Hotel Arena

Hotel Arena is absolutely fantastic. The only thing I would say is if you would like your room cleaned, make sure you're out of your room before 9am as we had a few lazy mornings and our room wasn't cleaned for four days lol! ||The location is brilliant, it's super close to tram stops so getting into central Amsterdam is so easy. Oosterpark is also beautiful, it's lovely for walks. There is also a museum about a 15 minute walk called Micropia so if you're into micro biology, this place is incredible! There's also a lot of restaurants nearby too. ||I booked this hotel almost a year ago and was in two minds about changing the hotel as I found out there is a 50EUR per night deposit required on top of the city tax. I was so glad I didn't amend this hotel though as we used the deposit towards room service one night when the weather was quite bad and we didn't want to go out. You can also use the deposit for room upgrades and the mini bar, or if you wanted breakfast if you only booked room only like I did. ||We booked the super comfy room and I was hoping for the dual level room with the bedroom upstairs however we didn't get that room. We had room 128 which was still absolutely beautiful, the sitting area in our room was so cozy and the bed was incredibly comfortable. ||Overall excellent hotel, I will definitely recommend to stay here if you're not fussed about being in the middle of Amsterdam center and want a hotel with a bit of charm and character.||Thanks to all the staff for being so wonderful, I will be returning again soon (:

Cannot fault this hotel at all, we had an amazing stay. ||Me and a friend stayed here for four nights and prior to arrival we emailed requesting for a twin room & the top floor to which both requests were fulfilled. ||The room was extremely spacious & the bathroom was gorgeous. The beds were sooo comfy!||Worth noting that we had to pay a €200 deposit for a four night stay which we wasn’t aware of but this did not effect us and this was refunded on the day of leaving. ||All staff were kind and welcoming.

We were very disappointed with our stay. The hotel’s common areas, such as the halls and corridors, were nicely decorated, but the atmosphere felt unsettling, with intimidating-looking men (possibly security) eating takeaway in the halls. The room itself was far from the advertised photos. The bed was small with old sheets and lumpy pillows, and the pillows were yellowing from heavy use. The sink had mould along the sealant, the shower was coated in thick yellow limescale, and both the bathroom mirror and tiles were chipped. The walls were a dirty white with visible stains, and the wooden flooring near the bathroom was damaged. To make matters worse, we even found a previous guest’s key card under the bed. Overall, the room felt bare and cold, more like a student hostel than a £200-per-night 4-star hotel. The restaurant experience was equally disappointing. The food was overwhelmingly salty - the cod we ordered was inedible, and when we raised this with the waiter, we were told that “all customers say the same thing” and that it was simply how the dish is prepared. No apology or concern was offered. The fries were also drenched in salt, making the meal feel more like a health risk than a dining experience. Service was slow and inattentive; it took ages to place our order and even longer to get the bill. Staff seemed more interested in chatting amongst themselves and taking personal calls in the corridors than in serving guests. In summary, the hotel failed to deliver on its promise of a 4-star experience. Between the poor room condition, unsettling atmosphere, and disappointing restaurant service, the stay felt overpriced and underwhelming.

We have really enjoyed our stay at Hotel Arena, the staff were incredibly professional and nothing was too much trouble. The location was central enough to walk (20 to 30 mins) to various tourist attractions, but far enough away that it felt calmer than the centre. The family room we stayed in was really spacious and comfortable. Breakfast was enjoyable with a wide range of options for all tastes. If we were to return to Amsterdam, we certainly would look to stay at the hotel Arena again.

This hotel is really great at making the visitors feel welcome. |The location is fantastic, set on the corner of the oosterpark. |The trams are all writhing 5 mins walk to easily get you back into the city. |Breakfast was always enjoyable, great food and great layout. Staff very helpful in ensuring your needs are met. ||Special mention to Justin who’s help on arrival was fantastic, being a repurposed church, some of the rooms have a raised bed area with steep steeps, this did not suit as we are over 60. It was no problem for Justin to arrange a studio of the same standard to be made available. ||Explore the local area as there are great restaurants and pubs rather than heading into the city. ||2nd visit to this hotel, so it make you feel good.

