Vacation Rentals by Owner

Great accommodations in a great neighborhood

Guest: Glenn N' S. (Eugene, OR)
Date of Stay: 04/10/12 Review Submitted: 05/01/12

My husband and I brought my mother to Amsterdam for her first trip to Europe. Lynn's home was a great base for our wanderings. We had plenty of space and all the conveniences. We loved the bakery and butcher at the end of the block. Grocery stores, pubs and restaurants close by. We enjoyed the Thai restaurant down the block - good, fresh and spicy! Sitting at the kitchen table for our meals looking out the window watching daily life go by was entertaining and homey. Lynn was very helpful providing information for anything we might need during our stay. We can't think of anything we would have changed!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, tourists without a car, sightseeing.

family meet up in Amsterdam

Guest: dana (Denver, CO)
Date of Stay: 03/20/12 Review Submitted: 03/26/12

Homeowner was very helpful, and flexible. Apartment was perfect, met all our needs, location, ammenities, comfort etc. Would definately stay there again!!!

Recommended for:People with disabilities, age 55+, families with teenagers, girls getaway, tourists without a car, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Excellent place to stay!

Guest: Laura (New York City)
Date of Stay: 10/20/11 Review Submitted: 04/09/12

I'm a bit late to review, but back in October six thirtysomething friends and I convened on this property, and it proved a wonderful, affordable, comfortable option in a quiet, absolutely beautiful neighborhood. Lynn was friendly and accommodating to our budget-minded group; she was fine with having three in each bedroom (there are two doubles and a single or pullout futon in each bedroom) and one downstairs on the couch (which also pulls out into a bed), which was hugely helpful to us. The house itself is cute, cozy, and fittingly historic for this part of the city. The lovely Jordaan neighborhood is well located for exploring Amsterdam and feels so homey with all of its old butchers, delis, and brown cafes. Right around the corner is an incredible Saturday market and the best appeltaart in the city, just one example of the fantastic food in this area (and city in general--some of us were there to research typical Amsterdam foods for the Eat Your World website). Highly recommended!

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

Dallas family traveling with family for a month

Guest: Dallas Family (Dallas)
Date of Stay: 07/06/11 Review Submitted: 10/12/11

We flew in from Dallas & stayed here in early July before heading to Africa for a safari & then a great Capetown visit. I would recommend this apt if you like to have a kitchen, somewhere to read or review emails, not in the constraints of a small hotel room. Her kitchen table is excellent as a home base :) Our kids loved the hammock in the sunroom :) We loved having 2 groceries, the best Gelatto in Amsterdam & some very hip & trendy restaurants so close. The five of us enjoyed our stay here. Our kids are 10, 13,15 so they loved having a room to themselves - the bar across the street can be lively if the weather is good, but our kids still slept well enough & we were able to get them out to tour everyday for a week for at least 8 hours :) There was also construction - a new house being built across the street...Everything was clean. There was some dust in the flat, but my son who is allergic to dust had no issue at all. That's life in an urban area & although a tad annoying I really enjoyed staying in such a safe, friendly apt. The owner is responsive & extremely helpful. She set up the Taxi to bring us to the airport :) Truly wonderful when you'd rather not do it yourself. She is very trustworthy! We are big walkers and could get everywhere easily. I loved the location. It is also close to bigger streets where you can catch buses, trams, etc. The location is very safe, I had no problem going out by myself to run evening errands to the grocery. It was nice to be able to make the kids a bite to eat & then go to a neighborhood restaurant with my husband. Amsterdam was so much better than I thought it would be. I would stay here again if we went back as a family.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, families with teenagers, families with young children, tourists without a car, sightseeing.

Wonderful memories

Guest: 6travellersfromSydney (Sydney, Australia)
Date of Stay: 06/30/11 Review Submitted: 07/30/11

Our family group of two grandparents, two adults and two young children spent a very memorable week in Amsterdam in Lynn’s welcoming and charming apartment. “Charming”, “gracious”, “homely” and “helpful” seem to pepper reviews about this apartment, and with good reason. Everything from the initial walk around the apartment to the last glance leaving the Jordaan contributes to the memories. The central location is fantastic, as is the true neighbourhood experience with all conveniences close at hand – supermarkets, restaurants, laundry and public transport. Lynn is a helpful and thoughtful host, and the apartment is full of the homely touches that sooth travellers’ weary minds and engage their souls. The smallest touches made for a memorable time – our kids picked up a game “Apples to Apples” inside the apartment and enjoyed it a lot. We would all love to return sometime soon!

