Concourse F (AMS Airport), Luchthaven Schiphol, North Holland
Airport Lounge · 175 tips and reviews
Cynthia Drescher: Really stellar planespotting. The food is okay. Love that Biscoff & Stroopwafel are available (repping Delta & KLM). Check out large model of the Space Expedition SXC spaceship just inside reception.
Cynthia Drescher: Not as sketchy a station as you'd expect. Trams are immediately outside. Heading to the airport? Stop into the Albert Heijn for some cheap snacks & smoothies for the ride.
Cynthia Drescher: Usual Andaz goodies (like free wifi, free minibar) but designed to high heaven by Marcel Wanders. Kinda sucks that all the standard rooms face inside the atrium lobby. Canal views are premium rooms.
Cynthia Drescher: Just about the nearest I've ever gotten to pretending I'm in the Amsterdam of 100 years ago. Try the Tannenzäpfle Pils if you like Heineken but want to change it up.
Noordermarkt 43 (at Westerstraat), Amsterdam, North Holland
Café · Jordaan · 831 tips and reviews
Cynthia Drescher: Has a reputation for serving up the best Dutch Apple pie slices. It's true, but make sure they heat them up before you eat. They ran out of fresh mint tea. Who runs out of this in Amsterdam!?
Roelof Hartstraat 1 (Roelof Hartplein), Amsterdam, North Holland
Hotel · Museumkwartier · 50 tips and reviews
Cynthia Drescher: Gorgeous hotel for an equally appealing low price. Free WiFi. Run by hospitality students, so service is extra attentive. Quick walking distance to the Museumplein & de Pijp
Roelof Hartplein 430 (in Bibliotheek), Amsterdam, North Holland
Coffee Shop · Museumkwartier · 2 tips and reviews
Cynthia Drescher: Just about the quietest place to work. Grab a coffee or juice & have a seat. Wifi is free to member of the library (so, not me) or 1 Euro for 30 minutes. The middle oval table is for newspaper reading
Cynthia Drescher: The Rijksmuseum line is probably ridiculously long, so this is where you can take the touristy snapshots you need for your Facebook bragging.
Cynthia Drescher: Line is long for brunch on a Sunday morning, but the space is large and wait shouldn't be longer than 20 minutes. Get a sandwich. And a scone (lime mint!). And the fresh mint tea.
Cynthia Drescher: WHOA. This place is an art deco fan's DREAM. Spend time in the bar, chat up the bartender, and ask him to show you the wine cellar, which used to be the money vault for the shipping companies.
Cynthia Drescher: Looks normal in the daytime, turns into a pedestrian parade of gawkers at night. Still, you must walk through it once. Take a photo of the girls in the windows & their handler will ask for money.
Oostelijke Handelskade 34, Amsterdam, North Holland
Hotel · Oostelijk Havengebied · 82 tips and reviews
Cynthia Drescher: One night is not enough to explore all nooks. Free WiFi all over the place, cool "cultural embassy" rooms above the restaurant for getting work done. Rooms in the eaves are drafty & hallways creepy.
Cynthia Drescher: Excellent location, excellent prices, excellent free wifi and breakfast (with Hagelslag!). Rent a bright orange bike or moped for the day. Get a room with a TV in the bathtub.
Cynthia Drescher: One of the most expensive hotels, but for good reason. Rooms are very comfortable, service is personalized and exceedingly professional, minibars are custom & guest public spaces are luxurious
Nieuwe Doelenstraat 20-22, Amsterdam, North Holland
Café · Amsterdam-Centrum · 309 tips and reviews
Cynthia Drescher: Perhaps my favorite place to eat & hang out in Amsterdam. It's massive & funky, with a front bar, large central dining & work room, and back terrace on a canal. Budget-friendly food. Heaping spaghetti
Singel 182 (Oude Leliestraat), Amsterdam, North Holland
Cheese Store · Grachtengordel-West · 36 tips and reviews
Cynthia Drescher: Take one of their cheese tasting courses (booze is included) to get a certificate in Dutch cheese knowledge. Then buy a wedge to take back to your hotel for a couple eves of late-night snacking.
Cynthia Drescher: In the middle of the Vondelpark is this cute, very casual cafe. I'd say 90% of the seating is outside, so plan for a nice day. Fresh mint tea comes with a cookie & is really ideal. Or, you know, BEER.
Museum · Grachtengordel-Zuid · 33 tips and reviews
Cynthia Drescher: The famous handbag museum is best explored in an hour, meandering through the excellent exhibits. Be sure to have a close look at the intricately beaded bags, and the art deco lucites.
Keizersgracht 609 (Vijzelstraat), Amsterdam, North Holland
Art Museum · Grachtengordel-Zuid · 131 tips and reviews
Cynthia Drescher: Contemporary photography is the name of the game. If the line to enter stretches out the door, don't panic. It moves quickly, unlike at the Anne Frank house.
Panorama Terrace (AMS Airport), Schiphol, North Holland
American Restaurant · 16 tips and reviews
Cynthia Drescher: This restaurant is just inside from the Panorama Terrace and it's all vintage aviation-themed. Best place for a real meal at AMS since it's not in an obvious location and it's pre-security.
Roelof Hartstraat 1 (at The College Hotel), Amsterdam, North Holland
Restaurant · Museumkwartier · 6 tips and reviews
Cynthia Drescher: Run by hospitality and culinary students. It used to be the gym for the boys school the hotel once was. If you're staying at the hotel, the chocolates in the room are made here.
Hotel · Oostelijk Havengebied · 90 tips and reviews
Cynthia Drescher: Stay HERE if you're leaving from Amsterdam on a cruise, whether it's ocean or river cruising. This hotel is ON TOP OF the port and walking distance to Centraal Station.
Prinses Irenestraat 30 (Beethovenstraat), Amsterdam, North Holland
Hotel · Station-Zuid WTC · 162 tips and reviews
Cynthia Drescher: Standard CitizenM functional rooms, but very modern lobby (a partnership with Vitra). Sometimes nightly rates dip below $100. Pre-purchase breakfast (choice of baked goods, OJ, cafe drink, cheese)
Cynthia Drescher: Like the Central Park of Amsterdam. It's worth it to rent a bike just to explore this paradise of lakes, green spaces and forested paths. In summer, it feels like whole city is out with portable BBQs.