The staff were well-behaved and professional. The breakfast was varied, excellent, and of good quality. The room was fairly clean and spacious. Upon arrival, I noticed that the tissues had already run out. From a four-star hotel, I expected more attention to detail. For instance, disposable slippers were not provided in the room. In most four-star hotels, it is standard to offer one complimentary bottle of water per day, replace used glasses during housekeeping, and replenish tea and coffee supplies. Unfortunately, these services were not available at this hotel.

I couldn’t have chosen a better hotel for my week-long stay. From the moment I arrived, the staff made me feel truly welcomed and cared for. I was here to celebrate my birthday, and they went above and beyond to make it special, including a wonderful surprise gift waiting in my room. Staying in Room 17 felt like a cozy home away from home, and every detail showed how much they value their guests. A special thank you to Mitchell and the ladies (I’m sorry I can’t remember all of your names) for making my stay so wonderful. I had an unforgettable experience and would happily recommend this hotel to anyone visiting Amsterdam. It’s a place where you feel appreciated from beginning to end.

Very nice hotel situated in a nice park. The room was very nice, large and comfortable. Service at front desk was excellent. The hotel location for me was perfect, in a quiet area but also with a lot of places to go in a short walk or on a tram. I will definitely return to this hotel again.

We stayed at this amazing venue while recently visiting Amsterdam. So rich in history. The interior was gorgeous. 3 of the 4 original grand staircases still grace the halls. The large windows let in plenty of sunlight. Some of the interior has been redone but it maintains a lot of the original architecture. Once an orphanage, then fell into the hands of the Nazi during WWII. Was a sleep in in the 80's and after extensive renovation opened as the hotel in 2002. It does set out of the city center but is a short walk to the Amstel, city center. It sits on the grounds of Oosterpark which is very pretty. Great place to stroll in the evening. The attached restaurant/bar was an ideal place to relax after a busy day out and about. We enjoyed drinks there in the evening. The room was quite unique. It had a small footprint with a curved staircase to the loft where the bed was. Navigating the stairs at night was a skill quickly learned. It was small but lots of charm. The staff couldn't have been nicer. We arrived very early and our room was not available. They allowed us to rest on comfortable couches in a small room off the lobby. They got us a room as soon as possible. We would recommend the hotel to all and would return if we do go back to Amsterdam.

This place is sort of tricky to rate. It's really beautiful, (style-wise, it may be my favorite hotel I've stayed in) but it was also lacking in a lot of areas. The good: -Like I said, it's really pretty! -Front desk staff were friendly The not-so-good: -The refrigerator in our room didn't work -The fan in our room made a loud buzzing/vibrating noise (loud enough to wake me up at night) when it was on high. -They advertised having bikes available to rent, but of the 10 they had originally, six had either been stolen, or had been broken and not repaired. The remaining four had already been rented. -Room service made our bed, folded the toilet paper and gave us new towels. I'm pretty sure that was it. We used the drinking glasses in our room, and they left the dirty ones there and didn't replace them. They didn't wipe down the bathroom sink. Didn't clear food wrappers off the nightstand. -The bathroom is entirely glass, (some of it is darkened, but you can still see through it easily) so not a whole lot of privacy there. The hotel is next to a lovely park, but it's a bit far from where the action is. If I visited Amsterdam again, I would definitely want to stay closer to the city center.

