1. Location, Location, Location

Finding the right accommodation can make all the difference to your stay in Amsterdam.  Strict zoning laws have meant that, from the 1960s forward, all new hotels have had to be built several miles outside the center, meaning that even major International brand hotels can be in surprisingly inconvenient locations.  A guest, upon discovering that he must rely upon taxis to constantly ferry himself between his hotel and all the fun, events and intellectual stimulation of Amsterdam, could not be blamed for being disappointed.  Frequent visitors to this wonderful city know that apartments within existing city center buildings are a better option, allowing you to experience the excitement of staying in the actual city, not some dreary, boring suburb.

Perhaps the best way to understand the importance of location in Amsterdam is to figure out which attractions most interest you and, then, compare and contrast the convenient central locations of our apartments with the distances you will be forced to travel everyday if you stay in a hotel.  Among the most popular attractions in Amsterdam are the Van Gogh Museum, the Anne Frank House, the Rijksmuseum Park, the notorious Red-Light district, the coffee shops, the flower market, the shopping areas and Rembrandt Square.  It is so much nicer to be within easy walking distance of the places you are interested in and to be able to pop back to your apartment to drop off shopping or grab a change of clothes.

A beautiful setting is also a key factor in your overall vacation experience, and to able to enjoy the canals every time you look out the window, rather than a hotel car park, makes a big difference.

2. The Convenience of your own Kitchen

Another major advantage of staying in an apartment, and not a hotel, is that you have your own fully equipped kitchen.  Of course, being located in the city center, you have easy access to all the best Amsterdam restaurants but there may be time when you want the convenience of self-catering, of being able to prepare your own snacks and meals - restaurants are one of life's great pleasures but there are times when it is much nicer not having to bother going out and to be able to stay in your cosy apartment.

3. Home Sweet Home

In fact, probably the biggest advantage of an apartment is that they are simply much more comfortable than a hotel, you actually have the space you need to relax.  Most of our guests tell us that, having experienced short stay apartment, they are disappointed when they visit a city and are unable to find one, they feel cooped up when they are forced to stay in a hotel.  Typically, apartment owners go to great lengths to make sure that their guests are as comfortable as possible.  You have more room to mosey about in and, whereas no-one wants to spend their evening in their hotel room, a nicely furnished apartment, with a proper living room, makes it tempting to have a relaxing night in, watching a movie on decently sized television and sitting back on a real sofa.

4. Flexibility

With entire buildings of apartments, in many different shapes and sizes, we can give you the ideal configuration to suit your family or group, no matter what the size.  Hotels are much more limited in this regard, separating guests off into small rooms with no larger communal area in which to congregate privately, unless you are willing to pay the massive premiums necessary to rent a suite.  Apartments allow a more flexible and sociable experience.

5. A Sense of History

The Dutch are proud of their history and have done a superb job of conserving the grand buildings or Holland's Golden age.  This can mean that you get to stay in a beautiful, centuries-old canalside house that has been lovingly maintained and that, while updated with all the comforts and conveniences of the modern times, retains its unique character.  Compared to that, staying in an impersonal concrete hotel block feels like being a chicken in a battery farm.  For a truly memorable and uniquely Dutch vacation, apartments are clearly the best choice.

6. Privacy

With your own key, apartments offer greater privacy than hotels.  Should you need assistance, help is only a phone call away but, otherwise, you are completely free to come and go as you please, without hotel lobby staff watching your every move.

7. No Nickel & Diming

Hotels are notorious for trying to shake as much extra money out of their guests as possible.  By contrast, apartment owners provide you with everything they can think of that might be useful to you:  Wireless Internet (Wi-Fi) is provided free of charge, whereas most hotels force you to undergo the inconvenience of paying for this simple service.  You are provided with an entertaining, varied and entirely free selection of DVDs, rather than the hotel option of paying through the nose for Pay-Per-View movies.  You get a direct-dial telephone, allowing free phone calls, rather than the extortionate rates hotels charge.  The kitchen will be pre-stocked with complimentary food items and drinks, instead of the notorious hotel tradition of charging you a fortune for tiny minibar drinks and snacks.  The nicest part is that you don't have to undergo the check-out ritual of having to go over your minibar bill and find all the "mistakes" that hotels seem to make.

The key point is that hotels long ago built up a tradition of milking their guests for every possible cent, whereas the short-stay apartment industry emerged in the Internet age and, as such, understands the need to give you the best possible experience: we want you to become a regular guest and we want you to tell your friends about how much fun it is to stay with us.   We are proud that the apartment experience beats the Hell out of the hotel experience on every level.