Visited in mid-May 2019.
We spent a week in Amsterdam, mostly with friends who arrived via a cruise ship. Our first few nights were at a different hotel near Dam Square, but we moved to the Best Western when our friends arrived.
Key takeaways: Good value in a central location. Clean lobby, breakfast room, and guest rooms. Currently guest rooms under renovation. Neighborhood is busy, with late night establishments. Easy walk to tram and metro. Decent breakfast included.
We stayed in a room which had not been renovated yet, on the first floor in the back of the building. Our room was very quiet at night, which was not the case with our friends, who were in a newly renovated room, but at the front of the building. Nearby bars and cannabis lounges stay open late, and revelers are in the street through the wee hours.
Our room was clean, with perfectly serviceable facilities. The beds were quite soft, as were the pillows. Room have air conditioning, but not needed during our stay. There is satellite TV, with English language stations from BBC and CNN. Lighting is quite dim.
Room pluses: Many electrical outlets, both at the desk, and by each nightstand. Nice hot water kettle that we used to brew our own coffee, which we carry with us. Tiny thin plastic tea/coffee cups almost unusable, but nicer paper coffee cups are available at the coffee station in the lobby. There is a room safe. Only two hangers in the closet.
Bathroom: Very nice stall type shower, with plenty of hot water and great water pressure. No washcloth is provided, so bring your own. Toiletries are very basic: Small cake soap, and liquid shower gel and shampoo. There is a wall mounted hair dryer. Bathroom was well serviced, with consumables being replaced, including toilet paper.
Breakfast: We found the included breakfast to be absolutely fine. While there are no hot items, there is plenty of protein served, including hard boiled eggs, sliced meats and cheese, plus yogurt, many different cereals, and a toaster with sliced breads and rolls. The wait staff brings pots of coffee to your table. Several types of juice are available.
Lobby: Nice bar where you can purchase a cocktail or beer. There is constant coffee service in this area (no snacks or biscuits). A large table with several chairs makes this a great place for a late afternoon rest, or playing cards. Desk staff were courteous, and helped us with a taxi reservation for an early morning departure. They also can provide extras for the room, like cups, if you need them.
General location: Centrally located right off Dam Square. This neighborhood has a wide variety of businesses, including bars, massage parlors, and cannabis lounges, which can make for loud, and late-night folks in the street. We observed one police action next door, but otherwise there is no police patrol presence that we observed. Turning right out of the hotel door brings you to a better area, with more restaurants and shops. We are not sure that this neighborhood would be appropriate for travelers with young children. Most guests we encountered in the hotel were senior tourists.
Bottom line: We would recommend this establishment to other adult experienced travelers looking for a basic, well located hotel in central Amsterdam. Travelers looking for a more refined or luxury hotel should look in other neighborhoods, or to superior brands such as the Swissotel a few blocks away. less