Hotel in Amsterdam used by Avalon

We will be doing the Amsterdam to Budapest cruise on the Avalon Panorama in May 2015. We have booked an extra night in Amsterdam, through Avalon, so that we can do a bit of sightseeing on our own before the cruise. We are curious if anyone knows which hotel Avalon may be booking us into - I know its a long time until we get our travel docs (okay - 219 days until we sail), but I just like to check these things out. :rolleyes:

Last year they used the Movenpick. I got it for $85 (not per person, for the night) on Priceline. Was very convenient because we just walked downstairs and dropped off our luggage in the Avalon room! Took the train from the airport and the Movenpick had a free shuttle. We asked for a room overlooking the water and the boats and got it. Could see all of the river boats.

Yes, definitely the Movenpick. I'm not sure when it was built but it looks very modern and new. The only reason I decided against it was because of the location. I wanted a hotel closer to Centraal train station.

Yes, definitely the Movenpick. I'm not sure when it was built but it looks very modern and new. The only reason I decided against it was because of the location. I wanted a hotel closer to Centraal train station.

What hotel is closer than the Movenpick? The Doubletree? Was there a problem with it? [We have a bunch of HHonors points so that would be our hotel of choice for future Amsterdam visits.]

Walking to the train station from the Movenpick wasn't a problem for us. It really wasn't that far..maybe 10 minutes walk? But we only took a tram once...we walked everywhere. It wasn't in the middle of town, but for $85 it was worth it

Thank you for the quick replies - we had a feeling it would be the Movenpick, just from reading other reviews on here.

Off to learn all about our possible hotel!!

Wish all this research would make our departure day come faster ;)

I do not think the location of the Movenpick is conducive to experiencing Amsterdam, i.e. strolling out the door and going into a restaurant or bar, or even shopping for that matter. Also, a relaxing stroll along the small canals is not right outside your door either. The area is very busy compared to most of the quiet tranquil Amsterdam that we experienced. jmo. Central Station is a good location if you are using Amsterdam as a base to visit other places outside the city, i.e. Brussels or Paris, but taking the trolley in Amsterdam one does not need to be near Central Station.

The Movenpick is not in the true heart of the city and I would not book this portion with Avalon personally. Amsterdam is a very easy city to navigate and there are better options.

We like to stay a bit out of the fray when in AMS. The Museum District is also a good option.

We just stayed at the Hilton Doubletree 4 weeks ago and it was very nice--good service, great rooms, exec. lounge was super added valaue, and it was only a very short walk from main train station, where the ocean and river cruises dock, and easy walking to some superior restaurants. CHeck it out on Tripadvisor and google.map.

I do not think the location of the Movenpick is conducive to experiencing Amsterdam, i.e. strolling out the door and going into a restaurant or bar, or even shopping for that matter. Also, a relaxing stroll along the small canals is not right outside your door either. The area is very busy compared to most of the quiet tranquil Amsterdam that we experienced. jmo. Central Station is a good location if you are using Amsterdam as a base to visit other places outside the city, i.e. Brussels or Paris, but taking the trolley in Amsterdam one does not need to be near Central Station.

The Movenpick is not in the true heart of the city and I would not book this portion with Avalon personally. Amsterdam is a very easy city to navigate and there are better options.

 

We like to stay a bit out of the fray when in AMS. The Museum District is also a good option.

Totally agree with both of you. :)

HostJazzbeau - The Movenpick is not close to the Centraal Station. Since we'll only have 1 full day there, I want to make the most of it and be close to everything.

Totally agree with both of you. :)

 

HostJazzbeau - The Movenpick is not close to the Centraal Station. Since we'll only have 1 full day there, I want to make the most of it and be close to everything.

Thanks. It doesn't look that much further from Centraal Station than the Doubletree on the map, but maps can be deceiving. Anyway, I plan to use the Doubletree so I'm glad to hear that it is both a good hotel and a central location. [unless I have enough points for the new Waldorf, but that isn't close to the docks at all...]

Totally agree with both of you. :)

 

HostJazzbeau - The Movenpick is not close to the Centraal Station. Since we'll only have 1 full day there, I want to make the most of it and be close to everything.

It actually is quite close to Centraal Station and to the dock., though not adjacent to either. We would be able to easily walk to both but others who are not as mobile may not.

We stayed at the Movenpick and loved its location. We walked to Centraal station several times. A couple of days we did it more than once. Definitely if there is mobility issues, I would agree that it would be a problem however. There is a train stop right outside the door that would drop us off.

We're just back from a Viking cruise where we decided not to stay at the Movnpick because it was far from the museums we were interested in seeing. We stayed at the Conservatories on our own for the price that Viking charged for their standard room. We were directly across the street from the Stejdelijk Museum, which is next door from the Van Gogh and Rijksmuseum, on the Museumplein. Not only did we get a duplex room (suite) as well as incredible amenities and great breakfast, use of the wonderful spa, pool, gym, free yoga classes, we got the best four course afternoon tea I had ever had anywhere. We also got tickets to our choice of museum. The Conservatorium is rated one of the best hotels in Europe, so do check for special rates and packages if you want to be in an area with the best shopping and museums in the city.

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