Unusually Outstanding

Guest: Richard (Boston, Massachusetts, USA)
Date of Stay: 10/01/11 Review Submitted: 12/30/11

I stayed at the Leidsegracht apartment owned by Marcelle Beute this fall for ten days, my second visit. Her apartment and hospitality ranged from outstanding to unusually outstanding. First, the outstanding: The first floor apartment is a very gracious, nicely furnished set of stately rooms, renovated with some elegant details (which as an architect, I appreciated). For example, the kitchen has custom sinks and counters and floor to ceiling windows merged glass to glass at the corners, looking into a little outside space from which you can see back to the apartment - lovely. Even more important, the location is ideal for seeing Amsterdam - an easy walk from downtown, the major museums, the Flower Market, the Nine Streets - and is in a lovely neighborhood with nice restaurants (take Marcelle's savvy and frank suggestions to get oriented). There can't be a nicer location or more charming place to stay. Now to the unusually outstanding - namely the hospitality of the owner, Marcelle Beute: I informed Marcelle that I need two more apartments for my adult children to stay with us to celebrate my wife's birthday. Marcelle made two more units available to us, namely her own and that of the building's caretaker - both very charming and a real service to us. In addition, the City was installing a new sewer main in front of the house which could well have been a problem. Marcelle managed the whole process, shielding us from any inconveniences, sometimes requiring that she be available to reset utilities at 6:00 in the morning. In short, not only is the apartment outstanding for its charm and location, but it is unusually outstanding because it comes with Marcelle's warm, gracious, unobtrusive, excellent hospitality.

Owner response:you see not exceptional, just normal and in case of exceptions my own floor cam be rented. and more i think my guests are usual very nice.

Recommended for:

A wonderful place to stay in a wonderful city!

Guest: Stephanie (Eagan)
Date of Stay: 10/13/11 Review Submitted: 11/06/11

My boyfriend and I stayed at Marcelle's apartment from 10/13 through 10/21. This was the first time we'd used VRBO overseas (we're from the U.S.). We were incredibly pleased with our decision!! Marcelle is a wonderful hostess who made the process of renting the apartment very easy. Upon our arrival, she greeted us with a smile, showed us around, and gave us a thorough overview of what to see, where to eat, etc. The apartment itself was simply perfect for us! It was large enough for us to each have our own space and yet cozy and inviting. There is a nice queen sized bed (by U.S. standards) in the master bedroom plus a large sitting room and an extra large living room. The apartment overlooks a canal which was lovely. It is centrally located to everything so we walked everywhere...which was terrific since we ate a lot on the trip! I would not hesitate to return to Marcelle's apartment and highly recommend it to all visitors to this lovely city.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, tourists without a car, sightseeing, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers.

Brian, Toronto

Guest: Brian (Toronto)
Date of Stay: 09/12/11 Review Submitted: 10/08/11

My wife, her sister and I recently stayed in Marcelle's 2 bed ground floor apartment for two weeks and we found all the positive reviews to be very accurate. This is a comfortable, clean and charming apartment with wonderful views over a canal---we spent many an hour simply looking out the front windows at the spectacle outside. Marcelle is very engaging and was quite helpful. We also found she was refreshingly honest. I had mistakenly overpaid her by 200 euros which she later pointed out and then refunded the money---had she not brought it up I would have been none the wiser. We used 7 day bus passes to get around the city. As of September 2011 they cost 30 Euros and are good for unlimited bus, subway and tram travel. Cash fares are 2.60 Euros. Less than 7 day passes are also available. These are not usable on the Connexion buses but that was not a problem for us. Bus passes can be purchased at the white building 100 yards to the left as you leave the Centraal rail station. The information centre next door sells tickets to the Anne Frank house. They will set up a time for the visit and it means not having to line up for what can be a long time if you simply show up at the site.

Recommended for:Tourists without a car, sightseeing, adventure seekers, girls getaway, age 55+, families with teenagers.

Great space and location

Guest: NJfam (PRINCETON, NJ)
Date of Stay: 09/03/11 Review Submitted: 09/11/11

We stayed here (family of 4) in Sept 2011 for 3 nights (the owner made an exception to the minimum stay policy). The location is fantastic. The apartment is very spacious. The plumbing fixtures are old but functional. The location is fantastic; right next to Leidseplein but still very quiet. Some nights the adults left the kids sleeping in the apartment and were able to go to nearby bars in Leidseplein. The tram line is 100m away and makes travel around the city very easy. Melkweg and other nightspots are 50-100m away. The owner was very welcoming and gave excellent recommendations for nearby places. We still remember the fries at Cafe de Koe around the corner (which she recommended).

Recommended for:Families with young children.

A fantastic location in a wonderful city

Guest: Michigan couple (Michigan, USA)
Date of Stay: 06/29/11 Review Submitted: 07/28/11

We just spent a month at this apartment and the location is perfect.  Leidsegracht 96 is a two minute walk from Leidseplein, the Schipol bus, a variety of trams and buses, and just a few minutes walk from music  clubs, Museumplein, the nine streets area, the Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh museum, modern art museum, and Concertgebouw.  You can easily walk to Dam Square and comfortably get by foot to the Jordaan, Anne Frank house, westerkirk, and the Saturday and Monday farm/flea markets.... all on a lovely, quiet canal a few steps from a great inexpensive restaurant and comfortable cafes.  We invited friends and family to come stay in the second bedroom for parts of our visit, at a nominal added nightly cost. The apartment is spacious and the living room, with its high ceilings and huge couch, is comfortable.  There is no real shower, but the bathtub with hand  sprayer works, and there is plenty of hot water. (There is another nominal "shower" in the toilet room off the master bedroom, but this is just a shower head and a curtain, spraying down onto the floor where you stand to go to the toilet.  We chose not to use it because we didn't want to have to walk through a wet area to use the toilet.)  There are steep stairs to the kitchen and bath, so this plzce is not appropriate if you have mobility problems. Marcelle, the landlady, was lovely and went out of her way to accommodate us, even bringing over her bicycle and extra bike locks for us to use and lending us a local cell phone. The furnishings are not luxurious and if you are looking for a high end hotel substitute,  this is not it.  But, for a serviceable, friendly place in a fantastic location, we would highly recommend this.