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, families with young children, tourists without a car, sightseeing.

Misrepresentation

Guest: rjsusa (Florida, USA)
Date of Stay: 06/17/11 Review Submitted: 09/18/11

I rented the unit for 6 days in June. The bar that is depicted directly across from the apartment is extremely noisy thoughout the evening. Patrons gather outside, drink, laugh, and talk loudly. Trying to recover from jet lag after flying from the USA and get an evening's rest between 8 p.m. and midnight was extremely unpleasant -- paricularly in light of the fact that the windows provided no sound insulation. When I confronted the owner, she said that the residents in the neighborhood were trying to get a petition together to do something about the noise from the bar. If that is the case, then the statement in this add about being on a "quiet street" was a misrpesentation. AVOID THIS PLACE IF YOU ARE SOMEONE TRULY LOOKING FOR A QUIET PLACE TO REST DURING THE EVENING!

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Family of 6

Guest: Enchanted family of 6 (Brisbane, Australia)
Date of Stay: 04/13/11 Review Submitted: 05/04/11

We spent five nights in April 2011 with our 4 children in this "gezellig" Amsterdam house. Lynn greeted us with such warmth, and gave us a tour through the house.....our kids could not wait to try out the spiral staircase! This house provided us with everything we needed for a perfect stay in Amsterdam. The kitchen was the best stocked kitchen we have ever stayed in providing herbs and spices and little extras that you don't want to have to buy when you are only staying for a short time, but help make the stay even better. The way the house is decorated, it made us feel like we were staying in a cosy home that we were happy to return to after each outing. Within walking distance of a well-stocked supermarket, and other handy shops, there was a great atmosphere also at night on the nearby streets, and in particular in the "karaoke" bar on the corner - always alive with people enjoying themselves. The markets on Saturday were only a street away, and then again more on the Monday - we had a terrific time finding treasures to take home and tasting the local food. We could not fault this house in any way, and would be more than happy to recommend it to anyone who wants a comfortable stay in the heart of Amsterdam. The house is very roomy and staying there with 6 people was perfect. Our kids loved their bedroom, at night the bathroom light makes small windows with Dutch masterpieces overlayed glow into their bedroom - and they thought this was even more special once they had viewed the originals in the nearby museums! Lynn was very gracious to allow us flexible check-in and check-out times, and even provided us with a few bicycles - which got a lot of use. Before our arrival, Lynn was most helpful via email in providing us with all the instructions we would need to get to the house, and answering all the questions we had about our stay. Thanks again Lynn, we loved staying in your house and thank you for being the perfect host.

Owner response:Wow, Thank you so much ! Your words boost my spirits ! "Work is love made visible."-Gibran

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, tourists without a car, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Charming Apartment

Guest: Julie (Minnesota, USA)
Date of Stay: 04/01/11 Review Submitted: 04/13/11

We stayed at this property for 1 week in April. The owner, Lynn, was helpful and gave us suggestions on places to eat, directions and other information. The apartment was well maintained and clean. It was large and comfortable, so plenty of room for all of us. The main bathroom was suprisingly large for an European apartment. The spiral staircase in the pictures were a concern for my toddler, but Lynn had a baby gate so that problem was solved. The only minor negative was the front bedroom had some street noise (construction on a house across the street), but that was solved with some ear plugs and won't be a problem in the future. The location was easy access to the train station and tram lines. We walked almost everywhere. Lynn also had 2 bikes available. There were plenty of restuarants and stores close by, so it was easy to get meals to bring back to the apartment or eat out. It was a delightful stay in Amsterdam!

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, families with young children, tourists without a car, sightseeing.

Good choice

Guest: Octav&Monica (Romania)
Date of Stay: 07/25/10 Review Submitted: 08/08/10

We had a great time staying here! The apartment is spacious and has a beautiful interior, it is quiet and we slept very well. The owner is very nice, and I would say this is one of the nicest parts of Amsterdam to be in, and also close to Central Station, nice restaurants(the mexican one on the street right in front of the apt. is OK),supermarkets,etc. We had our own bikes, which is always the best way to get around in Amsterdam. We would definitely like to stay here again! We strongly recommend this apt. to other people especially for families like ours, two adults and two kids, four adults as well of course.

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, families with young children.

