We are SO grateful to Ester for providing such a terrific AirBnB experience.
Our Host:
A specific section for our host is warranted here as Ester did a terrific job of helping us with any questions we had (even late at night).
At one point a circuit breaker blew out quite late just before we were going to bed. Not wanting to bother Ester, I simply sent her a message via the Airbnb app letting her know, but not to worry if it had to wait until morning. Within 15 minutes she remediated the issue and we had power back in the front of the apt.
While we felt bad that we interrupted what must have been Ester's downtime, we were equally grateful that she was so attuned to our needs. She checked in with us after a couple of days to make sure that all was well, and was super sweet on our departure.
After a night photography tour, we were in the mood for some pizza. Ester recommended the Pizzabakkkers as one of the best Pizza spots in the city (like within minutes of me messaging her via the app).
Being NJ/NY people we have pretty high standards for pizza. While it is hard to admit, I have to say that this pizza was as good as any pizza I have had anywhere, which is saying alot because we have had pizza almost everywhere. Good stuff, simply put.
We enjoyed Amsterdam so much we decided to stay an extra day. The apartment was not available for that last day, but Ester was kind enough to offer a taxi ride to our hotel for the last night. We, of course, could not let her do this, but we really did appreciate the kind gesture.
The apartment:
The apartment is super clean and well-appointed with a comfortable sofa and TV for lounging in the evening, and a plush large bed that had us sleeping right through our alarms.
The separate bath from the shower and toilet area makes it possible for a couple to relax, bathe, shower, or use the restroom without getting in the way of each other. Everything is clean and works without issues.
Since we are in the winter months, we did not have much occasion to use the beautiful back yard patio, but we will be sure to visit again during the warmer months as I am a big fan of sitting outside while reading the news and sipping on some morning java.
The neighborhood:
De Pijp (The Pipe) is the Latin Quarter in Amsterdam which means a ton of multi-cultural cuisines, markets, parks, and cafes. This apartment is one block away from the Albert Cuupmarkt street market, which is open during the day and has all kinds of interesting produce, foods, souvenirs, and art.
There is also a local Coffeeshop (Katsu) around the corner for those who imbibe. Being around the corner is good in this situation as there is no smoking of cannabis on the premises. If you want to relax and have a smoke, it is quite convenient to walk around the corner, have a coffee, a smoke and walk around the neighborhood.
Services:
We were able to use Uber for rides, Uber Eats, and Deliveroo for food delivery. In case you are not aware, late-night snacking is a thing in Amsterdam for many tourists, and we found these services to be reliable with a good amount of diversity and quality food options.
One of the best Airbnb experiences to date, we will be back!