Swissotel Amsterdam

So you want to stay in the center of Amsterdam, but still want to be able to get a good night sleep? Well, I'd say stay at the Swissotel Amsterdam and you'll enjoy your vacation ultimately.

Swissotel Amsterdam is strategically situated in the heart of Amsterdam, offering easy access to the cultural attractions and shops around Dam Square. This hotel is very close to public transport, making it a popular choice for business and leisure travelers. With more than a hundred recently refurbished rooms, Swissotel Amsterdam has retained its sense of character, personalized service, and intimacy, and now it is known as a four-star business luxury hotel.

Hotel Accommodation
Swissotel Amsterdam currently offers 109 elegantly refurbished rooms: 36 Standard rooms, 59 Superior rooms, 9 Junior suites, and 5 Executive suites. The Standard rooms are generally equipped with king size or twin beds, air conditioning, tub with shower, hairdryer, mini-bar, safe, ISDN lines, modem connection, three telephones, cable TV with pay-per-view movies. The larger-sized Superior rooms are also equipped with other amenities, including a large desk, trouser press, iron and iron board. And, the Junior and Executive suites are beautifully equipped with additional features such as an extra large desk, spacious bathroom with separate shower and bath tubs, espresso machine, VCR and audio set, and three telephones. Note that most of these rooms offers by Swissotel Amsterdam are soundproofed and equipped with the business guest in mind.

Business and Banquet Facilities
Built with the business guest in mind, the Swissotel Amsterdam provides 35 square meter Epsom meeting room that is capable of accommodating 22 delegates. At these rooms, meeting packages are offered, and these packages start at 52 euros, including room rental, luxurious sandwich luncheon, refreshments and biscuits, fresh fruits, and overhead projector and other business stationery. Swissotel Amsterdam further boasts its business center and multilingual staff.

Leisure Activities
Swissotel Amsterdam has a leisure center situated close to the hotel. This center provides state of the art exercise equipment as well as in room medical massages. What's more nice to know is the fact that at Swissotel Amsterdam's leisure center, you will find a variety of sports like golf, horse riding, indoor wall climbing, bicycling, scating and tennis. These sports are just available nearby.

Restaurants and Bars
Just like some of the top rated hotels in the city of Amsterdam, Swissotel Amsterdam has restaurants and bars that serve complimentary dining. In particular, there is the Simply Bread, which serves breakfast and bar meals for lunch and dinner. And, aside from Simply Bread, Swissotel Amsterdam has a popular evening bar for their guests who wish to spend the night with a glass of complimentary drink.

Other Services and Facilities
Swissotel Amsterdam really has a lot to offer. Outside from restaurants and bars, comfortable rooms, and business centers, this hotel has 24-hour front desk and room service. They also has a center for currency exchange, and they offer laundry or valet service, babysitting or child services, express checkout, business center, conference rooms, elevators, wheelchair accessible elevators, and non-smoking rooms. Swissotel Amsterdam even features international ambiance and personalized service for their guests.

The Amsterdam Airport Schiphol

Highly accessible by air, land or sea, the Amsterdam is basically one of Europe's top destinations. Affordable flights from within Europe, as well as direct flights from outside of the continent are readily available with the service of Europe's fourth largest airport - the Amsterdam airport Schiphol.

The Amsterdam Airport Schiphol sees itself as far more than an airport. As claimed on its miniguide, which is obtainable from the information desks of the airport, the Amsterdal airport Schiphol is the Netherlands newest city as it caters to an audience wider than the humble trekker.


What sets the Amsterdam airport Schiphol apart from the other European airports is that, it offers a number of great attractions. Included in the list are the casino, the sauna and massage service. There was even a time that one entrepreneur was interested in opening a discreet licensed brother at this Amsterdam airport, bur even the liberal Dutch required time on that.

Driving Directions
The Amsterdam airport Schiphol is actually situated off the A4 motorway, which connects the city of Amsterdam to The Haque, Netherland's seat of government, and Rotterdam. The exit to the airport is clearly signposted.

Car Parking
There are two short-term car parks in the Schiphol: the P1 and P2. These two are both connected to the terminal and the Schiphol Plaza by covered walkways, and is recommended of stays for up to 48 hours. Aside from the short-term car parks, there is also an available long-term parking in the airport, at an open-air P3. This car park area is situated 4 kilometers from the terminal, and a 24-hour shuttle bus is servicing in this area to provide links between P3 and the terminal. A luxury car park is also available, including a valet service.