This hotel was super unique! This is the best way to describe it. The entrance is through the park, which can make it a bit difficult for a taxi drop off or if you have luggage. It has a wonderful restaurant space and a nice reception area and courtyard within. The outside looks very historical and was actually an orphanage before. The inside has been re-done but maintained some traditional elements. We were staying here as part of our honeymoon and they upgraded us to the loft suite which was upstairs and in a bungalow outside the main building of the hotel. The hotel has no "bell boy" so they have someone from the reception help you if you need assistance with luggage. I am assuming our room was one of the nicest ones (if not the nicest), because we were in a large loft with very high ceilings and great views of the park. We also had a large sitting area/living room and a balcony/patio with seating. The room included a nespresso machine and coffee pods as well as tea bags. The interior was very roomy and decorated in a minimalist airy fashion. My only complaint was that the stairs leading up to the loft were extremely steep. I had never seen such a thing, but it was kind of funny and made for a good laugh. They don't have around the clock housekeeping service, so keep this in mind as well. The location was pretty good even though it wasn't right inside the city center. It was a short walk from a few metro stops and rembrandt square. They have bike rentals at the hotel but the prices are not competitive, so I recommend going to Black's Bikes. Overall, we were pleased with our stay and would recommend the hotel.

Beautiful hotel on Oosterpark, which makes sitting on the terrace having wine and people watching very lovely! Great staff, very friendly and helpful from the front desk check in, to the wait staff and bartenders. Good energy with lots of people coming and going but quiet rooms which is perfect! Loft rooms (at least mine was) which was a nice twist on your typical hotel room! Big windows to open and listen to the birds and winds thru the trees... AC works great and the fridge is readily available for your own purchases to keep inside. Comfy bed, large shower, full length mirror and within walking distance to restaurants and grocery stores. I'm loving it here already!!

Beautiful location. Staff was very friendly & the restaurant in the hotel was excellent. Rooms are quite small and we were woken up by noise every night there. Cleaning time of the room was very inconsistent day to day, so we missed out on having the room clean a few days of our stay because we were still asleep when they came. All of those "imperfect" things aside, we had a nice stay and would not be opposed to staying here again. The park that the hotel is on is gorgeous with lots of cute little places to eat within walking distance.

Went for a coffees which never came after one hour waiting! Shameful service. Fries and cake did arrive after half hour. We did ask when the coffees are coming. Soon! But seems to much of a work...

5 star for this beautiful hotel alongside the Oosterpark, was originally an orphanage years ago...The hotel has beautiful rooms, a restaurant that overlooks the park with a romantic setting....My wife and I loved having drinks at the bar in the evening after touring the city of Amsterdam. The staff was very professional and hospitable during our stay. The rooms were larger than most European hotels, something Americans expect...Overall i would stay here again on my next trip to beautiful Amsterdam...A+

We stayed at Hotel Arena for 3 nights, and were generally satisfied with our stay. The customer service was excellent. Our Deluxe Room was quite snug, and we had issues with where to place our luggage. For an idea, the space on all three sides of the bed was barely enough to place our carry-ons down on the floor. The bed was two twin mattresses pushed together, but they did not stay in place if you happened to roll into the center. The mini-fridge in the upstairs loft did not work. The shower design is odd, with lots of water seeping out into the rest of the bathroom. The shower stall was very moldy towards the drain, although the rest of the bathroom was spotless. The location isn't terribly far from the city center, but I wouldn't call it super convenient either. It's a 10 minute walk to the Alexanderplien tram stop (there's a stop much closer, but that tram line won't take you to the center), followed but a 10-15 minute ride to most attractions. Overall, an OK experience.

A star for the beautiful view. Other than that, great place to go if you want to wait 30+ minutes for some mediocre coffee.

