Amsterdam - Room Mate Hotel or Hotel Jakarta Pre-cruise?

[EllaBee]

Hello. We are embarking on an ocean cruise in August and plan to stay in Amsterdam for two days before embarkation. I have researched many hotels and narrowed it down to two; Room Mate and Hotel Jakarta. It looks like there are quite a few restaurants close to the Room Mate but Hotel Jakarta looks like it may be a little nicer property. I would be very appreciative to hear from anyone who has stayed at either one of these hotels or indeed, anyone who may have local knowledge about them.

 

Thanks very much. 

[Dutch_Travelgirl]

The Hotel Jakarta is much more conveniently located to the cruise terminal than the Room Mate Aitana. Have you considered the Mövenpick or the Doubletree by Hilton?

[EllaBee]

Hi Dutch_Travelgirl, we didn't consider either of those two hotels but reviewing them last night, The Movenpick looks like a good choice for us. Thank you for your response!

[rsverdier]

If you plan to spend some time in Amsterdam and do some sightseeing, I would recommend the Room Mate Aitana. From there, it is only a few minutes on foot to the Jordaan area, with its canals, little back streets, shops and restaurants. On embarkation day, it's only a 5 minute taxi ride from the Room Mate hotel to the cruise terminal (or a 28 minute walk).

 

From the Mövenpick, because of its location next to the cruise terminal, it's a 25 minute walk into town, or you can take tram 26 to Central Station (just one stop) and walk from there. 

[EllaBee]

Thank you, rsverdier, for the information. We have been to Amsterdam a number of times on land trips but this time, we are going to be there just two days before our cruise. We have been going "to and fro", deciding about which hotel to choose; closer to the port for embarkation day? or closer to some sightseeing action? You have given us more food for thought. Much appreciated.

 

EllaBee

[rsverdier]

Should you choose the Mövenpick, there are a few pretty good restaurants in walking distance from that hotel as well 😉 I can really recommend Choux (https://choux.nl/, between the PTA and Central Station) and also Scheepskameel (https://scheepskameel.nl/, website only in Dutch, less than 10 mins on foot from the Mövenpick).

 

Sorry, not really helpful if you want an easy decision 🙂 

[EllaBee]

rsverdier, We have added these restaurant names to our Travel notebook for this trip. Regardless of where we ultimately end up staying, I am sure we will make our way to both restaurants. A personal recommendation is gold!

Once again, thanks!

[haynesra]

On 5/12/2022 at 5:32 AM, rsverdier said:

If you plan to spend some time in Amsterdam and do some sightseeing, I would recommend the Room Mate Aitana. From there, it is only a few minutes on foot to the Jordaan area, with its canals, little back streets, shops and restaurants. On embarkation day, it's only a 5 minute taxi ride from the Room Mate hotel to the cruise terminal (or a 28 minute walk).

 

From the Mövenpick, because of its location next to the cruise terminal, it's a 25 minute walk into town, or you can take tram 26 to Central Station (just one stop) and walk from there. 

rsverdier do you have any restaurant recommendations, walking distance, of the Room Mate Aitana?

[rsverdier]

18 hours ago, haynesra said:

rsverdier do you have any restaurant recommendations, walking distance, of the Room Mate Aitana?

Of course! 🙂 I live directly opposite the Room Mate Aitana, if you're booked there, don't do anything, erm, inappropriate in your room because I can actually see you from my terrace 😛 

 

So, restaurant recommendations. Since I'm a bit of a foodie (strange to say this about yourself), don't expect burger joints or comparable restaurants on the below list. If that is what you would like though, let me know and I might have some suggestions as well.

 

If you're into fine dining (and don't mind spending a bit of money) you should definitely go to Mos (https://mosamsterdam.nl/en/) which is located just on the other side of the street from the Room Mate Aitana. It has been awarded with a Michelin Star since 2017. 

 

Another option is Bistrot Neuf on the Haarlemmerstraat (https://bistrotneuf.nl/en/) which has more of a French bistro feel. Expect things like oysters, duck liver, escargots, steak tartare and lobster on the menu.

 

Another fine dining option is Wolf Atelier (https://www.wolfatelier.nl/en) located on an old railroad bridge, located just a few minutes on foot from the Aitana Hotel.

 

If you like Italian food, either go to La Fiorita (https://lafiorita.nl/, website in Dutch only but the menu has an English explanation) or Caffè Toscanini (https://restauranttoscanini.nl/en/), which, other than the name suggests, is a proper restaurant and not a café. Both are located in the Jordaan area. 

