Am loving Ciao, having only recently discovered it! I look forward to reading many, many more fanta...
Am loving Ciao, having only recently discovered it! I look forward to reading many, many more fantastic reviews and adding a few more of my own......
Member since:18.06.2006
Reviews:10
Members who trust:1
I stayed here for 3 nights over New Year a couple of years ago - we paid over £150 per night for a so called "large" double room which was tiny. We were travelling light so I called the hotel the day before we arrived, asking if they had hairdryers in ALL the rooms. I was told they did. When we arrived, there was no hairdryer in our room. I went to the reception where I was told they rent them out. I tried to rent one but was told that as it was so busy, they had none left. Admittedly, this didn't put me in the best of moods at the start of our stay but as we had paid a LOT more than we usually would for a hotel in Amsterdam, I was still more than prepared to give the hotel a chance. Unfortunately, it didn't live up to the hype from its website. The website leads you to expect a very trendy, buzzing, vibrant kind of place but I didn't find this to be the case. I kind of got the impression that the choice of a minimalist feel for the rooms was an excuse not to have to buy any furniture! The staff who served breakfast were lovely, but the receptionists were very cold and generally gave the impression they couldn't be bothered. There were often very large queues of people waiting to check in, or check out, at reception for long periods of time with no member of staff in sight!
Added to all this, it was freezing in our room, there was nowhere to drink or eat within a 20 minute walk (it was even further to the main centre of town) and the wooden floors may look pretty but noise travels a LOT from other rooms! The rooms do look nice, in a minimalist, Scandinavian kind of way, but once you realise there are no facilities in the room, the appeal wears off! I don't think I have stayed in a 3 star (4 star according to some sources) hotel anywhere that had so few amenities in the room. A hairdryer, kettle, even a fridge maybe, would have made the rooms more comfortable.
Having said all this, there were some good points. Breakfast was a huge help yourself affair and included scrambled or boiled egges, bacon and sausages as well as all the usual continental style breads, cheeses, fruits and jams. The staff in the breakfast room were really lovely and full of useful advice about what to see and do during your stay. There is a restaurant at the Arena but we didn't eat there so I can't comment. There is also a nightclub on site, which we had heard good things about, but which was only open for one night during our stay and all the tickets had been sold so unfortunately we couldn't go.
The building itself is absolutely beautiful and was originally an orphanage. It has a large courtyard and I imagine if you were there in the summer, it would be very peaceful sitting out in the grounds. Maybe we did have a bad experience, and I'm sure if we had stayed in the warmer months we wouldn't have found the room so uncomfortably cold, but I really cannot recommend this hotel for a winter break on the basis of my experience. The rooms really were absolutely freezing and when we mentioned this to reception they said there was nothing they could do.
Yes, it's a cool hotel and a gorgeous building but it's quite stark and a very long walk from the vibrant centre. We managed to have a good time as it's such a great city but I had a much better time on subsequent visits when I stayed at much cheaper, friendlier and more central hotels for half the price!
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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...
Information:
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 ...
Information:
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 ·
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Hotel Arena, Amsterdam
Jun 20th, 2006
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