In a quiet area

This hotel is situated in a quite residential area, but in the recent heat wave was a little too far to walk to all of the attractions.

Better to take a canal boat from the Riksmuseum. Rooms are clean, spacious and quiet but no real views. A quiet canal bank is two minutes away, we watched herons fishing. The hotel is in need of refurbishment in it s public areas; the foyer and dining room have a 70's look and although in the hot weather we could dine outside , the tables were under a white wooden canopy which needs a coat of paint plus some new light bulbs:behind a screen is the remaining half of the pavement car park. Breakfast was a little below what we expect of 4*No marmalade and the hot buffet not very freshly cooked or really "hot".We enjoyed our stay, but have had better breakfasts in other 3*/4* hotels

Lovely Hotel

I recently stayed at the Bilderberg Garden for 4 nights and found it to be an altogether lovely hotel. The rooms were clean, the sheets crisp and the bathtub generously sized. The staff was uniformly pleasant and very helpful with everthing from making a dinner reservation to finding the nearest tram. We had a pretty good deal, stay 3 nights and get the fourth free, which included the incredible breakfast. I don't know if the breakfast would have been worth it if paid for separately. We had dinner at the restaurant, which although pricey, was very fine haute Dutch cuisine. The only downside was the distance to the Centre of town. Located in a lovely and quiet residential neighborhood, the hotel is a good 15 minute walk from the furthest part of the Museumplein.

There is a tram quite close by that takes you where you want to go, but we are walkers and found the hotel to be a bit out of the way.

No way a five star hotel

on arrival amazed to find sheets not changed. when corrected(at second request)they were badly worn and poorly laundered. upgraded to exec room but noisy. other exec room windows did not openon arrival amazed to find sheets not changed. when corrected(at the second request) they were badly worn and poorly laundered. upgraded to exec room but noisy other exec rooms windows did not open! went back to original room. restaurant overpriced and overrated. we thought the bar was quiet then we saw our bill! avoid. most staff appeared friendly but false. tourists give it a miss. one for the business fraternity only.

Bilderberg garden Weekend

Agree with most of what has been said. The hotel was very clean and comfortable - we were upgraded to an executive room after booking via teletext web site - no extra cost. Staff were friendly and helpfull, speaking excellent English. Location - a short tram ride away from central station (10 mins). There are a choice of three trams which will drop you within 5 mins walk - No16, 5 or 24. Tram drivers were helpful and let us know where to get off. Would suggest during peak times i.e.

August the canal bus is not the best way to see the city - try one of the canal tours instead these are very reasonably priced and frequent and although you cannot hop on and off give an excellent overview of the city.

A Very Good Base. Avoid the expensive Breakfast

The staff were very good with early check in possible if room is free.

They also gave some good tourist advice and looked after luggage and taxis as required. Rooms were reasonable and the Jacuzzi bath a hoot!

30Euros will get you to or from the airport inside 15 minutes (without traffic). Better than carrying bags on trains and trams. No 16 Tram is very good for Hotel but for the fitter traveller the 15-30 min walk (depending on route) into the city centre is very pleasant. Museums and Gallaries are very close.

Unless pre paid avoid Breakfast. The 20Euro per head was not worth it, nothing special and self serve, 10Euros would be more like it. You could get better out in town.

Overall nice rooms, freindly staff and a good base unless, like an American, you don't like walking.

PT

Great location

The Garden Hotel is probably in one of the nicest locations within walking distance from the Centre, just south of the Vondelpark. The surrounding neighbourhood is full of great cafes and shops, not many tourists around here. but very friendly. From the exterior, the hotel is showing it's age a bit, particularly in the vicinity of the Hilton, a few yards away acreoss the road. The rooms at The Garden (we stayed in an Executive Room) are comfortable, beds are superb, bathroom excellent. Service was a bit slow, we had to ask 3 times for extra bathrobe. The air-conditioning in the room was extremely poor, sometimes the case with older hotels.The final bill was incorrect and needed to be changed. Would I return? Yes, but not when the weather is hot because the a.c. can't cope! Bruce.

Mostly Ideal for Us

The simpliest/cheapest way to reach the hotel from Central Station is on the No 16 tram which departs every 10 mins or so during the day and early evening. Get off at Emmastraat ( about 12 stops or so) and cross the canal bridge to your left, then turn left past the Hilton.The tram journey took us around 20 mins at 1pm on a Friday. The walk from the tram stop to the hotel about 5 - 10 mins.The hotel room was ideal for my wife and I with a pleasant aspect, although we did have two single beds pushed together. The bathrobe and slippers were a nice touch as was the jacuzzi. Avoid the bar and eating in the hotel unless money is no object. The food was well prepared and plentiful but pricey and the ambience lacked that of restaurants a few tram stops away ! We found the service quite good and arranged a late checkout without additional cost. Nice mix of business and leisure guests, slightly more discerning than clientele using centrally located hotels. Thoroughly recommended but eat out if not on a princely budget

Jacuzzi Heaven

Although initially worried about the long taxi journey from the Central Station, the hotel provided an ideal base from which to explore the wonderful city of Amsterdam. Not too far away (5 mins by tram), but sufficiently far enough away from the busy central district. The hotel itself is very pleasant, and staff are helpful and friendly. Although we have stayed in better 5 star hotels, the Deluxe rooms are decent enough for 4 star rating. Advise travellers to book Executive rooms, which offer additional amenities.

No relaxing welcome here

Not only is the Bilderberg Garden Hotel far from central (although it is in a nice residential neighborhood), their idea of full service falls short of American standards. After being checked into a room with two twin beds (even with a reservation that specified a king), we were informed that the hotel only has 5 rooms with anything other than twin beds. This is clearly a business hotel. We were offered an "Executive Room" - which has king beds - for an additional $40 USD per night (note: the upcharge is for bathbeads we never saw, CDs we never used and additional "amenities" that were not present in the room when we checked in). Our higher priced "Executive Room" also came complete with ripped sheets on the bed! The bellman are very helpful with recommendations on places to eat, drink, dance, etc. but if you are in Amsterdam on vacation, we recommend staying downtown at a hotel more accustomed to leisure travelers.

Very Cherry

Arrived at the hotel after a ten minute taxi drive from the station. We were initially concerned that it was a little too far out of the city. However within our 3 night stay we realised that it is actually in one of the nicer parts of the city. A 15 minute stroll or a 5 minute tram ride takes you to the heart of Amsterdam. As our room was not ready, the friendly staff invited us to have a drink in the bar. When 10 minutes later it was still not ready, they upgraded us to a beautiful suite on the top floor. The hotel is friendly and welcoming yet has all the modern comforts of a five star hotel. The 'Cherry' themed restaurant is excellent. An excellent hotel.