 

For a more traditional Dutch experience, go to Eetcafé Rosereijn (https://www.rosereijn.nl/, website in Dutch only but the menu has English explanations). Een eetcafé is more like a diner, so not too expensive, this is somewhere I would go to if I just wanted to have nice dinner but don't feel like cooking it myself, so not for a special occasion. It has some very traditional Dutch bistro food, like beef steak, fried liver and chicken satay with peanut sauce and french fries.

 

A little bit further out (you can either get there by bus, line 48, which has stops directly in front of both the Aitana Hotel and the restaurant, or you might want to take a taxi or Uber or Bolt) is Restaurant Gary Loen (http://www.restaurantgaryloen.nl/). Gary has won several cooking contests like The Taste of Germany and started his own French Indonesian fusion restaurant in Amsterdam. He now only has a 4-course shared dining menu, and he is open from Wednesday until Saturday.

 

OK, one more fine dining option! This one is actually right in the middle between the Mövenpick and the Room Mate Aitana; it's Restaurant Bougainville in Hotel TwentySeven on Dam Square. Prepare to be dazzled and bring your credit card 😉 If you go there, start with cocktails in Bar TwentySeven before you start your dinner. This restaurant is see and be seen, so you might want to dress for the occasion.

 

If you need more info, just let me know!

[rsverdier]

On 5/14/2022 at 12:28 AM, EllaBee said:

rsverdier, We have added these restaurant names to our Travel notebook for this trip. Regardless of where we ultimately end up staying, I am sure we will make our way to both restaurants. A personal recommendation is gold!

Once again, thanks!

Just a tip: since The Netherlands came out of Covid and all restaurants are open again without restrictions, everybody in Amsterdam (really everybody) wants to go out for dinner. Especially when you are here during the weekend, it is important to make reservations waaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyy ahead. Some restaurants have been fully booked for every weekend for the coming two months or so, it's crazy. 

[haynesra]

37 minutes ago, rsverdier said:

Of course! 🙂 I live directly opposite the Room Mate Aitana, if you're booked there, don't do anything, erm, inappropriate in your room because I can actually see you from my terrace 😛 

 

So, restaurant recommendations. Since I'm a bit of a foodie (strange to say this about yourself), don't expect burger joints or comparable restaurants on the below list. If that is what you would like though, let me know and I might have some suggestions as well.

 

If you're into fine dining (and don't mind spending a bit of money) you should definitely go to Mos (https://mosamsterdam.nl/en/) which is located just on the other side of the street from the Room Mate Aitana. It has been awarded with a Michelin Star since 2017. 

 

Another option is Bistrot Neuf on the Haarlemmerstraat (https://bistrotneuf.nl/en/) which has more of a French bistro feel. Expect things like oysters, duck liver, escargots, steak tartare and lobster on the menu.

 

Another fine dining option is Wolf Atelier (https://www.wolfatelier.nl/en) located on an old railroad bridge, located just a few minutes on foot from the Aitana Hotel.

 

If you like Italian food, either go to La Fiorita (https://lafiorita.nl/, website in Dutch only but the menu has an English explanation) or Caffè Toscanini (https://restauranttoscanini.nl/en/), which, other than the name suggests, is a proper restaurant and not a café. Both are located in the Jordaan area. 

 

For a more traditional Dutch experience, go to Eetcafé Rosereijn (https://www.rosereijn.nl/, website in Dutch only but the menu has English explanations). Een eetcafé is more like a diner, so not too expensive, this is somewhere I would go to if I just wanted to have nice dinner but don't feel like cooking it myself, so not for a special occasion. It has some very traditional Dutch bistro food, like beef steak, fried liver and chicken satay with peanut sauce and french fries.

 

A little bit further out (you can either get there by bus, line 48, which has stops directly in front of both the Aitana Hotel and the restaurant, or you might want to take a taxi or Uber or Bolt) is Restaurant Gary Loen (http://www.restaurantgaryloen.nl/). Gary has won several cooking contests like The Taste of Germany and started his own French Indonesian fusion restaurant in Amsterdam. He now only has a 4-course shared dining menu, and he is open from Wednesday until Saturday.

 

OK, one more fine dining option! This one is actually right in the middle between the Mövenpick and the Room Mate Aitana; it's Restaurant Bougainville in Hotel TwentySeven on Dam Square. Prepare to be dazzled and bring your credit card 😉 If you go there, start with cocktails in Bar TwentySeven before you start your dinner. This restaurant is see and be seen, so you might want to dress for the occasion.

 

If you need more info, just let me know!

Excellent, I can assure you would not want to watch - LOL! Thanks for the recommendations, very interested in the Eetcafé Rosereijn for true Dutch meal/experience. Definitely will check out the rest as well. Will be there for two days before Cruise next May. So excited, as it our first time in Amsterdam!

