First of all the most important thing is a comfortable bed—check!
Secondly it’s all about location—check! We walked every where in Amsterdam because it was so convenient from Joanna’s place. And being a 7 minute walk from the Centraal train station allowed us to explore outside of Amsterdam as well (Delft, Hoorn and Haarlem).
Thirdly much is about feeling welcomed and taken care of—check. Joanna blended just the right amount of staying in touch with easy communication and going out of her way to provide a local cherry tart and a taxi to the airport at 4:30AM!
Amsterdam is a terrific city to visit and Joanna made it even better!