Beat the Dutch Travel

Enjoyed this hotel very much. The location was central to a lot of sights and tram and bus stops.

Quirky decor and aesthetic.

Loved the vibe of the hotel and historic origins to be repurposed from an old bank into a hotel. You can go down to the vault and see the wine cellar.

Loved the location of this hotel to the center of town. There was a bit of an issue with noise from the heater/cooling unit in the middle of the night and the room was a bit dim. The TV had issues were it kept freezing and the satellite signal would be delayed. It was hard to find an outlet for charging phones.

Step back into the past and sleep in a previous abbey.

Awesome amenity: spa and gym were superb. Loved that there was a water station so that we could refill water bottles and not have to purchase. They also provided sparkling water free of service from the dispenser as well. Customer service was excellent from check in to check out. This was last hotel for our trip and it truly was the best experience.

Too many people and wasn’t what I expected.

Amazing seeing the panoramic painting. Enjoyed the background information on the lower level before reaching the top level to see the panoramic painting. Appreciate how they made it seem like it was a light house view

Bit obscure at night finding the entrance but it was an interesting experience to get to the other bank. Appreciate that you can also take the ferry for free as well back and forth.

Appreciate that you can see so many things with this card and also have access to public transportation so that you don’t have to walk around everywhere.

Very somber and eye opening experience. Would highly recommend.

Breakfast was top notch. Room was small, yet clean and comfortable. Hotel was in a convenient area of the city!

Conveniently located. Clean, restaurant and exceptional as was the breakfast.

Quaint and centrally located. Staff was friendly and acommodating.

Intimate tour with only 7-8 other guests. Our tour guide was friendly, engaging and informative. Would do again!

Museum is fantastic. One of our favorite things we did!

Rudolph, our guide was friendly and engaging. Wonderful person!

Touristy but worth the visit. We loved learning about the history of windmills and the influence on industry in Amsterdam.

Amazing museum. A must see!

beautiful town. We enjoyed walking the streets and taking in the lovely views.

Incredible park and experience. We could have used another day!

The 40 mile bike route was stunning! The castle and grounds is a must see!

A must for anyone traveling in the Netherlands. So easy!

Great overview of Dutch artists.

Amazing museum and a pleasant surprise. We loved the young, vibrant area as well. Highly recommend!

INcredible bike ride and views! Loved it! Bike rental was easy as well.

Hiking was fantastic and trails were easy to follow.

Very challenging but worth the climb. For anyone who has a good fitness level, this is a must do. The restaurant next door was a great place to go afterwards as well.

Quaint towns and fun to stroll the streets.

We thought the museum was okay but would have enjoyed the music museum more.

A must see for anyone going to Amsterdam. Book early it is popular. We are glad we went.

Staff was responsive and helpful. Room and bath were comfortable if a bit small. Location near historic Grand Place was very convenient and special. Breakfast offered a broad range of options.

Our guide was charming, enthusiastic and knowledgeable. A great experience.

Train was easy to manage especially with train tickets purchased ahead and a click away. Starting at the central station...wow. We walked and walked and saw a great deal. A wonderful day trip from Brussels.

Having the Ghent card made seeing sites easy. Ghent is lovely and would highly recommend. Enjoyed the castle and the boat trip. We were not sure the special tout to see the Mystic Lamb would be worth it and it definitely was!

Just fabulous! A bit of a hiccup meant that the guide was not highly comfortable with English, so we ended up with 2 guides! Both were not completely fluent in English but together we understood each other perfectly. Both were charming and highly knowledgeable. A great experience.

Mix-up on reservation and time meant it started 40 minutes late, but having the actual phone number of the guide meant we were able to reach him directly and he came immediately. Guide was local and generally knowledgeable. Like to have a bit more knowledge of the history of city and perspective this brings.

Having the Brussels card worked out well. We started at the Comic Museum which was in a cool Victor Horta building, and we enjoyed it more than we expected. We went to the BOZAR next but there were no current exhibits. Thankfully, the Magritte Museum is very close by so we headed there. It was very enjoyable. We enjoyed the Museum of Instruments as well. The trek to the Park Cinquantenaire was a bit long but worth it. And we figured out the metro back to the hotel since it was included on the card. Quite convenient.

A must see and very enjoyable. However, would be elevated with the availability of an audio tour rather than just a brief description of each space in a booklet. Still, an amazing place.

Significantly better than anticipated...truly wonderful. The virtual reality tour before viewing the painting was informative and fun. Well done!