My review is much like the others. It's hard to rate. The hotel itself is beautiful (I usually stay at 2-3 star hotels because, honestly, I'm just there to sleep on a clean bed). The bed was clean. But the room was very small.. like a treehouse loft. Not much in the way of amenities and not much room to even lay out your suitcase, let alone two suitcases. Walking up and down the narrow staircase to go to the bathroom at night was pain, but at least it had a bathroom (glass walls.. you can see your better-half pooping while you sit on the couch... seriously). No fridge in our room. I give kudos to the staff. We had traveled over 28 hours from Sacramento and were exhausted when we arrived around 10:00am (poor planning on our part). We were so tired we felt sick. We stayed in the bar area and hoped for a room to become available. After about two hours, they came to inform us a room was ready. We crashed hard, but after a while, the room became stuffy and opening the windows did little good. From what I remember, there was no air conditioning. If there was, it didn't work. After resting, we ventured to the City Center, which was only a short ride on the light-rail. Staying closer to the Center would have been nice, but it wasn't bad. We usually drive a rental car when we travel. I DO NOT recommend anyone driving a rental in Amsterdam. Sure, it can be done. I don't recommend it (if anyone has driven in Rome, you know what I mean.. bikes, scooter and pedestrians do NOT give a s#it. As if they are suicidal, but that's not a reflection on the Hotel Arena). We walked through the park (Oostpark?), which was nice. You can't avoid the park. The hotel is literally inside of the park, which is an issue if you have lots of luggage and are getting dropped off by a taxi or shuttle bus. The bar area was very nice and comfortable. Staff wasn't very attentive, but I think it's a cultural thing with them. they never came around to ask if we needed anything. However, when we did ask, they were responsive. It was our first trip to Amsterdam. The whole premise for the trip was to see Simply Red in Concert.. which, by the way, was fantastic. So to wrap things up... Hotel Arena is nice. It looks fancier than it actually is. I'm sure there were better rooms than the one we stayed in, but the price was fair. Do not expect to be waited on hand-over foot and expect service to be slower than you would expect if you were in a hotel in the USA. You're not in Kansas anymore. Get used to the slower pace Europeans tend to embrace and talk with the locals. We had a great time over-all. Would we stay at the Arena again? Likely not, but it was nice/historical-looking, clean (but cramped), and had several restaurants and transportation services nearby. Three solid stars.

Beautiful building (originally a 17th century orphanage) situated right on a lovely park. Rooms are tastefully appointed (if a bit small) and our bed was very comfortable. Nice restaurant/lounge area with huge outdoor patio and heaters. All of the staff were very friendly and accommodating. Trendy East Amsterdam location, but city center is an easy 20 minute stroll or quick ride by tram or Uber.

This place is so loud. Walls are paper thin, you will hear everything single conversation in rooms around yours. Guests were slamming doors and partying until 3am so just know what you get yourself into.

The Hotel Arena is really difficult to give a fair rating. There are parts of me that just want to love the place while other parts of me just gets furious at the lack of thought that has gone into simple details. Let's however start with some of the good things. The location is right on the edge of the city center and it can easily be reached by metro and tram. It is next to the in my view underrated Oosterpark. Walking up to the hotel it really feels like a place with some class and a clear design ambition. Staff were also friendly so no complaints there and check-in was efficient. When walking towards room the splendid staircase that has been kept intact is what catches my attention - it really looks excellent and it almost makes me wanna skip the elevator and walk the stairs with my bag. When I got up to room the first slight annoyance is discovered - there is step up to the door. In my view totally unnecessary and it makes it difficult to drag my bag into the room. When I open the door and see the room all is almost forgotten. I just love it - the room has two floors and very large windows which really let the light in. The upstairs, which a narrow white wooden stair case leads to, has a desk, two chairs, a TV as well as the minibar and the water kettle (and coffee/tea). It is like a loft looking down on the bed. The downstairs had a large bed and the bathroom (as well as an additional TV). I loved the selection of furniture and especially the lamps. The hotel also offers free wifi everywhere. This just makes the small things that have been forgotten or ignored all the more disturbing since it would have been so easy to make it great. The bathroom is actually the room with most issues - it also looks nice with almost all of it in glass and black. The first issue I noticed was that there was no place for the toilet paper (no holder and not possible to place on toilet) instead placed at sink which is so far away from toilet that it is impossible to reach. Who thought of this? Second issue - shower: no doors to shower so half of the bathroom is wet when showering. Further it is not easy to figure out which direction is hot or cold. The sink is also not great, the angle the water hits it makes water splash up so whenever putting on more than drizzle when risks getting soaked. Further annoyance - it is great to have the two floors but one should be able to switch of lights upstairs from downstairs (and upstairs TV). The choice to have the water kettle upstairs can also be questioned as one have to go downstairs for water. Last annoying thing in room - it is great that they put in an ironing board but less great that they only have electricity by the bed where it is not possible to place the ironing board. The breakfast was also a mix of good and bad. The food was pretty good, felt fresh and most of it above average quality and also some non-standard things (greatly appreciated by a frequent hotel guest) offered (chicken sausages and pancakes). There are however some issues here as well - cutlery appears to be a scarce resource as it is only placed at the tables and that would be fine if they would make sure to place new there all the time but most of the time one had to ask for it and then wait forever for it (in the evening I attended a cocktail event with some food and then they were even more extreme - served some steak, granted not huge size but refused to provide knives even when asked for it). Coffee was also an issue - first of all almost undrinkable and second the coffee machine was extremely slow (around 1-2 minutes per cup) and only one coffee machine so it does not take a genius to figure out that the line was long (fortunately the coffee was so bad I only stood in line once). Was also extremely surprised to find out that the hotel does not have a fitness center. The overall impression of the hotel is difficult as some things were good but there were too many issues and stupid things to give a rating better than three. It may be that the things that annoy me about it does not bother you and then it will truly be a fabulous place.

