Amsterdam Hotels

[seeker630]

Can anyone recommend a good hotel in Amsterdam - not too far from the 'houses with boys', of course.

[Guest slimone]

places to stay in Amsterdam

 

Hotel Citadel is a small but functional place near Central Station. There are a lot of small hotels to stay in around this area. Also, near Central Station and of course near the "houses w/boys", The Black Tulip is a S/M bed & breakfast with lots of equipment in each room.

Both of these are near Why Not?.

[Michael]

The three main boy brothels in Amsterdam are all very close to each other at the top of Spuistraat, close to the central station.

 

There are lots of hotels near by.

 

The Holiday Inn Crowne Plaza, the Inntel and the Renaissance Amsterdam are all *very* close (you can see the "Why Not" bar from the entrance to the Crowne Plaza ...).

 

Slightly further away (but still only a 3 or 4 minute walk) is the Barbizon Palace, which I think is a much nicer hotel.

 

You should be able to get weekend rates of about 350 guilders a night for any of these hotels.

 

There is also a Golden Tulip hotel further down Spuistraat that is a bit cheaper - weekend rates there are probably between 225 and 300 guilders.

[seeker630]

Thanks for the input I 'm trying to find info on those hotels now. (I stayed at the Barbizon Palace last year - nice enough but characterless & didn't seem worth the money to me). I've had good luck at the Ambassade when I had canalfront rooms.

[Michael]

All of the hotels that I mentioned can be quite expensive if you end up paying anything like the full rate. I usually shop around on-line to try and get the lowest price possible - the fact that I'm normally in Amsterdam over a weekend helps a lot. Booking well in advance helps too - if I think that I even *might* be in a position to spend a weekend in Amsterdam I'll book a hotel 3 months in advance, and cancel it later if the trip doesn't work out.

 

I rather liked the Barbizon Palace - I've been there twice and both times got rooms in the older part of the hotel that had very high wooden beamed ceilings and a nice view. It's also convenient for me since I have friends who live just a few yards away from it.

 

The Crowne Plaza and the Inntel are very definitely "characterless", and the Golden Tulip on Spuistraat even more so - it's a clean, comfortable business/tourist hotel with absolutely *no* character ;-)

 

I haven't actually stayed at the Renaissance yet - I'll be there on my next visit at the end of April (for Queen's Day).

[seeker630]

Unfortunately, at the Barbizon I had a room in what I assume was the newer part - with a window that looked inward onto the lobby.

I want that ideal - character but all the conveniences too (like a restaurant, in case I don't feel like going out.)

Any opinions on the best 'houses' these days? And any live shows? (last tim I was there at WhyNot/Blueboy, I could hear the manager 5 minutes before showtime yelling that all he had were bottoms & no tops. They almost used a cusomter from the bar but aparently he couldn't get it up for the audition.

[Guest REGINA]

LAST EDITED ON Mar-11-00 AT 02:32PM (CST)[p]I'm saving up for a trip to Amsterdam and hoping that when time permits that Now Voyager (a courier company that sells airfare tickets cheap) will have transportation I can afford.

 

Here are my questions: Is Amsterdam expensive? How much is a guilder worth (ballpark figure) in the exchange? Is it possible to find inexpensive lodging in a safe yet basic lodging--and within walking distance to all the "fun" places? Is it REALLY fun? I've always heard about Amsterdam and wanted to go but wonder about the hype vs reality.

 

Thanks for your expertise and guidance. God I LOVE this website!

[seeker630]

I'll be interested in hearing what those with more experience have to say about this. Much of it is subjective. Fact: a guilder is currently worth about 45 cents US - I've always found it easy to just divide all the Dutch prices by half & that's close enough to give you a good sense of costs.

I've only been 3 times so my experience was limited - I looked for moderately priced hotels. Most of the parts of Amsterdam you'd want to see are in (long) walking distance of each other, plus there are streetcars.

I'm not into bars or clubs so i can;t really speak to the nightlife - I tend to do museums or people-watching by day & visit the 'houses' by night. it depends on expectations - sometimes there are cute guys, sometimes not, some are nice & some are too pushy. I guess I would day that it hasn;t lived up to my initial expectations - and yet I keep going back. (but then, i live in a college town in the SOuth).

Recommendation: do some homework before you go. There are some decent travel guides (but watch the dates) and of course lots of stuff on the web (uf you're patient). for hotels, start at http://travel.yahoo.com/Destinations/Europe/Countries/Netherlands/Cities/Amsterdam//Lodging/

[Guest fedssocr]

Amsterdam is a pretty compact city with everything in easy walking or tram distance. Any hotel that advertizes itself as being in the city center should be fine. There are many small hotels throughout the city. I stayed at the Hotel Imperial during the Gay Games...it's very small and has some very steep steps, but it was pleasant. It is near the Rembrandtplein, about 10 minutes by foot from the boy brothel area. There is also a boy bar/private club closeby right on the river. When I was there the boys weren't as "good" as those at the other places though. I hooked up with a cute Polish boy, but he wasn't as energetic as the other guy I met at a different place. There are a couple of hustler bars with young eastern European boys in a small alley near the Rembrandtplein too, but I didn't get around to stopping by there when I was in town.

