I have very fond memories of my booze,(yes BOOZE)fuelled trip with five school friends, to Holland's capitalAmsterdam. At 18 and 19, we were all hostel virgins who had always enjoyed the comfort of a hotel room and Mummys seemingly bottomless purse when holidaying.
Situated a fair distance from the city centre, the centre arguably being the immediate area surrounding Central Station, densely packed with bars, coffee houses and markets, Arena is served by a number of buses and trams running to and from the centre daily. Arriving at Central Sattion, we began hauling our ridiculously over-packed suitcases to the bus
stops which were conveniently directly outside the stations entrance.
We had little problem finding the hostel itself, and upon arrival were pleasantly surprised at the buildings and its well-kept grounds. We had read that the building itself was once used as a convent, and upon entering, there was something slightly nunnish about it. Perhaps it was the stark white walls and high ceilings that reminded me of my old sports hall at school, but what we certainly didn't have there (and suspect the nuns wouldn't abide), was the collection of modern artpieces which were spotted about the walls, all very nice I thought. There was plenty of signage in English, which was a godsend for us ignorant Brits, and we were handed our keys by a very nice, albeit, a little overworked, english speaking receptionist, and told we were staying on the third floor. We paid up for a few nights in advance and made our way up the huge central staircase which took us to the floors above. Not knowing a great deal about the hostel, and what to expect, we passed corridors of 4 and 6 bed rooms, excitement rising at the prospect of seeing our room. We did eventually find our room. Or should I say hall. There turned out to be slightly more bunks than the two or three we had foolishly come to expect for our money when passing those on the floors below. We pushed open the doors to find an assortment of girls in various states of undress, wriggling behind towels their traveling companions had erected to hide behind and dress.
There must have been about 20 metal bunkbeds complete with wafer-thin plastic matresses, and an equal number of lockers which were lined up to create a very noisy partition. As we hadn't been assigned a particular bed, we assumed it was a free-for-all, as we later confirmed, so we each found a bunk, and made ourself comfy. The dorm was pleasant enough, it was clean, airy, and the beds were reasonably spaced so as not to wake-up spooning the 24 year old swede from Stockholm who slept to my right (Ho hum, it can't all be perfect). We packed our bags away in the lockers which were spacious enough to accommodate the suitcase that held half my wardrobe (Ok my entire wardrobe), hairdryer and extensive shoe collection. I felt quite happy to leave my belongings, minus my passport, minidisc player, camera and money that is, in the locker while we went out to explore the city centre. The first thing that we noticed about the location of the hostel, was that despite its close proximity to the centre in the daytime, at night it was a different matter entirely. The hostel is served by a number of good tram and bus services, which unfortunatly do not run after a certain time in the evening. The distance was such that it would have been a fair old walk back to the hostel, so the alternative was to take taxis. For five girls on a budget this wasn't ideal, but it wasn't overly exspensive. I still don't know to this day if there is transport which pass Arena at night, I'd be interested to know. However, this doesn't have to prove to be a problem, as the nightlife at the hostel itself was pretty good. When we stayed, Arena was host to a weekly club night which was situated in a building adjacent to the main building, and a small, comfortable bar which served alcohol til late.
Arenas facilities were the usual offerings of coin-operated washers and dryers in the basement, essential for those travelling to multiple destinations and a canteen of sorts serving breakfast and dinner, though not included in the price of the room. We rarely ate there, as it was cheaper to prepare our own food in the communal kitchens, with food purchased at the local supermarket situated 10 minutes walk from the hostel.
Overall, Arena could'nt have been a better hostel to stay in for the very first time. Since then I have travel to many other cities and stayed in some fantastic hostels and unfortunatly some awful ones. Anyone who is thinking of staying Amsterdam on a budget should definetly check out Arena. Its cheap, cheerful, clean and friendly, and if the walk bothers you after a night out in the many coffee shops and bars, you could alway float home......
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The Hotel Arena in Amsterdam is a modern property occupying a former late 19th century ... more
orphanage set within the laid back Oosterpark district, one kilometre from the central train station. The 127 guestrooms feature minimalist décor with stark white w...
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Price is per double room per night and may vary depending on date booked...
The Hotel Arena in Amsterdam is a modern property occupying a former late 19th century ... more
orphanage set within the laid back Oosterpark district, one kilometre from the central train station. The 127 guestrooms feature minimalist décor with stark white w...
Information:
Price is per double room per night and may vary depending on date booked...
Hotel Arena is a first class hotel, a city monument, in the city centre of Amsterdam. The ... more
127 stylish and comfortable rooms are all equipped with private bathroom, television and telephone. The rooms at Hotel Arena vary in size and shape and are all de...
This is a trendy and comfortable 4-star hotel, located on the official border of the city ... more
centre. Spectacularly renovated with Dutch Design in a 19th century monumental building.In Amsterdam, Hotel Arena is a household name, a favourite among national ...
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Price is per double room per night and may vary depending on date booked...
Advantages: Very impressive stadium, state-of-the-art technology, good view of the action Disadvantages: Atmosphere not as intense as smaller, more partisan grounds
Marechal_Grouchy 17.01.2001 ·
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Hotel Arena, Amsterdam
Advantages: Very impressive stadium, state-of-the-art technology, good view of the action Disadvantages: Atmosphere not as intense as smaller, more partisan grounds
Marechal_Grouchy 17.01.2001 ·
Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Hotel Arena, Amsterdam
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