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***** Ramada Apollo Amsterdam Centre, Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands
No, this is a story about a hotel and not about a chocolate shop! The Ramada Apollo Amsterdam Centre hotel is one of those places you might think twice to book when you are looking for a downtown Amsterdam hotel. My advice: just book it! The money you pay for the hotel and additional cab far together is still a very, very good deal.
The Ramada Apollo is located on the west side of the center of Amsterdam (near Sloterdijk station) and has 17 floors. On the top floor, you find a great terras and bar overlooking the city. In winter there even have an ice skate area there! One floor down, you have a great bar and restaurant.
I stayed a few times in the Ramada Apollo and have to say that every time the restaurant provided a great food experience and the staff in both the restaurant and bar were way above average. Attending, caring, and friendly. That’s the way it should be, feeling a guest instead of being a number. Coming back to the food experience, the staff is very creative and prepares various surprising dishes. The chocolate desert is a great example of their view how the make the restaurant an experience as well so to that point, even if you do not stay in the hotel, having dinner at the 17th floor is fun a and you will enjoy one of the better restaurants in Amsterdam.
The Ramada Apollo is very competitively priced. You can book almost every time a room between 125 and 175 euro per night (booking.com), paying a hundred euro’s less versus a hotel 2-3 miles closer to downtown. If you need a place in Amsterdam, consider this hotel! Not looking for a room but a great place to have a drink? Consider the top floor or the bar and enjoy the views. If you have your own car, down’t worry the hotel has a very large parking garage (if not, you can always rent a bike at the reception.
***** Restaurant Noble, Den Bosch, Noord-Brabant, Netherlands
It is always great to see when you are right longer term. In this case, I predicted when I wrote about restaurant Noble back in 2015, they would get a Michelin start. I was right! Noble team: congratulations with your first star that you received in December 2016.
Restaurant Noble is one of the best places to eat if you are in the ‘s-Hertogenbosch (Den Bosch, the “Forest of the Duke”) area. The restaurant (and art gallary) is situated in the distinguished Chalet Royal building in ’s-Hertogenbosch. On arrival, you will immediately notice that Noble has a lot to offer: you can dine in our informal restaurant, have a relaxed drink at the bar or enjoy an intimate dinner in our comfortable private dining area. In the summer time, the terrace is the place to be for lunch or dinner overlooking the river surrounding the city. The basement offers a meeting room, Illusio, with room for groups up to 12 people.
The food is an experience and it would not surprise me if they will be noticed by the Michelin Guide one day. That said, it became better and better over time and since they opened the doors a few years ago. The wine list offers a unique choice and belongs to the finest you can get from Australia to New Zealand and from Austria to South Africa.
Isn’t it great when you get a marvelous white and you want a red from the same winery but it is not on the list? Well ask the sommelier, he might surprise you (right Erik:)?). A tip for other restaurant (or hotel for that matter) owners: have a look at Noble’s Facebook site. This is how a very good sample how to promote your business using social media. As you can see, there is a lot going on here! As said, a place to go whenever in Den Bosch.
***** Mainport Design Hotel, Rotterdam, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands
The Mainport Design Hotel is an ideal place to spend the night when you Rotterdam. The location is perfect, the views from most rooms on the harbor side are fantastic. An why not, book a room with your own private sauna… when can you do that? It is worth the extra Euro’s.
For sure, there are other nice hotel but the Mainport’s location is just perfect. It is an easy walk to the covered market the “Markthal” a must visit. Another must do is the water taxi. Just take it (leaving every 15 minutes) and take a tour over the Nieuwe Waterweg, the main river connecting the inland with the sea. You can plan your trip on the water taxi website. As you might know, Rotterdam is one of the largest harbor’s in the world. With the water taxi, you can book going to many different locations in Rotterdam. If you are on holiday, plan a day and go over the water. One of the places you should stop is the hotel New York for lunch or dinner. At the New York, the old days where people immigrated to America come alive again. The hotel was the former headquarter of the Holland America Line.
Now back to the hotel. The Mainport is a luxurious 5-star design hotel, offering spectacular views over the water and the skyline of Rotterdam. Each floor of the hotel, represents a different continent. As I said earlier, book on of the Waterfront Sauna Rooms or a Spa suite!
The hotel also offers great wellness. Spa Heaven located on the 8th floor, provides a total relaxation experience, offering a Finnish Panorama sauna, a Turkish steam bath, a hamam, treatment rooms and a lounge area for pre and post treatment tranquillity. Hotel guests have free access to Spa Heaven.
Places to Stay, Eat, Drink & Play 