Maria is a wonderful host, thoughtful, respectful, and helpful. I was traveling alone for my first time overseas, and was a little anxious about how I would feel, how I would get around, communicate...Maria couldn't have been more helpful. She greeted me when I arrived, gave me some tips, showed me a map to get my bearings, and greeted me every day with a smile. She has a lovely home, clean, on the canal, and quiet. While the room doesn't face the canal, it's quite spacious with microwave, mini-fridge, desk, couch, coffee, silverware, glasses, cups...everything you need. The neighborhood, Jordaan, is in one of the prettiest parts of the city and public transportation is easy, although I did my fair share of walking. I highly recommend staying a Maria's if you're looking to stay in a room, not booking a whole apartment. Oh, and she even has a smaller room with a twin bed if you're traveling with someone.