In a nutshell
- You want to visit Amsterdam, but nearly fell off your chair when you saw the hotel prices? We know that feeling. But finding an affordable hotel in Amsterdam is not impossible!
- We’re sharing our best tips for hotel hunting with you, based on our many personal trips to Amsterdam.
- We’ll also show you 13 recommended budget hotels in Amsterdam — from city center picks to great-value options outside the center.
- Short on time? Our favorites are the Volkshotel, the WestCord, and the Inntel Hotel.
Orientation: Cheap Hotels in Amsterdam on the Map
For better orientation, we’ve marked our recommended budget hotels in Amsterdam, the main train station, and two major attractions on a map.
Cheap Hotels Outside the Center
Volkshotel Amsterdam
The Volkshotel is our top pick among the affordable hotels in Amsterdam!
If you love a creative vibe and are into urban lifestyle, this is the place for you.
From the fair price to the modern concept to the super cool mix of people — everything just clicks.
The Volkshotel offers individual rooms starting at around 100 euros per night or sleeping pods for under 70 euros. Great prices for an Amsterdam weekend trip.
You’ll also find a fantastic rooftop bar with great views over the city, and you have the option to add daily breakfast and even wellness offerings.
And the connection to the center is at least as great as the hotel itself. From Wibautstraat, you can take the train and be at the central Waterlooplein in under five minutes, right in the heart of the canal district.
WestCord Fashion Hotel
The WestCord Fashion Hotel is stylish and affordable. Yes, that’s actually possible.
In the off-season, you can find rooms here for under 120 euros! That’s otherwise unthinkable in Amsterdam.
In the morning there’s a great breakfast spread, and in the evening you can unwind from sightseeing in the spa and wellness area with an indoor pool.
The hotel is located in Amsterdam-West, pleasantly quiet near Rembrandtpark. You’ll find several transit stops right in the vicinity.
From Surinameplein, you’re at the Rijksmuseum in under 15 minutes. From there, you can easily reach everything on foot.
Olympic Hotel Amsterdam
The Olympic Hotel wins us over with fair prices, a really stylish design, and top-notch service.
The hotel offers breakfast options, an in-house restaurant, room service, a terrace, and a bar. So you don’t have to compromise at all and can still save money.
We also love the floor-to-ceiling windows in the rooms and the views over the city. A little dream come true for the price.
And the connection to the city center is perfect too. From the nearby IJsbaanpad stop, it takes about 25 minutes to the Rijksmuseum.
And if you’re arriving by car, you’ll find parking here plus a great starting point for day trips from Amsterdam.
To the Olympic Hotel Amsterdam
Urban Lodge Hotel
The Urban Lodge Hotel also delivers serious value for the money.
At an average of 120 to 250 euros per night, you really can’t complain.
We love the rooms with their charming combination of Dutch country house style and modern furnishings — including hand-painted blue-and-white tiles in the bathrooms.
Beyond the beautiful design, the good breakfast and the excellent connections to Amsterdam’s city center are equally impressive. In about 15 minutes, you can get from the Sloterdijk stop to Rozengracht, near the Anne Frank House.
MEININGER Hotel Amsterdam
Finding good and affordable family hotels in Amsterdam is a real challenge. But in our eyes, the Meininger Hotel is a great option.
You’ll pay under 150 euros per night even during peak season in some cases. In the off-season, there are even deals for under 80 euros a night.
The Meininger also offers good breakfast options and rollaway beds for young children. And dogs are welcome too.
The location and transit connections are impressive. Right near the hotel you’ll find Amsterdam Sloterdijk train station. From there, you’re about 25 minutes from Westermarkt, near the Anne Frank House.
New West Inn Amsterdam
Funnily enough, the New West Inn in Amsterdam-West is the only hotel on our list that is cheaper during peak season than in the off-season.
In spring and summer, you’ll pay an average of 120 euros per night. In fall and winter, it’s a whopping 300 euros.
The facade may look less inviting, but inside you don’t have to compromise at all.
The New West Inn offers spacious rooms, good breakfast, a bar, and even a small fitness center and a solarium.
The nearest transit stop is Hoekenes. From there, it takes about 30 minutes to the Rijksmuseum and the energy of central Amsterdam.
Cheap Hotels in the Center of Amsterdam
Inntel Hotels Amsterdam Landmark
Penthouse vibes in Amsterdam? Absolutely. At the Inntel Hotel on Amsterdam’s waterfront.
The hotel is super modern with an industrial touch, and despite its perfect location and stunning panorama, it’s still affordable.
In the off-season, you’ll pay under 200 euros per night. And even in peak season, the prices are totally reasonable.
That said, the hotel fills up fast. So you should always book early at the Inntel.
What impresses us most is the Panorama City double room. You get plenty of space and a gorgeous panoramic view of the harbor without paying through the nose for the luxury.
And in addition to a good breakfast, the Inntel Hotel also has an in-house restaurant, a bar, and an indoor pool.
Hotel CC Amsterdam
At Hotel CC, you stay right in the thick of it — in Amsterdam’s oldest neighborhood, De Wallen.
The hotel is a beautiful historic canal house located just north of Amsterdam’s famous red-light district.
Both the main train station and the waterfront, as well as all the major attractions, are within walking distance. So you can tackle all Amsterdam activities without any stress.
