Hotel Abba

Located a quick walk from the Vondelpark and Leidesplein, the one-star Abba Hotel offers a friendly and super-cheapo stay. Bright rooms, a great location in a "real" Amsterdam neighborhood, and jaw-dropping low rates are the top reasons to stay here.

First, a general note: The Abba is a professionally-run hotel with some of the city’s lowest hotel rates. Given that the rooms here are clean and simple, the hotel is an appealing option for backpackers, budget travelers, unfussy families and other easygoing travelers. If this is you, the Abba could be the steal you’ve been looking for.

The hotel’s 36 rooms are quite basic, with simple furniture, blue carpets and beds covered in white duvets. Recent updates added playful wallpaper to the walls. They offer a TV and free Wi-Fi, and rooms in the back have tiny balconies overlooking a garden. Let us be clear: Book one of these back rooms, as they’ll be quieter. (Mention this in the “special requests” section when booking). The rooms on the front side overlook a very busy intersection (with an otherwise helpful tram stop) and will pick up a lot of noise.

Some rooms have (old fashioned but functional) private bathrooms, while the cheapest share facilities in the hallway. The hotel keeps to a maximum of four rooms per shared bathroom.

The downstairs breakfast room has a sunny atmosphere. A breakfast buffet is included in the room rate. And, in true throwback fashion, there is a separate smoking area.

Note: The hotel has steep stairs and no elevator. Also note that the hotel is situated above an Albert Heijn grocery store, which gives it several additional points for convenience in our cheapo playbook. (It also caused the hallways upstairs to smell like a bakery during our visit. Not a bad thing.)