Gorgeous! Worth seeing for sure. Tour aspect was not particularly good. Staff were a bit late openning so we all entered together with everyone needing to get booties and check packpacks. We were told we were told we had 40 minutes to view the house, which for us, since we didn't push to the front meant closer to 30. There was no audio tour and guides seemed to be stationed not to provide information but to be sure we all moved along, didn't take pictures until the prescribed time, and didn't touch anything. Staff were not welcoming. It felt like we were gifted with the opportunity and should be thankful we had any entrance at all. Thankfully, we know quite a bit about Art Nouveau and had seen the outside a couple days before with our Art Nouveau guide so she had given us a great deal of history and information.

No available exhibits.

Interesting. We did the comedy and history audio tour which was entertaining, although a bit long.

Guide was wonderful. It was drizzling or lightly raining the whole time, but with umbrellas in hand, we all made the best of it and the guide was as enthusiastic as one could hope. Very knowledgeable and engaging.

Beautiful location. Interesting exhibit and nice audio tour where at a press of a button you could listen to most of the instruments. I was thankful I wasn't with my musician brother has he would have spent 8 hours there!

Nice museum that had views of the city from different directions at every level. That was cool. Top floor offered panoramic views! Exhihibits were fine but not stellar. Still, we enjoyed it.

Interesting park. Sorry to see the main pavilions are not open generally. Understand it would be a significant expense to keep it up and renovated, but hope Brussels has the opportunity to do that in the future...it would be wonderful.

Fun. Guide was very funny. Nice way to get a flavor for Ghent.

Glad we did it as it give you a feel for Antwerp.

Friendly and great location.

Good location off the beaten path of all the tourists. Quite and an old heritage hotel. We did have issues with the elevator not working a lot of the time. We did enjoy our stay.

Had major issues with this hotel. We were placed on the 3rd floor where there was major construction happening. The construction made it uncomfortable as saw's, drills, hammers and workers were always on the floor making noise. The finally ended their day about 6:30 and started at 8am again. The AC was turned off when we arrived, and took all night to finally cool down. We did not have a good experience with the front desk staff either. Very rude and non-apologic about the situation. Cannot recommend.

Hard to find but in a great location. The decor on the walls and ceiling were kind of odd as there were half naked 'ruben-esk" women with chubby cherbs on the walls and ceiling. The sink and shower are open to the room but luckily the toilet was in it's own room.

This was very interesting, especially the building itself, as they have maintained the interior architecture from the original period. The paintings are displayed beautifully, and the colors are brilliant.

Our driver and tour guide, Lucas, was fantastic. He guided us through Flanders on a moving and educational tour. It was an exceptional experience, and we were very grateful for his personal stories and insights about the locations we visited. This turned out to be another highlight of our trip.

Enjoyed the private tour and guide. He was able to bring the medieval world around Brugge to life.

As expected, the old master's artwork is stunning. I loved seeing all of these Flemish painters: Rubens and Van Dyck. Huge paintings with lots of religious and historical subjects. Magnificent. A real delight was the special exhibit of Gormley sculptures, which was very fun to see and experience. One of his pieces filled an entire 2-3 story room, and you could walk inside the sculpture to see a beautiful lighting of soft gray, white, and black. Very well done.

I am at a loss for words to describe how wonderful this museum was. It was spectacular, filled with countless exhibits, old masters, and endless beautiful art. A true treasure! I loved it immensely!

Veronique was an excellent guide. She spent more time with us than necessary and was truly wonderful. Engaging, funny, easy to walk with, and very informative, she shared captivating stories about her time in the city and explained how Belgium is organized both politically and historically. Her insights provided a perfect foundation for the rest of our trip in Belgium. We found her to be incredibly helpful and enjoyable to have as our guide—a real gem!

Enjoyed the retrospective of Rene's work. I especially enjoyed his later work. The museum is very informative of how he matured his art and philosophy of art.

I had a wonderful hands-on experience at the museum. While the museum itself was enjoyable, the highlight was watching the women who were making lace. They were patient, informative, and a joy to watch and learn from. I really appreciated their willingness to teach us how to lace weave and share stories about when and how they learned their craft. I hope they can keep this museum and their trade alive for the future. It showcases a beautiful and historic talent. Unfortunately, my phone battery died, so I don't have photos.

The Van Gogh museum was quite crowded during my visit. While it was a bit overwhelming, one pleasant surprise was seeing the Almond Blossom painting, which was on temporary display. Years ago, my brother-in-law created a replica of the painting using a Virginia Dogwood flower, which I now own and display in my home.

