Hotel Vossius Vondelpark

The Hotel Vossius Vondelpark is a clean, no-frills property housed inside two historic Dutch town houses with beautiful brick facades accented with white cornices and columns. The hotel's renovated interior mixes traditional architecture with modern decor. The reception area is small and fairly nondescript, but the breakfast room has a nice sitting area with white laminate tables, silver button-tufted bench seating, and black ottoman seats. The hotel has, perhaps a bit oddly, Annex Rooms situated in a detached block in the middle of the large outdoor terrace. With tiny rooms and few extra property features, this hotel sometimes verges on hostel territory, but the rooms are private and can sleep up to four, which draws families, couples, and small groups. 

Hotel Vossius Vondelpark is situated on a quiet street which runs along the edge of the beautiful Vondelpark, a popular attraction for tourists and locals alike, particularly in the summer. Because the street is mainly made up of residential apartments, it doesn't get a lot of traffic, yet shops, cafes, and restaurants are right at the end of the road. The hotel is well situated, in between the Leidseplein and the museumplein, within easy walking distance of both. Guests can walk to the canal district, but most popular sights in that area are a bit too far to get to by walking. The hotel is well-serviced by public transportation, though, and most attractions can be reached in 20-minutes or less. 

• Two-minute walk to Pieter Cornelisz Hooftstraat (designer shopping street)
• Three-minute walk to Amsterdam, Rijksmuseum tram and bus station
• Four-minute walk to Leidseplein
• Four-minute walk to Paradiso concert venue
• Five-minute walk to Rijksmuseum
• Seven-minute walk to the Van Gogh Museum
• 11-minute walk to Heineken Brewery
• 12 minutes to Royal Palace of Amsterdam via public transportation
• 14 minutes to the Anne Frank House via public transportation
• 17 minutes to Red Light District via public transportation
• 18 minutes to Dam Square via public transportation (25-minute walk)
• 35 minutes to Amsterdam Airport Schiphol via public transportation (20-minute drive)

The Hotel Vossius Vondelpark's 40 rooms range in size from doubles and twin rooms (which can be tiny) to small triples and quads. The hotel also offers Annex Rooms, which are situated in a detached block in the middle of their large terrace. Rooms are generally tiny, but they have large windows and modern decor. Walls are white with wallpapered gray accent walls behind the beds. Furniture is white laminate, and there are drum-shaped pendant lights overhead. Some rooms have marble fireplaces. Past guests note that the beds are comfortable -- but there are some complaints of wear-and-tear. Bathrooms are modern with gray subway tiles, white fixtures, and wet-room style showers, which don't have curtains.

In-room amenities are a definite step-up from what's found in a hostel. They include bedside reading lamps and small desks, plus flat-screen TVs, free Wi-Fi, iPod docks, coffeemakers, and wardrobes with safes. Bathrooms include toiletries in dispensers, as well as hairdryers and towels (but, oddly, no towel racks). There is no air-conditioning. Some rooms offer views of Vondelpark or the Rijksmuseum, while ground-floor and Annex Rooms may look out onto the terrace.

For its budget category, the hotel has a few unexpected amenities, such as a large outdoor terrace with tables and chairs. It also serves a daily breakfast buffet of cereal, scrambled eggs, cold cuts, and bread for a free. There's also a well-stocked vending machine in the lobby with candy and drinks. There's a computer for guests' use, and Wi-Fi is free throughout. Bikes can be rented on-site, and there are lots of maps and brochures available in the lobby. Staff will assist with restaurant and tour recommendations, and booking tickets.