Best Western Eden Hotel

dhillcrest

Hotel for those with good tolerence levels. 22nd August 2008

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The Best Western Eden Hotel is, unusually for Amsterdam, situated in an idyllic location next to one of the canals that decimate the city. It is within walking distance of many of the squares, flower markets and a short tram ride away from the city centre. There are plenty of places to eat and drink close by and we (me + wife) spent a couple of nights trying out the bars back in 2004. Hence, be prepared for sketchy memory and vague references to things half-remembered.

To save time, my opinion of this place is mixed and juggles a balance of cheap and weird.

The Outside
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As mentioned, the hotel sits on a canal - quite a wide bit of canal where a couple of smaller ones join. There is quite an expanse of water in front of it, vaguely industrial in a quaint sort of way. The outside of the hotel looks pretty regal and the redbrick walls with a bit of added décor slightly promises poshness without looking splendid. At first sight you think -this looks OK.

Inside.
*****
The lobby is polished marble and dark wood. It's fairly spacious with a bar to the left and lifts to the right. Best Westerns are very standard so if you've been in one you know what it'll look like. That's why I quite like them - no surprises, which may sound dull but who wants the staff to open your door to your room and say 'Surprise - crap isn't it?'
Checking in was very easy and the English was excellent from all staff.

The room
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This is where the 'weird' begins. We were given, apparently, a room upgrade to an 'apartment'. Well that is usually excellent is it not? This time NOT. At least I think not. The 'apartment' wasn't in the main hotel. It was in an 'annex' round the corner so we went out of the main door and round the corner to an alleyway. Not the most dingy alleyway ever, just the sort with bins and concert posters etc. The sort of alleyway you can get mugged in.
About halfway along the alleyway was a door of a town house, for want of a better description. This was where the apartment was, but right at the top. Through the door was a tight, claustrophobic winding staircase which was steep, steep, steep. Right at the top, on the third floor was our holiday home. The apartment looked like a student flat with a couple of old armchairs, a television and a kitchenette. At the back of the room was a double bed and the bathroom. The bed and bathroom where decent but the situation was just weird. We were in an attic in Amsterdam. Anne Frank started looming large in my imagination. This reminds me of what I suspect is an urban myth of a stage play in London about Anne Franks which was so bad that when the Gestapo knocked on the door someone in the audience shouted out 'She's in the attic!' in the hope of an early final curtain.
All-in-all it was quite dingy and unappealing and if this was an upgrade I could only imagine that our original room was roofless. And full of corpses. Anyway, I'm not one to moan so we made the best of it. And went out.

The city
*******
The city is brill. Good food. Prostitutes and markets everywhere. Some great little arty-farty shops and some equally splendid big ones. At night it's a busy and friendly city with a nice pace to it. Just one anecdotal story in that as a student I used to have a fair bit of dope as was the lot of hairy geology students (and most students come to think of it). My wife is the opposite - nil-by-mouth. Never tinkered with drugs, not even ciggies. I sort of persuaded her to smoke a joint because it's what you do in Amsterdam so I toddled over to a coffee shop to buy one. I really bigged it up as well and went through the elaborate process of showing her how to smoke (generally), hold the smoke in her lunges before breathing out etc, etc. The big-I-am. Basically she was fine and I threw up everywhere and looked like a total tosser. All over Anne Franks bathroom.

The breakfast
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Was
A. Bloody awful
B. Cost 28 Euros

Breakfasts on the continent can be a funny old affair but there is usually loads of stuff to choose from and at least a good proportion of it is OK. This was limited and tasted of sick. Very disappointing

Overall
******
We had a great time in Amsterdam and remember it really fondly. So if I sound scathing of the hotel at times, it wasn't so bad as to spoil the fun. In fact, I remember the hotel fondly as well - it was weird but we were out for a good time and didn't care if things were not 'normal'. We didn't have the kids so 'anything goes' mentality prevailed.

I can't remember the price or anything which is really unhelpful but I do know we didn't pay a lot for it - 60 Euro's for the room only rings a bell. I suppose it was alright value for money.

More info can be found here:
http://www.hotelclub.net/hotel.reservations/ Best_Western_Eden_Hotel_Amsterdam.htm
Please note: space inserted before Best_Western. Remove space for link
Thanks for reading
May also be posted to other review sites.

Cheers. Dave.

Summary: Wierd but fun