Staying in a hotel room again and again gets kind of tiring. More often than not, you can’t cook your own food, and you don’t have any space to relax in besides your bed. But that’s not true at Element Hotel in Amsterdam Zuid! Yes, it says hotel in it’s name, but Element Hotel is nothing like the standard hotel rooms you’re used to. With a kitchenette, a couple of comfortable spaces to hang out, and enough storage to get really settled for a few days, the Element Hotel in Amsterdam is more like your home away from home than a hotel room. See why I loved this hotel and even where to shop and eat nearby.
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Why Element Hotel Feels Like Home Away From Home
There’s quite a few things about my hotel room that made it feel like home away from home. Here’s just a few things I loved.
Kitchenette
When I’m traveling often, I don’t enjoy eating out every meal. Eating out for breakfast, lunch and dinner gets kind of tiring. Well, Element Hotel solves that problem. Each Element Hotel room comes with a kitchenette. It’s fully stocked with a stove top, dishwasher, pots, pans and dishes! Best of all, there is a pantry downstairs to fill your fridge and cabinets with, but if you want more fresh food, then an Albert Heijn grocery store right around the corner.
Tons of Storage
The first thing I noticed as soon as I walked in and stuck my nose in every nook and cranny was all the storage space . If you’re like me, you’ll love this because there are tons of spots to organize your pants from your shoes or your electronics from your toiletries. This makes it really easy to get settled in especially for a long-term stay.
Areas to Hang Out In Besides the Bed
I really don’t enjoy going to a hotel and only having the bed to hang out in. In the Element Hotel Room, you can hang out on the couch, this bench next to the bed, or at the dining table. There’s also a couple of lounge areas throughout the hotel to use as your own living room. Not being forced to use one area of a room makes it feel quite homey!
Why Element Hotel is Better Than Home
Even though Element Hotel felt like my home away from home, it was actually better in a few ways. Here’s what Element Hotel has that I wished my own apartment had too.
Thoughtful Additions to the Room
I am all about efficiency, and when it comes to Element Hotel’s rooms, they are right on point with that! There are multiple USB ports around the room so you don’t need to pull out a plug. You just need to put the charging wire directly into the wall.
There’s quite a handful of other thoughtful additions to the room, but to name a couple, I loved the black-out curtains on the windows that’ll help you sleep in as late as you want and the lights in the closet that turn on when you open the doors. You’ll have to book a room here to find out what thoughtful additions you wish you had in your own home!
Spa Inspired Bathroom
I loved getting ready in this bathroom as it felt like I was at a spa. Showering with the rain shower head and using the organic, environmentally-friendly products is a great way to start the morning or end the night!
Complimentary Breakfast
Wouldn’t it be nice if someone made you breakfast everyday, or if you even ate breakfast everyday to start your day off right? Well, at Element Hotel, you can wake up, get ready, and then head to the first floor where a complimentary breakfast is served everyday. There’s more cold items than hot, but there’s everything you could ever want like hard-boiled eggs, croissants, cereal, fruit, tea, coffee, and more.
Fully Equipped Gym
Element Hotel has a fully equipped gym for you to use during your stay. It has the basics from cardio to weights.
Free Bike Rentals
You might not bike to get around at home, but in Amsterdam, biking is a way of life. To make you feel more at home in Amsterdam, Element Hotel has complimentary bikes you can use anytime! Consider them yours.
Eco-Friendly
I absolutely love that the Element Hotel is LEED certified and that their wholly eco-friendly. You can see it in the smallest things like this garbage that has a separated section for plastics, paper, or whatever you want to recycle. They go as far as only calling electric taxis when you need a cab!
Convenient Location
Everything you could ever need and want is within a two minute walk of the hotel. This includes but is not limited to toiletries, groceries, shopping for high-end items, and eating out.
It’s near Amstelpark, the World Trade Center, and public transportation so it’s quite easy to get around.
Where to Buy Groceries and Things You Need Near Element Hotel
For groceries, you can walk two minutes to go to Albert Heijn, a popular grocery store chain in the Netherlands. Even though you have a kitchen to cook in, I like getting their salads, which are under €5. There is also a Marqt two minutes away if you enjoy more organic and natural products. It’s like the Dutch version of Whole Foods.
For the rest of your shopping needs, Gelderlandplein has everything you could imagine. You can get pretty much anything you need from socks to vitamins at HEMA, a Dutch department store, or you can go to Etos or Kruidvat for beauty or pharmaceutical items. You really don’t need to leave this two minute radius for everything you need and want.
Where to Eat Near Element Hotel
Gordal
Besides your kitchenette and the breakfast area, Element Hotel has three places you can eat and drink at. I recommend checking out Gordal, which is a Spanish tapas restaurant. Sharing tapas with a table of people is always a fun way to wind down after work or on the weekend.
I really liked the fried calamari, braised pork, and grilled octopus. All of the meats were flavorful and tender. I noticed a lot of people getting the chorizo, which is flamed at your table, so it may be worth checking out!
Book a table here.
Saigon Caphe
If you enjoy Vietnamese food, then Amsterdam Zuid is a great area to be in. Most of Amsterdam’s Asian population lives nearby in Amstelveen so the better Asian food is in this area. One of these Asian restaurants is Saigon Caphe, which serves Vietnamese food like pho, a flavorful broth simmered for hours with noodles, meat, and other fixings on top.
Bolenius
For a romantic night out or a chance to really wow your clients, check out Bolenius, a Michelin star restaurant. Set in a stylish, modern restaurant, you’ll be beautifully plated dishes with ingredients from their own garden .
Can you see now why Element Hotel is like a home away from home? Book a room here.
Thanks for stopping by! xo.
This blog received a complimentary one-night stay in exchange for a review. All opinions are honestly my own and not influenced by management.
Jose
Thursday 2nd of March 2017
Wonderful Hotels! Thank you for your sharing!
Tamason Gamble
Thursday 23rd of February 2017
I love the flexibility of places like this. As you say staying in hotel after hotel can be a bit draining so to have somewhere where you can actually really relax and potentially cook something for yourself, no matter how basic, is often very refreshing.
Hallie
Thursday 23rd of February 2017
Eco-friendly, efficiency and plenty of space?? What's not to love about this space. Seriously, it definitely is better than home haha. I love that they have a kitchenette. Having a little person means she doesn't like to eat all in one go, but would prefer snacks and small meals throughout the day and trying to find a place to keep and prepare food in a room without one is a mess. Love this.
Paige
Thursday 23rd of February 2017
This is so nice! I'm with you, I like being able to cook my own food to keep my budget in check. Plus, you're right that it can be such a hassle to pack and unpack. My husband are looking for something just like this in Chaing Mai next year, and I'll definitely have to keep this in mind for Amsterdam!
Sandy N Vyjay
Thursday 23rd of February 2017
The Element Hotel looks like a home away from home indeed. The kitchenette is really impressive and reminds of a well-stocked home kitchen. The fact that bikes can be used on complimentary basis is a huge plus for accommodation in Amsterdam. Looks like a great place to set up digs and explore the beauty of Amsterdam.