The Bad Marks and Plus Points of the Schiphol Airport
There are a number of reasons for choosing the Amsterdam airport Schiphol. One of those is the fact that all the offbeat attractions of the airport are housed under one roof, with none of the terminal hopping that causes minor panic in transfer passengers or sometimes confuses unwary first time users. Aside from that is the fact that every great things stems from the vast Schiphol Plaza, which is the central hall of this Amsterdam airport. It is actually the plaza which provides easy access to car parks and the conveniently located rail station. In addition, it is the plaza which places pressure on your wallet as it provides a number of shops, with 40 shops currently on record.

The Schiphol airport further scores highly for its catering service that is offered both before and after passport security. It is even noted for its great thoughtful touches like a nursery for people traveling with young children. What's more, the Amsterdam airport Schiphol is just so close to the city of Amsterdam with good transport links. It even has the best viewing terrace designed and built for aircraft enthusiasts at any major European hub airport.

However, just like many other airports in different areas in the world, the Amsterdam airport Schiphol has a reputation for baggage handling problems that greatly affected transfer passengers. And, for many people, its business center which is located airside only serves as bad mark for the airport.

The University of Amsterdam

First founded as the Athenaeum Illustre in 1632, the University of Amsterdam was built to educate students in Trade and Philosophy. During the early days, when this establishment was not yet a proper university, the lessons were generally given at the homes of the professors, and until the nineteenth century, the Athenaeum remained as a small institution, with no more than 250 students and eight teachers.

In 1877, the Athenaeum Illustre saw its boom when it was changed to Universiteit van Amsterdam, now known as UvA or University of Amsterdam. It was also during that time that the University of Amsterdam was permitted to bestow the highest educational degrees.


Since the name change, years of rapid growth lay ahead. By 1900, it was recorded that there were about 900 students studying at the University of Amsterdam. This number had risen to 2,500 by 1935, and to 7,500 by 1960. The following years, more fields of study and research were introduced and the new university departments were formed.

The University of Amsterdam these days has already more than 22,000 students. It is also worth noting that from Trade to Philosophy, the original Athenaeum Illustre had expanded into a comprehensive university offering almost 60 disciplinary fields. Of these fields, the field of technology is an exception.

With its number of students, the University of Amsterdam achieved the title of being one of the major comprehensive universities in the whole continent of Europe. The title is also attributed to the university's budget of 487 million euros. The University of Amsterdam currently has a strong internalization programme and as an Amsterdam-based university, they offer a number of Dutch and English language courses. In addition, the University has seven faculties covering humanities, social and behavioral sciences, economic and business, medicine and dentistry, science, and law.

It is further interesting to know that the University of Amsterdam offers a comprehensive range of academic study programmes. They also publish scholarly articles of around 7,500 every year. As it is highly claimed, the fundamental academic research of the university is top of the international league in a number of respects. And, in terms of their applied research programmes, it has been noted that these programmes are often of interdisciplinary nature and they generally often focus on the social issues.

What's more interesting to know is the fact that the University now has a number of great libraries and museums. In particular, there is the University Musuem, Art and the UvA, Allard Pierson Museum, Museum Vrolik, Schriftmusuem J.A. Dortmond, UvA Computer Museum, Zoological Museum Amsterdam, and Libraries. All of these carry a great collection of necessary materials like documentation, records, art crafts, and a lot more.

Finally, as a well-known and reputable institution, the University of Amsterdam now strives so hard to offer an inspiring and broadly oriented international academic environment where both members of the staff and students can enhance their capabilities to achieve an optimum result. It is interesting to know that the University of Amsterdam is now characterized by a critical, creative and international atmosphere, open minded and strongly engaged with society.


And, since it was founded in both the historic and modern buildings spread throughout the city, the University greatly forms an integral part of the Amsterdam.

Victoria Hotel Amsterdam

Situated in the heart of the bustling shopping and business center, opposite the monumental train station of Amsterdam, close to the Dam Square, Royal Palace and other places of interest, the Victoria Hotel Amsterdam is a four-star deluxe hotel built in 1890. It has been one of the Amsterdam's most remarkable historic buildings, and it is well-known throughout the world for its great old architecture and carved stone façade.

Victoria Hotel Amsterdam offers 305 well appointed rooms for their guests, including executive rooms and business and deluxe suites. It also features the great restaurants like the Seasons Garden Restaurant, and there are a business center, beauty parlor, and the Active Club with sauna, Turkish bath and swimming pool. Speaking of swimming pool, it is nice to know that at Victoria Hotel Amsterdam, the guests can use the swimming pool free of charge. And, if what you are after is a personal office, the hotel can provide you with such need. If it is not enough, Victoria Hotel Amsterdam offers the back-up of a professional business center.