[Michael]

The club close to the river near the Rembrandtplein would have been "De Boys" - it closed sometime last fall and, as far as I know hasn't reopened yet. I think that Alex (who also owns BoysClub 21 on Spuistraat) was going to try a somewhat different format for the club but I haven't heard any more details yet.

 

The street with the real hardcore hustler bars is Paardenstraat - there are three of them (Music Box, Cupido and one other whose name I can't remember) - I've never been in any of them, and any time I went past they seemed to be completely empty - my overall impression was that they were best avoided.

 

You won't find nearly as many Eastern European guys in Amsterdam now as you would have done two years ago - the Netherlands started to tighten up on illegal workers a couple of years ago (ie non-EU citizens who don't have a work permit) and the effect of this finally hit the bars about 18 months ago just after the Gay Games. The result is that while there *are* still boys from Hungary and the Czech Republic etc in Amsterdam there aren't as many of them and you generally won't find them working in the bars or for the escort agencies any more.

[+ Charlie]

Amsterdam

 

I just returned from Amsterdam. The three "boys clubs" which I visited seemed different in character. Blue Boy was much more active and had much more attractive boys than the other two; the few boys available at Boy Club 21 were very effeminate, as were most at Boys for Men, and they didn't even have the virtue of being pretty. Many of those available in all the clubs now appear to be African rather than Eastern European. Prices range from 220f to 375f (price depends not on what you do or who you do it with, but what room you do it in--like a hotel).

[+ Charlie]

Hotels are expensive but there are some reasonable b&bs. Try Maes Guesthouse at 26 Herenstraat, in a quiet neighborhood but just a short walk to many gay places at night, and a great place to decompress at breakfast the next morning. Rooms at about 140 guilders (2.25 guilders to the dollar at the moment). Depending on your tastes, Amsterdam can be expensive or very cheap, and it is fun whether you want culture, sex, drugs, or just a fascinating atmosphere.

[Michael]

RE: Amsterdam

 

Actually most of the boys that you thought were African were probably either Dutch or French ;-)

 

The Dutch boys tend to be from Suriname (a former Dutch colony in South America) and the French ones from Morocco.

There are also quite a few Indonesian boys - another legacy of the Netherlands' colonial past.

[Guest DickHo]

RE: Amsterdam

 

Morocco is in Africa.

[Michael]

RE: Amsterdam

 

I just knew that someone was going to have to point that out ;-)

 

... the fact remains however that, unlike the now-departed Eastern Europeans, most of these boys were born in either the Netherlands or one of the adjacent EU countries - which is why they can work in Amsterdam legally ...

[+ Charlie]

RE: Amsterdam

 

One of the boys told me he was from Morocco, another said he was from Curacao (another Dutch colony), a third said he was from South Africa. One boy was French, and the ones I ended up in bed with were Australian and--amazingly!--Dutch.

[seeker630]

Well, most of the places I tried were fully booked for at least part of my stay, so I've opted for the Renaissance. (and not expecting a lot of character, but it should be convenient).

Now - can anyone suggest particular guys at the services or houses. (looking for versatile/bottoms.)

[seeker630]

RE: Amsterdam

 

When I was there last summer, Blue Boy had the best selection but it was so busy I actually ended up spending more time with guys at Boys for Men - it was easier to talk there. At 21, one of the guys latched onto me the minute i walked in & never gave anyone else a chance, despite my obvious lack of interest. (Yeah,, I know - next time I'll just say 'sorry, not interested, give someone else a chance.)

[Guest jeejer]

RE: Amsterdam

 

Can anyone fill me in on what going to these houses is like. I've been to Stellas and the Gaiety and know what the scene is there. Are the Amsterdam places any thing like these. Are there shows, bars, etc.

[Guest RobPA]

RE: Amsterdam

 

The clubs in AMS are much different than places like the Gaiety. They're all pretty small (20 people in them at one time would be uncomfortably crowded) and set up more like what we would consider a "neigborhood bar". They all have a bar with barstools and a few other chairs placed around. There is usually an x-rated video playing, but no one really seems to pay any attention to it. They're usually not very crowded with the possible exception of Blue Boy for an hour or two on Fri and Sat nights. In fact, during my last few AMS trips I've more often than not been one of only one or two customers in Club 21 or Boys for Men each visit.

Club 21 and Boys for Men generally have a half dozen or so "boys" working - Blue Boy usually has 8-12 or so - depending on the time of day.

Club 21 and B4M have a buzzer you have to ring to gain admittance. One of the boys answers and walks you in, hangs up your coat, etc. Blue Boy has an open door.

