Motel One Amsterdam-Waterlooplein

We were unfamiliar with Motel One since we're from the US, but my wife found this place online and trying it turned out to be a good choice. It's in east Amsterdam, a pleasant and safe area, about a 25-minute pleasant walk from Central Station and near the business district. With lots of luggage, the #14 tram to Mr. Visserplein makes for a short final walk. You can tap your credit card on and off, and the fare is about $2. Restaurants and shops are also a short walk away. The hotel rooms were clean and pleasant. Our bed was firm, the TV was large and the bathroom functional. The lobby, which appears in many photos, was beautifully decorated and inviting. Breakfast is served there, and the buffet was terrific. We ate well and started each morning right. Staff at reception and in the breakfast area were helpful and friendly. Our fourth-floor room faced the street, but the windows kept it quiet with almost no traffic noise. I think the courtyard-facing rooms look a little nicer. On warm days in early May, the room got hot in the evening because the temperature is controlled centrally, and we had to keep the curtains shut to block the sun. I liked having a safe, but a small fridge would've been a useful addition. The nightly price changed a lot during our week, from about $250 including tax to nearly $500. That felt a bit steep, and I might have given five stars if a few nights hadn't cost so much.

This Amsterdam stay had the familiar Motel One feel: stylish, dependable and easy. The room was so quiet, perfect after a day among canals, bikes and tourist crowds. Inside, everything felt clean, modern and comfortably familiar, and I felt settled before my morning coffee. Breakfast was fresh and straightforward, with what I needed. Housekeeping, check-in, the bar staff and the breakfast team were all friendly in a way that felt real. The location worked really well for exploring. Plenty of places were walkable, and the metro made the rest easy, whether I wanted museums and culture, shopping, or just to wander around. Another Motel One that delivered exactly what I expect from the chain.

We had a great time here, and the staff were always kind and helpful. The hotel is close to the metro and trams, with plenty of fun museums within walking distance. They have a big selection of gins, many made locally in the Netherlands, and I enjoyed trying different ones each evening. Tommy, the local cat, acts like the place belongs to him. For all I know, it does.

We stayed for a week and didn't leave, but this was nowhere near a fancy Amsterdam stay. My wife and I kept remembering more bad things, so I changed my rating from 3 to 2 and then 1. I can't understand how it has a 4.5. My comparison is US hotels at a similar price in cities of similar size, plus Pillow in Ghent, Belgium, which cost $160 and was by far the best hotel I've stayed in. This MotelOne was at least $200 a night. There were a few positives: the location made it possible to walk to anywhere of interest in 30 minutes, and we could drive without going too far into the city. Early check-in was easy, the front desk was generally friendly, and the common area had a fun design, power outlets and tables for studying. The rooms were the big problem, and that matters a lot in a hotel review. We had more than one room, and both were too hot no matter how we set the AC. We woke up sweating. There was nowhere to lounge or study, no fridge or microwave, and the rooms were smaller than a cruise ship cabin. The showers leaked onto the floor, there was no coffeemaker, and the hairdryers either didn't work or wouldn't heat properly. They provided a two-in-one hair and body wash but no conditioner. There were no snacks at reception, which made for a couple of miserable hunger spells late at night with my pregnant wife. While we had extended the stay, the cleaning lady opened our door without knocking twice. The room was so tiny that you could see everything. We checked out and then came back after going to Belgium, and neither time did anyone offer us the welcome pack I later saw offered to other guests. Breakfast cost extra and was expensive. It looked fancy but didn't have simple hot food. No free coffee and no room service either. Maybe that's just what staying in Amsterdam is like, but it fell well short even compared with cheaper places elsewhere in Europe.