I highly recommend staying in a houseboat when in Amsterdam and especially Arie's place. The location is close to Central Station and all the major sites. It also sits in a nice quiet and safe canal at night. Arie was a great host and made sure we had everything we needed for a pleasant stay. The houseboat was comfortable, clean, and had plenty of space (a lot bigger than any average hotel room). After all the walking (and biking of course) it was fun to just sit back, relax and enjoy the nice view from the large window or on top of the boat. Hopefully when I come back to Amsterdam, I will get the chance to stay in Arie's houseboat again.