Arena Hotel Amsterdam

By Amsterdam standards this hotel is very good value at the rate we got with e-Bookers. Our basic room had an atrium style "upstairs", giving far more space than is the norm in the city. It is very stylish, but this leads to a couple of reservations that may affect some people. Firstly, beyond a wardrobe with no shelves or drawers there is nowhere to store anything, so you live out of your suitcase or back pack. Secondly, the bathroom is a glass cube within the room, not all of which is opaque, so not for the shy! The shower has nowhere to put down soap or shampoo. Otherwise I would have scored it 5. If you can live with those points then the place really is a bargain. Location wise it's a bit far out if you don't know Amsterdam and aren't happy to use the trams (3 pass within 400 metres). Factor in a 1-day travel card and it's still much cheaper than anything equivalent in the centre. The people were very good. We had a problem with our shower and it was fixed immediately with apologies and no fuss. We didn't try the restaurant, but the bar was excellent. We'll definitely stay here again next time we're in Amsterdam if the prices don't go up too much!

Hotel Arena was a beautiful hotel, newly expanded and remodeled with beautiful, modern decor and rooms. The staff were very friendly and spoke great English; they were happy to give advice about getting around and where to eat etc. The only downside was that the hotel was about a 30 minute walk from the city center, but this should not be a discouraging factor unless you were really hoping to walk because the Amsterdam trams, metro, and rental bikes are easily accessible.

The hotel was beautiful. Our room was spacious, comfortable and stylishly decorated. We only stayed one night at this hotel but wish we would have stayed our entire trip. (we also stayed at some discount hotels, though the price on this one was a bit higher it seemed worth it). One complaint, breakfast for 18 euros seemed very over priced.

Excited to get to this fancy sexy hotel after a long day of sightseeing, couldn't have been more disappointed. I had requested a bathtub and had even called in to confirm. The woman assured me it would be fine but thought I should also write an email to confirm our conversation to the reservations desk. When we arrived the front desk gave us soooooooooooo much attitude about the tub. Implying that for the deal we got we would be lucky to be staying there at all. I wouldn't back down and eventually someone showed us to a room with a bathtub. I will say the lobby common areas were quite impressive. As was our room at first glance. In the dark evening light, the high ceiling, mouldings, cornices, and grand windows were quite regal. But by the light of day everything looked different. The room was filthy! The bathroom was awash in mildew and rot. The high ceilings covered in cobwebs and the furniture and walls stained and smeared, with god knows what. We asked for a late checkout of which we had to pay 40€ and we were interrupted no less than 2 times by people coming in to check the mini bar. I've stayed in a lot of hotels, inns, b&b's, from good to bad to ugly and this is the first time I have felt compelled to write a nasty review. Don't stay here unless you like dirt and being treated like it.

Superior staff, wonderful two-story rooms (beds in loft), very clean, very quiet, in a leafy part of town about a 20 minute walk to city center. Overall, a great value. The only drawback is that the hotel is far removed from any other bar, restaurant or breakfast, so you may end up eating and drinking on the premises--the quality of the food and drink is good, but the prices are very high.

This hotel was way more interested in being chique than helpful. For having a restaurant on the ground floor it offered a measely room service. Felt like we heard more no's and sorry's than any other place we've been.

I have been travelling to the Arena for several years now. But I was so pleasantly shocked to see the results of some great renovation work. The rooms -- always a little funky, but in a spotlessly clean and very tasteful way -- are now upgraded in condition. Very comfortable. The food is -- as always -- just out of this world. The staff is relaxed and very, very accomodating. BUT the requirement that one pay for Internet use in your room -- especially in such a hotel as the Arena, which might like to think that it has its finger right on the "pulse" -- is a big disappointment. This cheapens the experience there, because there is already so much generosity of light and space and consciousness. I actually find this to be a little niggardly, on their part. But, all in all, it's a great place to stay, and you don't have to swim through hordes of beer-guzzling English soccer rowdies every time you step out. There is just no one around, and the park next door is a resource you should NOT avoid!

The building itself is a historic orphanage that had been several things including a hostel prior to becoming a hotel with a night club. The initial room assigned to us was a loft with a tiny couch, desk and bathroom downstairs and a bed upstairs via narrow spiral staircase. Not ideal for anyone who needs to use the toilet in the night. At least there was a TV in both areas. We requested another room since we thought this floor plan wasn't mentioned in what we had originally booked. The hotel was gracious enough to allow us to move to a much more spacious room on their top floor (elevator from 2nd to 3rd floor was broken). The second room was incredibly stunning. The room had very interesting lines and angles. The walls were painted white, had archway supports and attic-style walls. The bathroom was HUGE and the walls were black shiny subway tiles. There was a soaker tub and a shower in the bathroom. The angles and arches were in the bathroom as well. Not too many places to hang a towel and the place seemed like the remodel just was completed. We didn't find the mirror light switch to shut it off until we asked the front desk (it was "invisible" as it blended into the black tile). The front desk was helpful when directing us to a place to eat - the hotel does have a restaurant but we wanted to go into the neighborhood to check out local fare.

The hotel's exterior, as well as the interior, were beautiful. The rooms actually included a loft for sleeping, which was an unexpected treat. All accomodations inside the room were clean and modern. The location is in a quiet and safe part of the city, but conveniently close to tram stops and a metro station. There is a grocery store a few blocks from the hotel, which can provide meals for travellers on a budget. The hotel also rents out bikes on a daily basis at an affordable rate, so we could tour the city the way the locals do. The staff at the front desk all spoke english, and were tremendous in helping us get around the city in the most affordable way. I don't have anything bad to say about this hotel and would definitely stay there again.

Amsterdam is one wild place. Stop in a coffee house and you'll see what I mean.... Don't do the canal tour on and off cruise offered by Gray Lines. It's a rip. Use the street cars. Sweet. The location of the hotel is not in the city center, but the transit system makes it not a big deal. Cabs are very inexpensive, too. The hotel is brand spanking new. Everything from sheets to floors are clean and fresh. The beds are more comfortable than any I have slept in around the world, or even at home for that matter! In May of 2009, the hotel was underpriced by at least 25%. If you can get a room under $140 euros per night, it is a screaming bargain.