From August through February, you’ll pay under 200 euros per night at Hotel CC. And here’s something worth knowing: in January and February, there are even rooms for under 100 euros! During peak season, rates are comparatively higher.
Room sizes vary quite a bit. Our favorites are naturally the canal-view rooms. And on average, you only pay about 10 euros more than for a room without a great view.
There’s also a good breakfast offering, plus coffee and tea in every room.
ibis Amsterdam Centre
The ibis Amsterdam Centre offers consistently fair prices year-round. As is usually the case, you’ll pay a bit more during peak season than in the off-season.
On average, a night’s stay runs about 200 euros.
The hotel wins you over with the reliable, solid ibis concept: a cozy atmosphere, good breakfast, an in-house restaurant and bar, and modern design.
The location right at the main train station is perfect for a short Amsterdam stay. From Amsterdam Centraal, the ibis is just a stone’s throw away. And all the major attractions are easily reachable on foot.
Cheap Hotel Alternatives in Amsterdam
De Bedstee Boutique Capsules
De Bedstee is a super cute capsule hotel in Dutch vintage style.
A capsule hotel means you don’t sleep in a regular room but in a pod — essentially just a bed (single or double) plus a little space for your belongings. You can still lock it, of course.
At De Bedstee, alongside the private pods, there’s a large communal bathroom, a laundry room, and a good breakfast offering.
Because a capsule hotel is essentially a hotel in mini format, you pay about half the price of a regular hotel. During peak season, a night costs roughly between 100 and 200 euros. In the off-season, it’s just around 90 to 100 euros.
Beyond the fair prices, the location is really great too. De Bedstee is close to Museumplein and the Rijksmuseum, so you don’t necessarily need public transit at all — you can reach everything easily on foot.
To De Bedstee Boutique Capsules
THIS HO(S)TEL
Another great and affordable place to stay in Amsterdam is This Ho(s)tel — a cool mix of hotel and hostel.
You can choose between a regular (but very small) room and a pod. The price varies accordingly — for a room, you’ll pay about 20 euros more than for a pod.
On average, you’ll pay 150 euros per night at This Ho(s)tel. In the off-season, it’s 100 euros.
In addition to affordable lodging, This Ho(s)tel also offers good breakfast, a modern communal bathroom, a bar, and a terrace.
The real highlight, though, is definitely the location. You’re only seven minutes on foot from the main train station and ten minutes from the central Dam Square.
ClinkNOORD Hostel
A great budget accommodation for young travelers in Amsterdam is the ClinkNOORD Hostel.
The hostel offers private rooms with en suite bathrooms, mixed dorms, and female-only dorms.
For a private double room, you’ll pay an average of 200 euros per night. The most affordable option is a bed in a large dorm for around 60 euros.
We really like that the hostel not only offers an optional breakfast buffet but also workspaces — such as an atrium, a lounge area, a café, and a library.
Due to its location in northern Amsterdam, you’ll need to take the free ferry from Buiksloterweg to Centraal Station across the IJ every time you want to get into the city center.
Hostelle - women only hostel
Good, affordable, and safe — that’s the Hostelle. An Amsterdam hostel for women only.
You share a dorm with three to eleven other women and pay between 30 and 100 euros per night.
In addition to the dorms, the hostel has a communal bathroom, a garden, a library, and a laundry service.
There’s no breakfast option. Instead, the hostel provides a fridge, microwaves, and kettles so you can take care of your own meals.
The location near the Johan Cruijff ArenA offers good transit connections to the city center. You can be at the Rijksmuseum by train in 30 minutes.
We’ve actually stayed at the Hostelle Amsterdam ourselves. For two young women, the eight-person dorm was genuinely fine. We spent two nights here because we wanted to be close to the Amsterdam Arena.
Staying Cheap in Amsterdam: What You Need to Know
Yes, hotel prices in Amsterdam knock us off our feet too. So that you can still experience Amsterdam without paying outrageous prices, here’s everything we know:
What makes a good and cheap hotel in Amsterdam for us?
For us, a good and affordable hotel in Amsterdam ultimately needs to fulfill one main purpose:
We want to feel comfortable when we come back after a long day of sightseeing.
To make that happen, a hotel doesn’t need to win a design award — it simply needs to be clean, offer good connections to Amsterdam’s public transit or proximity to the center, and ideally have a breakfast option right on-site.
And that’s really all we need to be happy.
How do you find a good and cheap hotel in Amsterdam?
Hotel prices in Amsterdam have really skyrocketed in recent years. Every year, bookings cost more.
That’s why we’ve developed a personal game plan that lets us still visit Amsterdam on a fairly regular basis.
Here are our top tips for finding a discount hotel in Amsterdam:
#1 Book early! Early-bird deals make a big difference.
#2 Travel in the off-season. Amsterdam is cheapest from October to February.
#3 Book a hotel outside the center. These are often cheaper but still well connected.
#4 Hostels are a great alternative. They’re not always the prettiest, but they’re affordable — and there are some really good ones with private rooms and breakfast options.
Our Recommendation
Amsterdam isn’t like London. Here, it’s perfectly fine to stay outside the center.
By train or a ride-share service like Uber or Bolt, you can get into the city center super quickly and cheaply.
That’s what we do these days too, to save a few euros on accommodation.
We can wholeheartedly recommend the Olympic Hotel and the Volkshotel from personal experience. Both hotels offer excellent value for the money and great transit connections to the center.