Upon arriving, just sit at the bar and order a drink. Either the bartender or the boy who let you in will usually start some small talk and ask if you know what kind of place it is. I usually just take the approach of ordering a drink and looking around - if I see a boy I like I'll make eye contact and smile and inevitably he'll come over, sit down beside you, and start a conversation. As a previous poster mentioned, some of the boys, especially at Club 21 and B4M can be very persistent - even when its clear you're not interested its sometimes hard to shake them. Last time at B4M the guy that answered the door for me decided that I was "his" and I couldn't shake him despite my obvious disinterest. I ended up talking around him (he literally kept himself between me and the guy I was interested in, even after we tried talking through him, ignoring him)- it was very weird.

All the clubs have rooms on the premises (they're actually pretty nice with bed, chair, tv, and a tub or shower - in fact, during my first trip the rooms at the Clubs were nicer than my hotel room!). When you see a guy you like, talk to him a little, maybe buy him a drink,(don't be shy - make sure you ask what he's into and what he's not) and if you want, ask him to get a room. BTW, if you see someone you like but don't want to ask him about preferences, just check with the bartender - they'll fill you in. The bartender will provide you with a towel condoms, lube, and in some of the rooms, your choice of music cd's to listen to. The standard room rate is for an hour and at current exchange rates a real bargain.

I've found Blue Boy to be the most comfortable - you can just sit and have your drink in peace if thats what you want. The other two clubs are much more "high pressure". At B4M they have a habit of conveniently removing your glass and ashtray after your second drink and not offering another drink (depends on the bartender) - sort of a push "to get on with it".

All in all, I've enjoyed all of my trips there and have met and enjoyed a number of great guys at the Clubs.

Any other questions, just ask.

[Guest jeejer]

RE: Amsterdam

 

Thanks for the tips. What can you tell us about the sex shows in Amsterdam

[Michael]

RE: Amsterdam

 

There's not much I can add to Rob's excellent description ...

 

I would advise anyone going to Amsterdam to check out all of the clubs - they are within a few yards of each other and, while they all have the same basic format, each one has it's own ambience - it's worth looking at all of them to figure out which one you like best ... and also to see the largest number of boys that are available ;-)

 

I personally don't really like the atmosphere at Blue Boy / Why Not - there are certainly more boys there but (with the exception of Robin, who is reviewed elsewhere on this site) I don't usually find them very interesting and the place just feels like a hustler bar to me.

 

I spend most of my time at BoysClub 21 - I got lucky there on my first trip to Amsterdam about two and a half years ago, and have always found very good and friendly boys there on my subsequent visits. The atmosphere there is much more intimate than at BlueBoy, and I find it a much more relaxing place to spend time. Some of the boys there can be a bit pushy but, to be honest, I usually quite enjoy the attention unless the boy is really someone that I am completely uninterested in, and then it isn't too hard to get rid of them.

 

Boys4Men usually seems to be fairly quiet and I don't usually spend much time there - the owners of BoysClub 21 and Boys4Men are on fairly friendly terms with each other and both boys and bar staff move between those clubs quite often.

 

One other thought - sex is certainly cheap in Amsterdam, but if you go looking for cheap sex, that is just what you will get. If all you want is a quick 1 hour session then that's fine ... but what I like about Amsterdam is that I can afford to do things there that would be prohibitively expensive (or impossible) in the US. In Amsterdam I can have a couple of boys for two hours, and another one for "dessert" later, along with a few bottles of overpriced champagne - all for less than the cost of an evening with Aaron Lawrence ;-)

 

... by the way, before the hate mail starts, I should point out that I think Aaron is great and worth every last cent ... otherwise I wouldn't have hired him 8 times last year ;-)

[Michael]

RE: Amsterdam

 

Forget the shows.

 

All of the clubs advertise that they have live shows of various sorts - only BlueBoy actually really does shows, and they are overpriced and usually very poorly done ...

 

If you want a "show" your best bet is to hire one or more boys for an hour, take them to a room and have them do whatever you want ;-)

[Guest slimone]

RE: Amsterdam

 

Why isn't there more patrons in the "house" w/boys? Is it because of all the dark rooms in the bars or the famous Thermos bath? Is this where all the locals go to?

[Guest REGINA]

ARE THERE MEN IN AMSTERDAM?

 

LAST EDITED ON Mar-21-00 AT 01:01AM (CST)[p]Just curious, I'm attracted to big strong men with big strong hands and big strong hairy chests and strong uncut...anyway...so far, all of the listing have been about boys. Can you gain the services of men in Amsterdam as well, or should one go to a sex club for that. I would feel better, health wise, to hire a big hot escort rather than get bent over a chair in the back of a bar, after all, it's Amsterdam, not Berlin!

 

Anyway, let me know if you know. Also, the shows suck? I LOVE going to strip shows when the audience gets all excited and crazed and claps and whistles and all that.

 

Many thanks, fellow travelers!