Best Western Zaan Inn

I'm sitting in my room at this hotel, unbelievably happy as 2 hours ago , in this very room, I got engaged.. Checked in early with some really good reception staff, helpful and friendly. Came back from a walk to celebrate with a drink in the bar.. And it's all down hill. The girl behind the bar is unsmiling, lacking in knowledge.. Doesnt know what ale is and doesn't know what cider is. Her attitude is that of some one who would rather be some where else. We took a couple of wine glasses, bought a very expensive small bottle of prosecco at reception and went to take it to our room... Miss miserable literally cut us off at the lift like she had stalked us. You can't take those she said snatching them from us.. We went to reception and were given 2 plastic cups... We then went back to the lift where she peered out at us, clearly pointing us out to another staff member.. Apparently you can't take glasses to the room.. However there are ways of talking to people... But it's OK for us to have a meal in the hotel restaurant tonight where there is no ceiling and dust can drop down... I'm too happy to let this upset me but the food and beverage staff are lacking social skills less

Pros The hotel is 5 minutes from the train station, which is convenient. Takes a little less than 15 minutes to get to Amsterdam from Zaandam train station. The hotel is pretty new and most important it is very clean. The staff is friendly and professional. Cons The bed is too soft. It affected me since I have back pain. Our room is above the kitchen and we smelled food when the air condition was turned on. Luckily it was winter so we kept the AC off. We didn't complain about these issues during our stay. Didn't want to make a big deal about it since nothing can be done except maybe change our room which we didn't want to do. Figured it wouldn't help with the bed situation so didn't bother. With that said I probably wouldn't stay at this hotel again because of the soft beds. less

This is nice and calm hotel, easy access to the train station just a couple of foot steps away. It is also close to the Zaandam centrum shopping area. The parking is free at this property which is a savior. We just made use of the trains to go to Amsterdam central which was just one stop away. The room was neat and tidy and room service was good as well. The staff were all very friendly and were in the holiday spirit which we also felt. Probably not a hotel for family just because it’s not spacious and doesn’t have a lot of activities for kids but I’d definitely stop over again if I made a trip with my spouse or friends. We haven’t tried their food so I wouldn’t be able to rate that. Otherwise I’d say it’s very good and would recommend it. less

Great hotel with easy check in, on site bar/restaurant. Staff is friendly and speaks English, German and of course Dutch. Rooms are spacious with a really nice bathroom. We stayed in room 118 which has a nice view. This hotel is miles from city center so Uber was a must. Around €22 each way to and from city center. It’s also in a very industrial looking area surrounded with what looks like other hotels and some apartments. less

We opted to stay here rather than Amsterdam as it was recommended to us as a good option away from the hustle bustle of the city. The hotel is around 15mins (direct) from the airport and 10-15mins from Amsterdam (direct). We bought a 3 day regional travel card which we used to get into Amsterdam. It also covers trams, buses and metros in Amsterdam and the Amsterdam area. We were able to get out as far as Volendam on this pass so if you like to explore the pass is great and the hotel is in a great location for this. We received a friendly welcome and the room was excellent. We had a suite room which consisted of twin beds, kitchenette and dining table in one room, a second king-size bedroom and bathroom. The area was quiet and was only a 5 minute walk into Zaandam centre and there was a supermarket opposite so we were able to have a few supplies in. There was a fridge in the room also which was a real bonus! The hotel was in great condition and the rooms were clean. Our bags were kept for us after checkout as we had a late flight. Will definitely stay here again on another visit to Amsterdam and would recommend it to anyone who wants to stay outside the city area. less