If you’ve visited this site before you might be aware that we’ve taken the time to put special hostel and hotel maps together so if you are looking for a place in a certain neighborhood or with a certain theme, we’ve probably got you covered. But not everyone knows the area well enough for that to help out much so things can still be confusing. That’s the main reason I’ve now collected up six budget hotels that I can recommend and would be happy to stay in myself.
All of these hotels have:
A quick note about cheap hotels in Amsterdam
In a way, Amsterdam is similar to New York City in that rooms are almost always smaller and more expensive than you expect until you get used to how things work. This is an incredibly popular city with tourists and business people so demand is high year round. The best places with the best locations will usually start their room prices above €150 per night and it goes way up from there.
In Amsterdam a 2-star hotel doesn’t have an elevator and it almost certainly has rooms on 2 or 3 different levels. The staircases are unbelievably steep in almost all of them, so that is a common complaint after people visit for the first time, but that’s just the way this city is. If you can’t deal with a steep staircase then book a 3-star or above place and you should be fine.
The following hotels all have rooms starting below €100, including taxes and breakfast. If you are American you might be used to paying $130 after taxes for a hotel with a rate of $100, but here it’s usually one price so don’t forget that when comparing with what you are used to.
(reviews and more information are below)
St. Christopher’s at the Winston
This one is my favorite in the whole city and I’ve stayed here many times, even back before it became part of the trendy St. Christopher’s chain. It’s a combination hostel and “art hotel” meaning every room is decorated with something really original and no two are alike. It’s not luxurious but the staff are very friendly, the whole bottom floor is a lively pub and sports bar, and the prices are very appealing considering the great location in the non-seedy part of the Red Light District.
Hotel Amsterdam – De Roode Leeuw
This hotel is 4 stars “officially” and that might be overdoing it a bit since it won’t remind you of 4-star hotels in the US, but still it’s great value for the money with a really helpful and caring staff. The location on Dam Square is ideal, especially for a short visit of a day or two. If you check the review sites you’ll notice that some people complain that the rooms are small, but compared to other hotels in Amsterdam, and especially in this price range, they are very typical or even better.
Hotel De Gerstekorrel
Here’s another hotel with a great central location and modest prices to go along with it. It’s just off Dam Square so it’s close to the train station and most everything else interesting in the city. There’s no elevator so it can’t qualify to be three stars by the Amsterdam hotel system, but as long as you don’t have a problem with a (very steep) staircase or two this can be a great bargain. Similar hotels with elevators will cost almost double.
Albus Grand Hotel
This is a 3-star hotel not far from Rembrandtplein, so it’s very close to the best and most glamorous nightlife but not so close that it’ll interfere with your sleep. The Albus Grand gets consistently good reviews from past guests so combine the bargain prices with the great location and it’s easy to recommend this one.
Hotel de Paris
Those looking for a 3-star hotel near Leidseplein should seriously consider the Hotel de Paris. It’s small but clean and well maintained to it has a high satisfaction level from previous guests. Room prices start well under €100 which is great for this location and this type of place. It’s less than a 5-minute walk to the heart of the busy Leidseplein Square but down a quiet street so you get the best of both worlds.
Rembrandt Classic Hotel
Here’s yet another historic 3-star hotel with a great location and very reasonable prices. This place is walking distance from pretty much everything and also on a lovely canal itself, but the immediate neighborhood is quiet and mellow so this isn’t ideal for someone who wants nightlife to be very close. Considering that rooms start well under €100 this stands out as a bargain compared to the nearby competition.