Outstanding Family Apartment in the Jordaan

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 07/05/10 Review Submitted: 08/07/10

Our family of four spent six terrific days in this comfortable two-story apartment in July 2010. Lynn is a warm and welcoming host. Of the five different apartments we rented this summer in various European cities, this one was by far the largest. With two large light-filled bedrooms on the upper level in addition to the largest full bathroom I've seen in Europe (with a large shower/bath and a double vanity!), the sleeping accommodations were very comfortable. Downstairs, the large open kitchen/dining/living area provided plenty of room to spread out and relax. The light-filled solarium was the perfect place to search our guidebooks for our next Amsterdam adventure. And, the downstairs powder room (toilet) provided extra convenience. The apartment is tucked away in a very pleasant residential area of Amsterdam, but only blocks from all of the action. And, the cozy, friendly cafe across the street (Cafe Lowietje) served as the perfect evening meeting spot. Public transit is convenient, but we walked nearly everywhere, while our two grown sons rode rented bikes all over town. There are plenty of restaurants in the immediate neighborhood, plus a well-stocked grocery store and excellent gourmet merchants (butchers, patisseries, etc.). Lynn was great to deal with regarding all of the booking details, responding promptly to our emails and providing us with all of the info we needed regarding public transit, etc. What more can I say? Lynn's place is the perfect family home in Amsterdam. Thanks Lynn!

Owner response:THANK YOU so much, I and this wonderful house feel appreciated ! You are a lovely family, friendly, happy, respectful, and it was a pleasure to have met you all. Thank YOU for your reservation and for the great review !

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, families with young children, tourists without a car.

Heaven!

Guest: Jen (Seattle, WA)
Date of Stay: 06/13/10 Review Submitted: 08/18/10

Now that I'm home, I sometimes close my eyes and imagine myself at Lynn's. It's like being on vacation all over again. There is such a warm, charming, personal feel to every room that made us feel like we were home. The kitchen is huge and well stocked, though we could have used instructions for the dishwasher. The living room has a Moroccan feel and simply the coolest overhead light ever. The atrium was a favorite of my mom's as she enjoyed reading and writing in her journal each morning. She has said over and over that she hasn't felt so a peace in decades. The bedrooms are situated across the hall from each other upstairs with the bathroom and spiral staircase in between. Main bedroom has a balcony that overlooks a courtyard covered in green and a cat on a hot tin roof- literally. 2nd bedroom has glass pictures with art and artists that light up when the bathroom light is on at night. Bathroom is beautiful, large tub and has a double sink! The Jordaan 'hood reminded us of Seattle with canals. There is a main street a few blocks away with grocery store, post office, bars and restaurants. There is also a park a couple of blocks away with swing sets. We met Lynn's neighbor while he was watering her flowers. He offered his help if we had any need. Everyone we met was so open and friendly, we never wanted to leave. Although we didn't use the cell phone available at the house, it was reassuring to have it. I fell in love with Amsterdam and its people. Lynn's had much to do with that. It was worth every penny and I would stay there again in a heartbeat. For those of you thinking 'this cannot be real', take it from me- it is everything and more than advertised.

Owner response:WOW ! Jen you made my year ! What a wonderful review,,, reading that you appreciated the glass windows with the artists was over the top for me. I did those myself and am never sure if anyone sees them, since it has to be dark in the bedroom with someone in the bathroom at the same time... And that your mom felt so at peace in the house.. THANK YOU both for making me feel that what I offer is recognized as nurturing and more than just a place to sleep in Amsterdam. Kind wishes ~ Lynn

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, tourists without a car, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Cathleen Kallmeyer

Guest: Cath (Seattle, WA)
Date of Stay: 06/13/10 Review Submitted: 08/09/10

My daughter and I spent a week in June at Lynn's home. It exceeded my expectations. We were in Europe to celebrate our June birthdays and our stay in the Jordan district of Amsterdam was amazing. The house is even more beautiful than the pictures. Central Station and Anne Franks's house are within walking distance. I highly recommend staying at Lynn's!

Owner response:Thank you so much ladies, very kind of you !

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with teenagers, girls getaway, tourists without a car, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Great Apartment, great location, great getaway

Guest: Curt and Jenny and Tom (California, USA)
Date of Stay: 03/30/10 Review Submitted: 04/13/10

My wife and graduate student son spent a happy week here early in April. It's a wonderful location. We were walking home (you can walk everywhere) and passed the Anne Frank house, with a line around the block. We were able to come home, sign up on line (50 euro cents surcharge) and go back in a few hours. Really was nice to relax at home. Lynn was out of town, but we were well taken-care of by Dianne. We had stayed in three VRBO apartments prior to this one, and our son said this one was "Ridiculous!" That means it was very good in teen speak. Thank you again for making us feel welcome and cozy in your home. We would definitely rent here again. It was great to have grocery stores and a laundrette nearby. Don't miss the street market on Saturdays.

