our food.
• Good news: being inside gave us front row seats for when the chef had a meltdown.
• Bad news: It was all in Dutch so we had no way of following the drama.
• Good news: when we got our food (ribs & slaw, sausages & couscous) it was delicious!

The Bikes

Our arrangement with the Hotel meant that we had free bike rental for the time we were there (normal price €12.50/day), so we decided we’d take advantage with a couple of rides. After deciding where we were going to go, we headed downstairs.

Reception were helpful when we picked up the bikes, letting us know how to unlock the bikes and making sure we knew how cycling worked in the Netherlands:

“Stick to the cycle lanes and where there were none, keep right. Traffic will look out for you.”

We asked about helmets and were told not to worry about it – we’d be fine. We were then given a key with a license plate number on it and headed outside to find our respective bikes.

The license plates numbers ended up being stamped on a plate below the seat and after a quick search through the racks we found our bikes and unlocked them. Each one had a heavy metal chain which we looped around itself and around the frame under the seat.

The area beside the statue of the red cow turned into our impromptu testing area as we adjusted the seats and familiarised ourselves with the bikes. The bikes were good – padded, adjustable seats and most importantly 7 gears and a bell.

After cycling up to Zaanse Schans for a day trip, we decided on a separate occasion to head into the CBD and go to the Ann Frank House.

Ann Frank House

The Museum at the Ann Frank House is an iconic Amsterdam landmark. We decided to try the bikes out on a more urban route and so rode the fifteen minutes into town from the hotel.

It was really easy to make our way into town, most of the way was dedicated bike lanes or quiet back lanes with minimal traffic. Then we cut through a park and then we were onto the city streets themselves. We pretty much joined the flow of other bikes and did what they did, pulling over periodically to consult Google Maps.

The ride was progressing nicely when barrier arms started to descend, blocking off the road in both directions and an alarm went off. Everybody else stopped so we did too. Turns out a boat was traversing the canals carrying a load of something or another and needed to go under the bridge.

The bridge was cantilevered and we watched amazed as the two halves of the bridge swing skyward. You wouldn’t want to be caught in the middle when those raised up!

We chuckled as we watched the captain glued to his phone while the boat made its own way slowly between the two arms of the raised road. It didn’t take long to get through and then the road came back down, the barriers raised up and first the pedestrians and then the cyclists and lastly the cars returned to their journeys.

We were coming up to the turn off for the island that the Museum sat on when we heard sirens and in the distance saw a motorcycle police man dismount and stop traffic. We got our our cameras in preparation, and sure enough a cavalcade of three official cars came around the corner, preceded and followed by another brace of motorcycle cops.

Seconds later they were all gone and traffic again returned to normal. I’m guessing it was a politician of some sort.

When I first went to the Ann Frank House back in 2011 I could wait in line to get in, but now they only allow timed entry tickets bought online which sell out months in advance. No photography is allowed inside so we can’t share what it’s like inside but there’s two parts to the experience – the house itself and an attached museum.

By all accounts it’s still a moving experience and certainly worth the trip: just be sure to go online as soon as you know that you’re coming  to Amsterdam to book your tickets.

Heading back was uneventful: the 7 gears in the bike making short work of the distance, and even trying a different route back proved that Amsterdam is a true cycle-friendly city with fellow road-users who actually notice cyclists.

Would I go back

If I didn’t need to be in the centre of Amsterdam, then I wouldn’t hesitate to stay at the Westcord.  Having both the three and four star hotels on the same site allows the flexibility of having a stay driven by either comfort or budget. The rooms we had were great and you couldn’t fault the breakfast.

Where the Westcord Art Hotel Amsterdam really stands out though is in the lengths that they will go to to support your trip. They have a concierge desk where you can buy bus tickets, museum tickets, hire bikes and arrange tours.

The Westcord Art Hotel Amsterdam supported our Return to Europe trip by providing a discounted stay and free bike hire. All opinions remain our own.

The post Review: Westcord Art Hotel Amsterdam appeared first on etrip.tips.

While it is only a ten minute walk from the central rail station (close enough for taxi drivers to balk at taking you apparently), the conference is in February making the weather a pertinent planning consideration. Because of that I decide to give the Mövenpick Amsterdam a try.

If you’re getting off a cruise at Amsterdam or attending any event at Muziekgebouw, the location literally cannot be beaten – it’s nestled between the cruise terminal and the conference space.

I arrive after 7:30pm which is a pity because there is a shuttle bus (bookings required) which runs between Amsterdam Centraal and the hotel every 5 past the hour and half hour. It finishes running at 7:30pm. The ten minute walk doesn’t kill me even though a strong and gusty wind threatens to blow me to Rotterdam instead.

I think the young lady checking me in is having a bad day – or maybe my “travel face” puts her off because she doesn’t say more than two or three words the whole check in procedure. That contrasts greatly with the young man on the desk beside her who patiently explains every step of the process to the other guests checking in at the same time.

It’s amusing them being told that there is a €50 per night charge that they’ll put on your credit card for incidentals, while I’m just asked for the credit card. Anyway, I make a point of asking my standard questions – gym, breakfast, internet? And then notice that the answers to all of them are printed on the card-key holder as I walk to the lift. Lol.

The Room

The room itself is a very good size – I’m on the 12th floor of 20 but facing away from the city.

There’s a suitcase riser just outside the bathroom and while showing my girlfriend photos she asks what that is. I smirk and attempt to convince her that it’s a seat for people waiting to use the bathroom. She’s too smart for that ruse.

Food

I’ve decided not to get breakfast at the hotel – there’s just no way I can justify €25 for a breakfast, and I have work to do each evening so elect to get room service.

The first night I elect to go for the meat-lovers pizza, apple pie and ice cream, all washed down with a nice cold Heineken. I should add that I saved half the pizza for breakfast the next day. The room had an empty mini-bar and the room service menu had a number of options should you like to stock it. I ended up saving half of each night’s dinner and eating it for breakfast – so the bar fridge was very convenient. 

Day two brought a burger and fries which I wasnt a fan of – the meat patty was good and the bacon a nice touch but the whole thing didnt come together to form a coherent whole.

The nachos on the other hand were impressive – a “snack size” but sizeable plate covered in guacamole, sour cream and salsa. 

My favorite meal by far was the salmon filet with seasonal vegetables and crushed potato – much healthier too…until I added the slice of chocolate cake!

Health Centre

While the Movenpick doesn’t have a pool, it has a health centre with a gym, two saunas, an ice shower – check out the 360° video below. Drag the pointer around the screen to look around.

The gym was pretty empty when I used it – it’s not huge but as you can see in the video, it’s got exercise bikes, treadmills, elliptical, a rowing machine, weight machine and medicine ball.

Their Health Centre features two saunas – one Finnish and one Bio-Sauna. The Finish one is the traditional type with the bucket of water which you ladle onto heated stones. I understand the Bio-Sauna uses infrared energy to achieve the same affect. They also have a “Shower Landscape”  which is a shower room with a built in “ice-bucket challenge” and an ice fountain for the true sauna aficionados.

Service

The service in general is good – I found that the in-room safe wouldn’t open, so I rang reception. Within  a few minutes someone was at my door and sorted the problem. My laptop only just fitted into the safe so was leaning against the door from the inside, making it impossible to open. By pressing on the door while entering the combination it allowed the safe door to unlock. But even though the issue was my fault the staff didn’t make me feel bad.

When it came to checking out, Yvette on the front desk was very good – talked me through each step of the way. One thing that did surprise me was the city tax – 5% certainly makes a noticeable impact when the room rate is so high. The Movenpick is a 4* hotel and while I have seen rooms as low as €111 per night for advance bookings for winter, the same rooms can soar up to €450 in the height of summer. I ended up paying £485 for the 3 nights I was there.

Pros

• Great location for the conference centre and cruise terminal
• Good facilities – gym, saunas, shuttle bus.

Cons

• It is expensive – luxury isn’t cheap, though as mentioned it is possible to find reasonable rates depending on the season.

Would I Go Back?

The location can’t be beaten, so when I go back next year for the conference I probably will stay there – but I might try to book a little earlier to take advantage of advance booking discounts.

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