Owner response:about the shower, there is another toilet in the corridor and the one in the shower is more for the night but needs a dry step up what will be arranged.

Recommended for:Tourists without a car, sightseeing, girls getaway, families with teenagers.

Perfect for families

Guest: Cate A. (Queensland, Australia)
Date of Stay: 04/10/11 Review Submitted: 04/26/11

We stayed here for 8 nights in April with our two boys, aged 10 and 7. The apartment was just perfect for us. There's loads of room for everyone to find their own space. The boys loved having a TV in their room. It's so quiet that we all slept in every day of our stay. The kitchen has everything you need to prepare meals and all the appliances are very good quality. When traveling with a family, it's definitely a bonus to have a reliable washer and dryer. The location is excellent - on a quiet canal but just a block away from all the entertainment and restaurants on the Leidseplein. The Museumplein and Vondel Park are also within easy walking distance (both have good playgrounds if you're looking for somewhere for kids to burn up some energy). We would highly recommend this apartment to anyone looking for a comfortable, well located home away from home. We really hope that we'll have the opportunity to return some time in the future.

Recommended for:Families with young children.

Best Apartment in Amsterdam

Guest: Minnie (Dublin )
Date of Stay: 03/04/11 Review Submitted: 03/08/11

This is my favourite apartment/place to stay in Amsterdam and will be staying for the fourth time soon. There are many good reasons why people come back here again and again. The location is excellent being close to all the main attractions and transport yet facing a quiet canal so when you are tired of sightseeing you can just sit by the window (in the sun, hopefully) and watch the world go by. The apartment is large ,very well equipped and close to the supermarket, and a variety of bars and restaurants. Most of all, Marcelle and Ivan are very friendly and helpful. Anyone who stays here will be very lucky to have come across such a great place. Thanks Marcelle and Ivan, looking forward to the next stay.

Owner response:and sun there was and still is.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, tourists without a car, sightseeing, adventure seekers, girls getaway, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers.

Brilliant

Guest: Luis (Florida)
Date of Stay: 12/30/10 Review Submitted: 01/06/11

This apartment was everything you could hope for. First of all, the owner, Marcelle, was charming and great to deal with. The apartment itself is beautiful, spacious, and well stocked. If anything, the pictures do not do it justice. The location is unbeatable, a block to the 9 streets, a block to Leidseplein, in a quiet and upscale residential street with a view of the Leidsegracht canal. Great bar at the corner too by the Prinsengracht. Beds were comfy, water pressure & temperature were great. It was like a second home. Thanks Marcelle!

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, tourists without a car, sightseeing, adventure seekers, girls getaway, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers.

Excellent Amsterdam Apartment

Guest: Frequent Travelor (Philadelphia, PA)
Date of Stay: 12/09/10 Review Submitted: 12/20/10

We have just returned from Amsterdam, after spending a thoroughly enjoyable 10 days staying in Marcelle's ground floor apartment. The owner (Marcelle) is delightful to work with, the apartment is very comfortable and ideally located. The pitcures are a good representation of the apartment, it's very comfy and cozy. You can walk pretty much anywhere you want in 'tourist area' Amsterdam easily. We've rented a lot of vacation apartments over the years, and this one is one of our favorites. HIghly recommended! It's just a block from the 'nine streets', one of Amsterdam's more interesting shopping districts, and there are quite good restaurants and bars nearby. It's very close to Leidesplein, so an excellent choice for entertainment - especially since it's far enough away to be quiet:). It's also midway between the old center area and the Museumplein, so it really is ideally located. Thank you Marcelle for a lovely vacation!

Owner response: my problem is that many guests return and they can only make 1 comment in the guest book,so who takes care for new ones.

Recommended for:Tourists without a car, sightseeing, adventure seekers, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers.

Our home away from home - the third stay

Guest: Mr. & Mrs. Burgman (New York City)
Date of Stay: 06/20/10 Review Submitted: 07/17/10

My husband is from Amsterdam, and lived here until we were married. Coming back to Amsterdam, and staying in this apartment, is as if we were coming to our second home. Mervrouw Beute (Marcelle) makes us feel like family. We never lack for any amenities, and if we have a question, Marcelle or Ivan can always be reached. As this was our thrid stay here, we were immediately at home. And yes, the description is accurate, the apartment is clean and well-maintained, yet very comfortable, and we have told all our friends in NYC about it for when they travel to Amsterdam. We read the reviews that have been left, and agree with all of them. Speaking for my husband and myself, we will always stay at this apartment on the Leidesgracht, so long as Mervrouw Beute is renting it out. Lisa & Gerrit

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, tourists without a car, sightseeing, adventure seekers, girls getaway, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers.