We had a great weekend in Amsterdam staying at The Meeting Place. Our beds were comfortable, the rooms were warm, and the location was really great - quiet and yet close to markets, cafes, and the buzz of beautiful Amsterdam.
Hans was welcoming and helpful and left tea, coffee, fresh fruit and syrup waffles for us to enjoy. It was great to stay in an old town house - and Hans has decorated his home in a cozy, quirky style.
Our two bedrooms and bathroom were on the second floor and we enjoyed the daily workout getting up and down the stairs... don't choose this place if you're not nimble on your feet.
So why only 3 stars? Well, we were actually really surprised to find such unanimously glowing reviews, and wonder if Hans' undoubted charm has somehow beguiled his guests into overlooking the quite obvious shortcomings of the accommodation.
So here goes. The bedrooms were really quite scruffy... scribble on the wardrobe, curtains that don't meet in the middle or have hems hanging down, grubby skirting boards, no rugs or floor covering (perhaps that's the Dutch way though), and extremely basic bedding on old bunk beds used separately as two singles.
Also, the heating system was incredibly noisy!! Hopefully Hans will have found a radiator key and bled the radiators before his next guests arrive. I'm amazed no-one else has mentioned this in their reviews - it really was something!
Amsterdam is of course an expensive city to stay in - and the three of us didn't mind paying the high price to visit - but it was disappointing to find our rooms were more like a hostel, but with hotel prices.