Owner response:Since I have no teenagers of my own,, it's a welcome bit of information to know "Ridiculous !" is a good thing ! You made me laugh and laughing is the best gift I could receive. Hope to meet you on a future visit to Amsterdam and I will pass on the compliment to Dianne. Thank You ~ Lynn

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, tourists without a car, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Perfect for couples, families, and friends

Guest: traveling_tx_family (Houston, TX USA)
Date of Stay: 03/11/10 Review Submitted: 04/13/10

We stayed at Lynn's place in March 2010 for 10 nights. Our daughters are four and three and had not traveled outside North America. In addition my wife and mother had not been to Amsterdam. The place is even better than pictured and worked very well for us. Lynn is very gracious, helpful, and accommodating. We felt at home which made the transition very easy. Combine this with the fact that the Jordan area of Amsterdam is incredible / perfectly located and it equals a great time. We truly enjoyed ourselves and plan to return. Whether it is with the kids or friends this place is it for us. Thanks Lynn. We look forward to coming back.

Owner response:It was such a pleasure to meet this family. 2 of the cutest little girls with the best manners = amazing parents and grandmother ! Thank you for your great review and for choosing my Guest rental as your home in Amsterdam.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, tourists without a car, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Guest: Chandra3 (Chicago, IL)
Date of Stay: 03/15/09 Review Submitted: 03/15/09

We stayed at this place last October, while meeting up with friends from the UK. It was my mom's first trip out of the country and we couldn't have chosen a nicer place to stay. The accommodations were clean, beautiful and close to everything and Lynn was great to us for our whole stay. Needless to say, I hope future trips out of country measure up, because now my mom thinks everywhere in Europe is this great! Thanks to Lynn for a memorable weekend and for being such a gracious hostess.

Owner response:THANK YOU ! I so appreciate your kind words, and you made my morning and my work week start off in a positive direction !

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Guest: Jari Rajala (-)
Date of Stay: 02/21/09 Review Submitted: 02/21/09

I stayed at Lynn's place with my two colleagues for one week last September. My companions stayed there one year earlier, and they strongly recommended the place. Although we were at Amsterdam in bussines purposes, we had some time to discover the city between working hours. The location of the apartment is exellent, the city is in walking distance and there are couple of tram lines going nearby. The atmosphere of Jordan is exellent and there is a supermarket / outside market and couple of cafes / bars pretty near. The aparment is very nice, comfortable and clean and the region is quiet. We often thought that we were the only people staying up late and making up noise... Lynn, the owner is wonderful and very caring person, you can rely on her in any case. We will certainly come again. Jari Rajala

Owner response:These gentleman were attending a business convention at the RAI. Thank you guys for your compliments, I appreciate your kind words.

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Guest: Anne29 (Toronto, Ontario)
Date of Stay: 02/18/09 Review Submitted: 02/18/09

We loved Lynn's place -- it was a wonderful home in Amsterdam for us. We spent a week there in January 2009. Lynn was very welcoming and helpful -- even had a local mobile phone we could borrow. The apartment is large by Amsterdam standards. We were five and were very comfortable. The kitchen is large and well equiped with a lovely wooden table. There are local markets and grocery stores nearby. We ate breakfasts at home, left for a day of walking, exploring and site seeing and then returned in the evening and made dinner at home. It is a great savings to be able to prepare two meals a day at home, only eating out for lunch. The house and the street are quiet and in a fabulous area, the Jordaan. And, we were able to walk everywhere from there. We would love to go back and I would highly recommend Lynn's place to people planning a visit to Amsterdam, particularly families.

Owner response:A sincere thanks to you for this personal account. It always makes me happy to know my guests appreciate the feeling of 'living' in Amsterdam.

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Guest: Caroline8 (-)
Date of Stay: 02/15/09 Review Submitted: 02/15/09

petit séjour à amsterdam très agréable en grande partie grâce au merveilleux appartement de lynn et son accueil. Une adresse à recommander à tous, bien situé qui vous permettra de tous faire à pieds.

