Hotel Park Plantage

I was glad to find my room clean, with no obvious signs of bedbugs, which I'd worried about after reading earlier reviews. It was cleaner than I expected. The room had a comfortable bed, clean ensuite, towels, toiletries, and a hair dryer, though no iron or ironing board. I brought a travel iron. Check-in was easy, and my room was ready when I arrived at 2pm. Check-out is at 11am. The reception team, including the manager who checked me in and staff on duty around the clock, were consistently helpful and friendly. I often saw them giving other guests local tips. After my conference, they also stored my luggage while I went to Artis Zoo and the museums. That was a thoughtful gesture. Hotel Park Plantage is in Amsterdam’s Artis Jewish district, close to the Holocaust Museum, Artis Zoo, and Micropia. Tram 14 toward Javaplein stops just outside and connects easily from Central Station. I also walked from the city centre on a sunny day, and enjoyed the sights along the way. A couple of things kept me from giving five stars. One towel had what looked like lipstick marks, though I hoped it was lipstick and not blood. They quickly replaced it when I asked. The air conditioning seemed to blow around quite a bit of dust, and even when set above 25°C it still blew cold air. That wasn't great while I was getting over a cold, though I imagine the air con is useful in summer. The hotel seems to have improved since older reviews. I had a comfortable stay and would happily come back for a leisure trip instead of work.

The location was nice, but the rooms were poor quality. There was a smell of smoke in the corridors, and not even water was provided. They couldn't call us a taxi. On snowy days the rooms were cold, with just one light blanket and dirty, low-quality central heating.

It was quiet, which made the hotel a nice place to relax after a long day in Amsterdam. The staff were kind and helpful whenever I needed anything, and my room was clean and comfortable. It's close to the park and easy to get to the city centre. I really enjoyed my stay.

In 15 years of visiting Amsterdam, this was my worst experience. I paid for a large double room and got one that smelled bad and was unclean. In the middle of the night, water from a leak above dripped through the ceiling onto all my belongings and ruined them. I called reception, but there were no staff on site and they refused to come to the building, even though it was unsafe. The owner wouldn't come to the property either and didn't seem to care. They moved me to another room, half the size and just as smelly. Now they're refusing to refund me or give anything back for my stay.