Private Apartment in Amsterdam

When in Amsterdam, we cannot imagine staying anywhere else but this Private Apartment (728 Prinsengracht, 1017 LB, Amsterdam, NETHERLANDS; phone +31 [0] 20-4203314 or [0] 638303660, e-mail lhaak@live.nl, www.prinsengracht728.nl).

For our 2-week stay, March 20-April 3, 2008, we paid €950 ($1,475). She gave us a discount for our long stay; the usual rate is €600 per week.

The location is absolutely the best, right on a canal in a quiet neighborhood with convenient shops nearby. You are away from the tourist crowds but close enough to walk to most museums and other attractions. With the nearby tram stops, you can be out the front door and reach Centraal Station, with its links to trains to other towns, in fewer than 30 minutes.

This is a one-bedroom, one-bath apartment with a queen-sized bed plus a foldout futon in the living room for an additional guest. There are no steps, as this is a ground-floor unit — a rarity in Amsterdam. French doors in the bedroom lead to a private garden in back.

The very modern kitchen appliances made cooking a joy, and we especially loved the convenience of having a washing machine to do our own laundry. The cable TV includes CNN and EuroNews stations. The apartment also has WiFi available for those who bring their own computers.

The host is gracious and helpful. She thoughtfully keeps a selection of guidebooks and pamphlets in the apartment for guests to use during their stay.

TAMARA COMPTON
Bellingham, WA