Rooms and Amenities
As mentioned earlier, Victoria Hotel Amsterdam offers 305 well appointed rooms for their guests. All of these rooms are air conditioned. They are equipped with all the facilities expected of a four-star hotel. Included in the list are wireless internet, direct dial telephone, a work desk, cable TV, in house movie channel, mini bar, trouser press and in room safe. What is more interesting to know is that the Executive rooms of Victoria Hotel Amsterdam offer additional features such as coffee and tea making facilities, complimentary bottle of mineral water, daily newspaper, and luxury bathroom amenities. Currently, Victoria Hotel Amsterdam has 305 guest rooms, 54 executive rooms, 224 superior rooms, 13 business suites, 14 deluxe, 2 guest rooms adapted for the physically challenged, and 112 non-smoking rooms located on non-smoking floors.


Meetings and Events
Whether you are hosting a conference or business seminar, or entertaining associates over lunch or dinner, Victoria Hotel Amsterdam offers a wide variety of private dining options to add an exclusive touch to any kind of event you are after. They also help you in planning a meeting or function of any size. Their private business suites can accommodate 2 to 150 delegates, with all the amenities you want most.

Dining

Victoria Hotel Amsterdam offers three available dining areas for their guests. All of these dining centers cater every culinary taste and the menus range from international cuisine to a wide selection of beverages. One of the most well-known centers for dining at Victoria Hotel Amsterdam is the Seasons Garden Restaurant where you can enjoy extensive American breakfast in an elegant setting. This place even caters to conference lunches and dinners on request. There is also the Tasman Bar, which is a cozy bar where international drinks and snack are served. This bar is open daily and casual attire is required. Aside from these two mentioned centers for dining at Victoria Hotel Amsterdam, there is also Vic's Brassiere & Terrace, a charming area developed in a traditional style.

Here, you will be served with light drinks and snacks, as well as breakfast for groups, light lunch and dinner. And, if you prefer room service during your stay in Victoria Hotel Amsterdam, the hotel actually offers a convenience rooms service, so you can take your meals in the comfort and privacy of your room.

Background to Amsterdam

Amsterdam is the capital city of the Netherlands.  It is known throughout the world as one of the greatest small cities in the world.  It lies on the banks of two rivers, the Amstel and IJ, and from its canals to the world famous museums and historical sights, Amsterdam has long been considered as one of the most romantic and wonderful cities in the whole continent of Europe.

Established in the later 12th century as a small fishing village on the banks of the Amstel River, Amsterdam has one of the largest historic city centers in Europe.   One of the focal point of interest in this city is the Golden Age of Netherlands that dates largely from the 17th century.  It was noted that at this time, a row of concentric, semi-circular canals were built around the older city center, but this establishment still defines the city's layout and appearance today.   Amsterdam now has fine houses and mansions that are situated along the canals.

The City Government

Amsterdam, as all Dutch municipalities, is governed by a mayor, his wethouders (aldermen), and the municipal council.  Nevertheless, the city is subdivided into fifteen stadsdelen (boroughs), which is a system implemented in the 1980s to improve local governance.  The establishment of this system is what sets Amsterdam unique from other Dutch municipalities.   The stadsdelen are said to be responsible for a number of activities that previously had been governed and managed by the central city.  Fourteen of these have their respective council, which is chosen by a popular election.  Westerpoort, the fifteenth, covers the harbour of the city and has very few inhabitants.  It is also governed by the central municipal council. 

The Language

When it comes to language, many of the people in Amsterdam are proud of the fact that just about everyone speaks English.   Although many also speak German and French, it is worth noting that in this capital city of Netherlands, it is a tradition that if you are English speaking, then speak English, unless you speak Dutch too because you are more likely to offend than do anyone a favor by trying out your French or German.

There is a common misconception in the language of Amsterdam; one of those is that Dutch is very close to German.  The truth is, they are not mutually intelligible: Dutch people have to learn German at school, and in general they speak better English than German.  However, Dutch and German are similar in the same sort of way that French and Italian are similar.

The Weather

In Amsterdam, the typical weather ranges from a little around freezing in the depths of winter to typically pleasant sunny days of 20 to 25 degrees Celsius in the summer.  There is also a little snow during the winter season.  Furthermore, the spring and autumn are pleasant in Amsterdam; however these seasons can be wet, with 100+ mm of rain per month. 

Safety and Health

Amsterdam is a safe city, thus there is nothing really to fear from walking in any part of the city.  It has been noted that even in the red-light district around the Oude Kerk, tourists are always spotted wandering around.  However, as in any large cities in other parts of the world, you should beware of pick pockets.