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Guest: Diana H.1 (Toronto Canada)
Date of Stay: 02/02/09 Review Submitted: 02/02/09

An adventurous family of 3 stayed in this lovely, spacious apartment for a week. It was a wonderful home base for exploring Amsterdam and surroundings. Lynn was very helpful and happy to share her neighbourhood recommendations. We all loved the spacious kitchen and my daughter read a few books swinging in the hammock in the solarium. Ideal for a family with older children - there's a great deal of space and lots of cozy nooks.

Owner response:Diana, thank you for your delightful comment. As you can see below I had another family from your city after the New Year ! Such lovely, polite and easy guests come from Toronto !

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Guest: S. Delmont
Date of Stay: 06/03/08 Review Submitted: 06/02/08

We stayed in Lynn's place over Queen's Day (biggest holiday of the year) week and had a great time. The apartment was more than big enough for the four of us. Some points: --Very clean. --Very comfortable beds. --Very quiet at night. I stayed a week and remember only a couple cars on the street. It's so quiet I could hear rider's bike tires on their way down the streets. To be honest, I was often worried that we Americans were the loudest people on the street when we came home at night. --Big, roomy and comfortable sunroom, living room, dining room and bedrooms. --Lynn is a very gracious host. --Two blocks from a great bakery for breakfast. --Saturday and Monday offer a great open-air market three blocks down for food, sundries and many other items. Steve

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Guest: R. Pheonix
Date of Stay: 12/05/07 Review Submitted: 12/04/07

We rented Lynn's apartment for a 10 day stay in Amsterdam to celebrate my 50th birthday and hope to go back again for the big 6-0! We loved the Jordan, and enjoyed staying in a real neighborhood and not a tourist district. The Jordan is in walking distance to many area attractions, and bus/tram service is nearby. Local shopping, outdoor markets, and great places to dine are just a short walk in any direction. The local pub across the street gets busy on the weekend, but everyone was very friendly with good cheer! The apartment is a home, filled with a personal collections of fun things. It was nice to stay in a home, than a commercial rental (I work for Marriott).The kitchen is large with a big dinning table and has everything you need to make a wonderful meal after shopping for local foods at the market or our favorite, outdoor street markets. The bathroom is very nice a with lots of hot water. Lynn was the best. When my partner fell ill, (a condition resulting from the long flight that set his inner ear our of wack), Lynn walked with him to her doctor and got him in right away. We cannot thank her enough for her help and saving our vacation. Rick and Rob

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Guest: Kay Hoffman
Date of Stay: 11/06/06 Review Submitted: 11/05/06

My son, a girlfriend of mine and I have stayed at Lynn’s. We are returning again this month with my granddaughter. I can recommend Lynn’s as a nice place to stay, secure and conveniently located to explore Amsterdam. We walked to the city metro and visited our favorite places (museums and galleries). There is a pub across the street that sometimes has live music and is good to hoist a pint. It is a quiet neighborhood for the density of living. We did not find the pub a problem, and considered it a nice part of the colour of Amsterdam. We found Lynn to be a generous host and cheerfully volunteered information on the city. I have been to Amsterdam many time and her place is my favorite. For years I traveled for work and now for fun. But I am very particular where I stay. My criteria is clean and safe. Next I prefer local accommodations. I don’t expect to live American and indeed prefer local experiences. Lynn’s meets my requirement and I am very comfortable there. I expect to continue staying at Lynn’s when in Amsterdam. On a final note. I originally found Lynn through VRBO (Vacation Rental By Owner). I have used this group for years in many countries and have never been disappointed. I have either been incredibly luck or they have effective screening. Good luck and enjoy your stay. Kay HoffmanHouston, Texas

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Guest: Domenica Di Carlo & Company
Date of Stay: 08/26/05 Review Submitted: 08/25/05

Hello Lynn we arrived finally and all went well! We are tired but happy of to have lived and relished full the life and the beauty of your country. All it is attractive from Hindeloopen to Alkmaar and Zaanse Schans from Marken and Volendam to Haarlem, Efteling the national park Dutch, the Dolfinarium, Den Haag, Rotterdam, Delft ecc. and finally Amsterdam and its tolerant people, always smiling and sociable. We wanted to thank you still of to have given us the possibility of to be your hosts in the yours attractive house. We were well because it is really welcoming. To all of the friends ours that vorrano to visit Amsterdam will propose to come from you. Only reliable people do not worry you. A strong embrace and to soon. Domenica Di Carlo & Company Ciaooooooooooooooooooo e Grazie

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