I'm not sure whether to give 2 or 3 stars - we had a very mixed experience here. The good: overall very cool design and very helpful reception staff. Bed was extremely comfortable and hotel had all the usual 4 star accoutrements. Cute terrace bar with decent cocktails. The bad: the bathroom had completely transparent glass walls. Totally see through. You could see EVERYTHING from the entrance/lower room. Luckily my friend and I had a split level room, but we still had to tell each other when we were not allowed to come down the stairs! Other negatives (though much less significant!): room cleaning was a bit haphazard (used glasses not changed, only some toiletries replenished), location not the best, and the bar/restaurant was quite chaotic - half of the rather small menu was unavailable and food/drinks took quite a while to arrive. Due to the bathroom I don't think I'd stay here again - at least not if I was sharing the room!

Poor service. I left my charger in the hotel when i checked out, when I called them they claimed to not have it. Took 20 mins to check it! Bad service all around.

Stayed here at the weekend with my girlfriend for my birthday. Got a amazing price for 3 nights stay. It's about a 10 minute walk from the centre so not far at all and it's worth the walk. The hotel is beautiful and very clean. The food and drink costs a bit but it's worth a visit to the bar because it's really nice at night.

I'm sure that at one time, this hotel was good. Based on the photos of the renovation, I'm sure that it will be good again. But when we were there, it was not. First, our room was dirty and dated. It wasn't the fault of the housekeeping staff -- I'm sure they did the best they could; the issue was with things like a dingy sofa that you wouldn't want to sit on, or the floor that needed to be pulled up and replaced, or the shower floor that you don't want to use unless you wear sandals. Secondly, the hotel was being renovated so the entrance was dark and scary, and the noise of the machinery was constant. It wouldn't be so bad if they were upfront about this at the time of booking; instead, we didn't find out until we arrived. The only thing they did to make up for it was a free drink coupon. Not good. Even the photos of the hotel on the website and their Instagram page seem too good to be true -- because they were. The only reason to stay here is if you had a conference or some business to do at the University nearby; otherwise, just pick a place closer to the city center. The people at the front desk were fine -- when they were there. Many times, we walked by and the area was empty and dark, and you had to search for someone to help you. The best part of the hotel was the restaurant and courtyard bar: the food was good, the staff was friendly, and it was a nice area to hang out in. It was a sanctuary in a place that's seen better days.

Staff is cold and not very responsive except for the two young women in the morning that were friendly. Lighting in the rooms needs to be improved. Daily room cleaning is below standards. Do not let them give you a room on the third floor as the elevator only goes to 2. Overpriced for what you get. I would not stay here again.

I am currently staying here. I type this during another sleepless night due to the temperature of our room. We've asked to have the air conditioner turned up and someone came to look at the cooling unit and pried open a vent that previously wasn't. We had one night of respite from the 25C heat, but after a room cleaning, it's cloned back up. The gentleman who pried open the vent said he'd return with a fan in 10 mins, but we never saw him again. Our shower in the newly remodeled bath floods the bathroom when you use it. Not enough slope to the drain. Do not stay here! The food is overpriced in their connected restaurant. You can get just as good in the many cafes surrounding the park for a lot less. What started as a magical start to a dream trip for our 15rh anniversary has turned into a nightmare. There are many, many fantastic places to stay in Amsterdam, don't choose this place!

