[Amsterdam] Vondel View B&B (now closed)

Important notice: This B&B closed in 2018.

Vondel View B&B

Add: Gerard Brandtstraat 14 hs. 1054 JK Amsterdam
Tel: +31 (0)20 612 6055 / +31 (0)6 4395 3680
Website: www.vondelview.com
Email: info@vondelview.nl
Price: € 120~165/night
Visited: Jul 2011

For those who are bored of the typical hotel experience, try Vondel View. This beautifully designed Bed & Breakfast, located in a quiet residential street of the Vondel Park vicinity, was where we stayed for 2 nights during our visit to Amsterdam – and a lovely experience it was.

The building that houses Vondel View dates back to 1898, but its interior has been renovated by Rita (a very warm and hospitable host) and her husband (an architect, hence the beautiful interior design).

In the room: wireless internet, fridge, coffee and tea facilities, safe, a map of Amsterdam and a few guidebooks for you to peruse.

The adjacent private bathroom, with towels, bathrobes, hair dryer and other basic amenities. The sunk-in bathtub is a godsend after a whole day of non-stop walking around.

The lush backyard.

The staircase is VERY steep (typical of Dutch homes), and if that’s a problem, you might want to consider staying in the 1st floor Vondel View Suite instead. It’s very nicely furnished, more spacious than the Flower Room where we stayed, and has a jacuzzi in the bathroom. For pictures, check Vondel View’s website.

Our room after dark.

Breakfast is either served inside the room or placed right outside if the door is shut at the time of breakfast. What it involves: croissants (served warm!), rolls (served warm!), butter, jam, boiled eggs, ham, cheese, orange juice, coffee or tea, and fruits. It was more than enough for us and we were even able to pack a small sandwich for lunch.

Vondel View is literally a 3-minute-walk from Vondel Park (Amsterdam’s equivalent of Central Park, if you will), and is close to the Van Gogh Museum, the Rijksmuseum, as well as the Concertgebouw. To get to and from the Central Station, hop on tram #1 for a 15-minute-ride, or walk for 40 or so minutes. Some people like to stay close to the Central Station, but we thoroughly enjoyed the quiet neighborhood of Vondel Park. Plus, we started both days with visits to the museums (which get crowded later in the day) and ended one night with a concert in the Concertgebouw, so Vondel View’s location was ideal for us.

The only potential problem with staying at Vondel View (or any B&B) is that, unlike at a hotel, there is no 24-hour reception. This wasn’t too much of a concern for us as we didn’t need a lot of help from Rita, but if you expect to ask her a lot of questions you might have to do that when you check in and when you have breakfast, as you might not see her during other times of the day.