Hotel The Exchange

"How did it strike you on arrival?The lobby looks like any unassuming storefront on the main thoroughfare of Damrak near the train station. It disguises the collection of kooky rooms that lie beyond reception. What this hotel lacks in amenities it makes up for in over-the-top design. Nice. What’s the crowd like?Art and fashion students and/or enthusiasts. The good stuff: Tell us about your room.Each of the 61 rooms is individually decorated by a student at the Amsterdam Fashion Institute, so design varies widely. Cream-colored wallpaper displaying illustrations of handbags is the backdrop for actual handbags in one purse-themed room, while the black wire for exposed-bulb light fixtures snakes around the bright white walls of another room. They also are categorized by stars, ranking from one to five, depending on the size of the room, the amenities, and the view. Room service and food: Worth it?Cafe Stock operates next door and serves up the basics, like coffee ($3.50), Nutella and banana pancakes ($8), and a ham and cheese panini ($7). Bottom line: worth it, and why?This no-frills hotel offers great value in the form of central location and one-of-a-kind design. From the hotel, you can easily slip out onto a side street or one of the tiny cobblestoned alleys that crisscross the city like a spider web. For convenience and location—just off Dam Square, right in the city center—it’s hard to beat." - Meredith Bethune