This one is tough to rate. The hotel itself is an old building (orphanage I think) but quite well preserved and quite spacious . While not in the centre of the city it is just a few stations away with the tram which you can catch nearby. The room we stayed was two floored with a nice view to the river. Having two floors gives quite a flexibility when one's asleep and the other awake, but on the downside the bathroom is located downstairs. Others have mentioned the bathroom's peculiarity,and it's true. It's almost completely transparent even with the lights out, but I in the end did not really mind that. What makes this place special is the front yard at the entrance , where you can have your breakfast or a late night drink. It is quite wonderful and the photos on the web don't really do it justice. Breakfast is quite good , with a fair selection of cereals, meat, cheese , coffee, toasts and sweets. Negatives : the room could be cleaner when we first arrived and despite our repeated reminders never really felt thoroughly cleaned especially the upper floor which felt dusty. For the price paid (100 euros/night) such thing is simply unacceptable. I would not stay there again but I will always remember the beautiful terrace.

We were very excited to stay here. When we arrived, the place was clean and looked like it had lots of history. The room is nice, just like the pictures, and has stairs that lead to a loft where the bed is... that's where the bad part comes in. Heat rises, and the hotels A/C WILL NOT BLOW COLD AIR when adjusted. It goes by the outside temperature (so we are told). So, if it's cold outside, the ROOM IS PIPING HOT. Opening the windows won't help, the hot air stays trapped in the loft. We have opened the windows to ventilate the best we can but we have found the traffic to be VERY LOUD AND PROHIBITIVE TO SLEEP. We are jet lagged and we were relying on this valuable rest to give us the energy we needed to enjoy the city. Instead, we have been sweating bullets in a very loud, VERY HOT, very bright loft (the shades must be opened.) MAINTENANCE came up to discuss and told us what we can request a room that is not a loft but we are NOT ALLOWED TO SLEEP WITH THE WINDOWS OPENED. If they can't get us a new room WITH NO LOFT, we will be forced to PACK UP AND LEAVE. VERY DISAPPOINTED

I ate here with a few friends. All of us were extremely disappointed with our food. It had all the signs of microwave-reheated cheap frozen food. I sent back my lamb curry 3 times for not being hot, and each time it came back with steam rising off the surface, but still only lukewarm in the middle. Eventually I approached one of the kitchen staff as he was crossing through the dining area, and told him that I was disappointed. "Why?" he asked. "Because the food isn't fresh," I said. "How do you know?!" he replied angrily. Thankfully, our waitress was extremely nice, friendly, and accommodating. She seemed to understand that we weren't eating in a real restaurant. In summary, I don't know whether the Arena hotel is any good, but the restaurant is terrible. There are enough good eats in Amsterdam to feed your belly well. Don't subject yourself to Arena's attempt at food.

Enough of Shoddy Hotels The Hotel Arena provided us with a clean, simple but well designed room. The bed was good, the bath was deep, the TV programmed to English and tons of hot water all day. The breakfast was well cooked with a good variety of food. The bar was fun (but not cheap enough for my liking) and the club looked popular. They provided an extra quilt for us within 30 mins of asking. Good quick response to the email I had to send about late checking-in. I think that it is worth the few extra £££'s, when you compare it to some other 2/3* hotels in Amsterdam. It is in an excellent, safe, quiet location which is 20 mins walk from centraal station or a 5 min tram ride.

Club Arena This is one of my favourites clubs. I come here very often. The people are nice and relaxed, and their ages are from 21 - 41 years, I think. A variety of ages. The music is trance and 80 / 90's. There is also a large cafe. You can start your evening here with dinner and drinks, and finish it in the club or in the hotel, which is tree steps from the club. (I'm from Holland myself)