[haynesra]

rsverdier do you have any recommendations for canal cruises, maybe even evening cruise with drinks/food?

[Ine]

7 hours ago, haynesra said:

rsverdier do you have any recommendations for canal cruises, maybe even evening cruise with drinks/food?

Check this: https://www.lovers.nl/en/food-beverage/amsterdam-dinner-cruise/

and

https://www.lovers.nl/en/food-beverage/wine-cheese-cruise/

[rsverdier]

9 hours ago, haynesra said:

rsverdier do you have any recommendations for canal cruises, maybe even evening cruise with drinks/food?

Have a look at Ine's answer above. 

 

Funny thing is - dinner canal cruises are things that I, as someone who lives here, normally wouldn't do 😉 So I really can't tell you which one is better ...

[Dutch_Travelgirl]

15 hours ago, haynesra said:

rsverdier do you have any recommendations for canal cruises, maybe even evening cruise with drinks/food?

I would recommend to do a normal canal cruise instead of a dinner cruise. The canals in Amsterdam are relatively small, hence the boats used for the canal cruises are small also. They can’t be compared to the huge boats that are used for cruises on the Seine in Paris. What I’m trying to say is that small boats mean small kitchens. The food on these tours therefore isn’t very special (think microwaved pizza). It’s much better to enjoy a nice meal in a restaurant and a regular canal cruise. These canal cruises all follow pretty much the same route. Some have live commentary, some have recorded commentary. There are plenty of cruises available, you can just walk up to one and be on your way a short time later. 

[Ashland]

We'll be staying a couple of days pre-cruise in July at the Banks Mansion. No fine dining for us so some suggestions near by our hotel for easy casual meals please. Thanks so much.

[haynesra]

13 hours ago, Dutch_Travelgirl said:

I would recommend to do a normal canal cruise instead of a dinner cruise. The canals in Amsterdam are relatively small, hence the boats used for the canal cruises are small also. They can’t be compared to the huge boats that are used for cruises on the Seine in Paris. What I’m trying to say is that small boats mean small kitchens. The food on these tours therefore isn’t very special (think microwaved pizza). It’s much better to enjoy a nice meal in a restaurant and a regular canal cruise. These canal cruises all follow pretty much the same route. Some have live commentary, some have recorded commentary. There are plenty of cruises available, you can just walk up to one and be on your way a short time later. 

Good point, based on your input and Ine's above the wine and cheese cruise sounds good then dinning recommendations from rsverdier. Sounds like good evening to me. Thanks everyone!

[rsverdier]

17 hours ago, Ashland said:

We'll be staying a couple of days pre-cruise in July at the Banks Mansion. No fine dining for us so some suggestions near by our hotel for easy casual meals please. Thanks so much.

From the hotel exit, turn right and then the first left again (you will pass some kind of gate). This is the Reguliersdwarsstraat and it is full of bars (a lot of them gay, just so you know) and restaurants. There is a nice pizza place all at the end of the street, Rossini (https://rossini-amsterdam.nl/en/).

 

Located a few steps back is Dynasty (https://restaurantdynasty.nl/) if you are into Asian food. It's not the best Asian restaurant in town, but it's decent and it's been there for over 25 years.

 

Opposite Dynasty is Garlic Queen (https://www.garlicqueen.nl/en/) for all things ... garlic 😉 They actually use garlic in all their dishes. They even have garlic ice cream for dessert.

 

A restaurant I used to visit a lot is De Jaren (https://cafedejaren.nl/en/# ), just a bit further down the road from your hotel, but I must admit it has been a few years since I have been there. 

 

If you exit the hotel and turn left to walk along the canal, you will eventually reach the Utrechtsestraat. There are a lot of nice dining options there, too, like ACE (https://www.restaurantace.nl/menu/), De Juwelier (https://www.restaurant-dejuwelier.nl/restaurantdejuwelier) and Tujuh Maret (https://tujuhmaret.nl/) which is an Indonesian restaurant.

[Ashland]

7 hours ago, rsverdier said:

From the hotel exit, turn right and then the first left again (you will pass some kind of gate). This is the Reguliersdwarsstraat and it is full of bars (a lot of them gay, just so you know) and restaurants. There is a nice pizza place all at the end of the street, Rossini (https://rossini-amsterdam.nl/en/).

 

Located a few steps back is Dynasty (https://restaurantdynasty.nl/) if you are into Asian food. It's not the best Asian restaurant in town, but it's decent and it's been there for over 25 years.

 

Opposite Dynasty is Garlic Queen (https://www.garlicqueen.nl/en/) for all things ... garlic 😉 They actually use garlic in all their dishes. They even have garlic ice cream for dessert.

