Hotel Internationaal

Located a five-minute walk from both Central Station and Dam Square, the two-star Hotel Internationaal boasts a loud and central location on Warmoesstraat, one of the Red Light District's most popular bar-lined streets. The hotel is cheap, it’s clean, and it’s ideal for young visitors looking for a fun time.

First, a disclaimer: This hotel isn’t for guests demanding boutique style or a quiet night's rest. Rather, it's geared toward those who need an easy, affordable place to stay and want to sleep near (or above!) the bars of the Red Light District. That's you? Great! Keep reading...

The hotel offers eight budget rooms with free Wi-Fi, a fan, alarm clock and small TV. Rooms allow smoking, and all come with sets of ear plugs (the good, squishy foam kind). Rooms facing the street have nice views of 16th-century buildings (and will be louder), while rooms in the back are slightly quieter.

Two double rooms offer private baths, while the six others share facilities. Rooms without private bath are equipped with a sink with soap, a few chairs, water glasses, a locker and basic beds. The decor in these shared rooms is that of a dorm room, with starchy carpet, sea foam green walls and chipped, clunky bed frames. Still, doors operate with keycard locks and the building is safe.

Triples and quads are cramped but clean, basic, and with no surprises.

As its building dates back to the 1600s, the Hotel Internationaal has a lot of character. Its reception area is a pub, and has been so since sailor and whalers made it their regular watering hole a century ago. Its nautical trinkets, frosty square window panes, wooden décor and Chesterfield walls create a personal (and party!) atmosphere for guests and regulars.

Note: As is the case with most hotels in Amsterdam, the Internationaal does not have an elevator, but does have steep stairs.