WestCord Art Hotel Amsterdam 3-stars, Amsterdam

About twenty euros' taxi ride (or �2.40 on the bus) away from Centraal Station lies the beautiful, architecturally stunning Amsterdam Art. Of which, you can stay at relatively-shiny Tulip Inn, or Super-Sparkly Golden Tulip. We stayed at the Tulip for seven nights over the New Year and a twin room cost us about �600. For a well-designed box with an interesting pirate wall print, smart bathroom, desk, chair, and tv and an Amsterdam special, a double bed-stead with two mattresses, I was rather shocked at the lack of an inclusive breakfast. However for us tourists who travel to Amsterdam to take advantage of the lax laws surrounding that lovely Class C drug we had absolutely no problem smoking ourselves into an early grave every night when the coffee shops shut, so if you do book a smoking room, you can smoke a large amount with zero hassle. The cleaners called on/pestered us every day but did not object to being sent away and the other staff were friendly. We were also able to smuggle in a couple of crashers without any trouble at all, but as there is a 24-hour reception and you have to be buzzed in, you don't feel unsafe here. Despite the beautiful design and friendly, unobtrusive staff I cannot bring myself to give Tulip more than three stars because not only did we manage to get charged twice for this incredibly expensive 'twin' but we paid a fortune in bus and taxi-fares. If you are staying here and planning on going into town, risk the 30-minute walk instead of paying, as it is a scenic stroll with plenty of amenities on the way. Another plus was the free yet unsecured WiFi connection available to the rooms which I did take advantage of a lot. It was also a commendably high-speed connection with no network crashes. After using a budget hotel (WITH breakfast) in June and the Inn for New Year, you do notice where the extra money goes (powering all those fairy lights, I presume) and I would recommend it to couples who want a quiet break away from the hustle of Centrum and who don't mind paying a pretty penny for breakfast and taxis on top.