 

A restaurant I used to visit a lot is De Jaren (https://cafedejaren.nl/en/# ), just a bit further down the road from your hotel, but I must admit it has been a few years since I have been there. 

 

If you exit the hotel and turn left to walk along the canal, you will eventually reach the Utrechtsestraat. There are a lot of nice dining options there, too, like ACE (https://www.restaurantace.nl/menu/), De Juwelier (https://www.restaurant-dejuwelier.nl/restaurantdejuwelier) and Tujuh Maret (https://tujuhmaret.nl/) which is an Indonesian restaurant.

Thank you so much....but none of these sounds like our type of dining either other than the pizza place.. We're just simple consumers. I do appreciate all your your help though.

[markeb]

4 hours ago, Ashland said:

Thank you so much....but none of these sounds like our type of dining either other than the pizza place.. We're just simple consumers. I do appreciate all your your help though.

 

I've only been to Amsterdam twice, and @rsverdier is a local, so I'm going to be a bit careful here...

 

Amsterdam has a lot of great food. Indonesian food, especially Rijsttafel, is amazing, and highly recommended. You're almost on the coast, so seafood is going to be great. and Flemish food varies from Dutch pancakes (delicious!) to stews (although I think the classic stews are more common in Belgium? Help me out here!). Personally, I'd forget simplicity and hit a Rijsttafel and get out of your comfort zone! But I love the recommendations in this thread for my next visit, whenever that is!

[rsverdier]

8 hours ago, Ashland said:

Thank you so much....but none of these sounds like our type of dining either other than the pizza place.. We're just simple consumers. I do appreciate all your your help though.

Well ... There are also burger joints in the neighbourhood of your hotel (McDonald's, Burger King but also a bit more upscale places where you can find so-called gourmet burgers). Not too far from your hotel, you will find a diner-like place that serves steaks and that is frequented mainly by locals (their steaks are famous in town, just be careful when you order, because you can choose between beef steak and horse steak, and that last variety is not for everyone). Their website is http://pietdeleeuw.nl/

 

But like @markeb said: if you are here and you have the opportunity, step out of your comfort zone and try some of the local delicacies! The Dutch are a bit more picky about their food than the French, so, apart from the occasional liver, you will actually find very little "exotic" meats on the menu. Dutch cuisine has been influenced heavily by the Indonesian cuisine though (has got something to do with our colonial past ...), so son't be surprised to find things like satay with peanut sauce on the menu of even the simplest diners. 

[Ashland]

13 hours ago, rsverdier said:

Well ... There are also burger joints in the neighbourhood of your hotel (McDonald's, Burger King but also a bit more upscale places where you can find so-called gourmet burgers). Not too far from your hotel, you will find a diner-like place that serves steaks and that is frequented mainly by locals (their steaks are famous in town, just be careful when you order, because you can choose between beef steak and horse steak, and that last variety is not for everyone). Their website is http://pietdeleeuw.nl/

 

But like @markeb said: if you are here and you have the opportunity, step out of your comfort zone and try some of the local delicacies! The Dutch are a bit more picky about their food than the French, so, apart from the occasional liver, you will actually find very little "exotic" meats on the menu. Dutch cuisine has been influenced heavily by the Indonesian cuisine though (has got something to do with our colonial past ...), so son't be surprised to find things like satay with peanut sauce on the menu of even the simplest diners. 

Thank you so much.....diners sound perfect for us and we love satay & peanut sauce.

[haynesra]

So tried to book Movenpick and Room Mate today and both showed no availability. So went ahead and booked Hotel Jakarta to be safe. Not sure if it is because it is May 2023 year in advance or if truly booked or not but wanted to get something just in case

 

[rsverdier]

13 hours ago, haynesra said:

So tried to book Movenpick and Room Mate today and both showed no availability. So went ahead and booked Hotel Jakarta to be safe. Not sure if it is because it is May 2023 year in advance or if truly booked or not but wanted to get something just in case

 

I am sure you will love Hotel Jakarta.

 

It looks like Room Mate Aitana has not opened an allotment yet for dates after Apr 2, 2023. Should you by any chance want to change your reservation from Hotel Jakarta to Room Mate Aitana, you can always call them directly (+31 20 89 14 800) or send your reservation by mail (aitana.reservations@room-matehotels.com).

[haynesra]

10 hours ago, rsverdier said:

I am sure you will love Hotel Jakarta.

 

It looks like Room Mate Aitana has not opened an allotment yet for dates after Apr 2, 2023. Should you by any chance want to change your reservation from Hotel Jakarta to Room Mate Aitana, you can always call them directly (+31 20 89 14 800) or send your reservation by mail (aitana.reservations@room-matehotels.com).

Yes, I will try to get Room Mate reservation.