Guesthouse De Pijp

For a very good price, this is a cool hotel in what might be Amsterdam's best neighborhood. The rooms were comfortable and quiet, and the Portuguese guy gave me a warm welcome. There's no AC, as is usual in Europe. The game room is great, and you could easily spend hours there, especially with friends.

I was happy with my quick two-day stay. The staff were great and really helpful, especially the daytime front desk guy with black hair. My room was small and had no AC, but it did what I needed since I was only there to sleep. The shower was extremely slippery and I slipped a few times; it really needs a mat. The neighborhood was nice, and I loved being able to rent a bike at the hotel for getting around.

The Arcade Hotel used to have a soul, style, and purpose. Now it feels like every other cheap hotel, with fake flowers and fake smiles. The new owner is the most obnoxious lady I've ever met. She kept asking guests for reviews and saying, "before this place wasn't good and now is better." To me, that says it all when the place's soul has been sucked out, replaced with fake flowers, and guests are pushed to say it looks good. I've seen her yell at staff several times. They seemed so tense they almost looked panicked. I don't know what's going on behind the scenes, but this used to be a beautiful place with a unique atmosphere. Now it's sad, a phantom of itself, and the workers look like ghosts of themselves. They also make the room photos look bigger than the rooms really are. Sad indeed.

The staff were attentive and kind, always ready to help with guests' needs or concerns. I had everything I needed here: a cozy room, breakfast, and a cute lounge area. Would definitely recommend!