It was incredibly moving and sobering—one of those places that makes you stop and reflect on both the best and worst of humanity. The museum and annex were very well organized, and I appreciated the effective crowd control inside. In the annex, they showed great respect by pausing the audio guide, allowing visitors to reflect on the space and consider how the people lived during their captivity there.

It was simple and so easy to use everywhere!

It was very interesting to learn about the history and the process that immigrants had to go through. I appreciated the ancestry information provided at the end, as I am currently trying to find out if my family passed through Antwerp during their immigration.

This place is super interesting and a lot of fun to visit. You have complete access to the entire castle. The audio tour is excellent, as it includes humor in the storytelling about the castle and the royals who lived there. I definitely recommend visiting! We had a very fun visit.

Another fun experience in Ghent. I recommend that everyone take one of these boat tours. We had a fun driver and good boatmates on our tour. It is a lovely way to see the city.

The museum was quite interesting, although it was perhaps a bit outside my usual taste in art. The first exhibit featured a large mud hut that visitors could enter after removing their shoes. The second exhibit was created by artists who were denouncing the concept of 'beauty.' While I understand the message they were trying to convey, it felt as if the artists had a strong disdain for anything related to beauty. This exhibit might resonate with some people, but it wasn’t one of my favorites.

The museum was lovely, situated away from the crowded main streets, which made it a peaceful place to visit. The Flemish art was beautiful, and I enjoyed admiring the works of the old masters. Their ability to capture landscapes, family life, and religious history is truly spectacular.

I had a wonderful walking tour of Antwerp's old district as well as the diamond district with Luc. He was excellent and met me at our hotel, which was located in the old district rather than near the train station. Luc thought it would be better to walk around and show me some historic sites, such as City Hall, the Cathedral, and Saint Carolus Borromeuskerk Church. Of course, we also made our way to the diamond district. It was fascinating to hear him explain how the diamond wholesale process works, and I learned that the diamond district is highly secure. Barricades with gates line both ends of the street, and a police station is nearby, with active military surveillance in the area. Luc was fantastic, and I am so grateful for the time he took to explain everything. It was very well done!

We were thrilled to have tickets to see this incredible piece of history and art. The tour before the viewing included virtual reality (VR) glasses that provided background information on the painting, the artist, and the fascinating history behind the artwork. The VR tour was well executed. When we finally saw the painting, it was unbelievable. The vibrant colors, incredible details, and beautifully arranged panels were breathtaking. I had not expected it to be so clear, bright, and filled with extraordinary details. This is definitely a must-see in Ghent. It was very well displayed.

Hotel Mercier was great.The location is perfect for exploring central Amsterdam. The staff is very friendly and and helpful. My room was large by European standards. The mattress was way too soft and the topper moved during the night. The hotel itself is beautiful and tastefully decorated. I enjoyed the breakfast in the bright and airy restaurant. I would return to the Hotel Mercier.

This museum is impressive, well laid out and has an excellent audio tour. The grand masters are worth seeing

The windmills are fasciitis see and learn about.i had no idea of the role they played in Dutch industry.

Aisha’s a great public transport system and the OV card made it easy to access the system

This was a very fun, interesting and informative experience. I enjoyed the guide very much and would highly recommend this experience. The food was excellent, especially the Indonesian satay.

The cruise was a lovely way to see Amsterdam. The captain was really nice and welcoming and our waitress was great and shared interesting information about the city. The dinner was delicious and accompanied by good wine. I highly recommend this experience.

I love Van Gogh’s work and really enjoyed touring the museum.

Seeing this house and Anne Frank’s diary and letters was very moving.

Rooms were very nice, and since it's August, we appreciated the air-conditioning. Staff were helpful.

Henk and Anne-Marie are amazing hosts. They helped orient us to the city, find some places to eat, and shared information about events taking place. The breakfasts were simple and delicious. We were traveling as a family, and we were able to have a space in our room to play boardgames and wind down for the evening.

The location was great in the city, but our room was very small and musty with little air circulation. We were there during some hot days in August and there didn't seem to be any fans or solutions available even when we asked. Luckily, our party had two rooms, and the other room had a fan that they shared with us. The staff were kind, but didn't have the English skills needed to assist our basic knowledge of Dutch; this led to a few instances of miscommunication that left us all frustrated.

The Private Grand Dutch Food and History Tour in Amsterdam was fabulous. It was such a great way to arrive in the city, combining a tour with some delicious food. It was very convenient as we didn't have to find a place for dinner that first night. I would highly recommend this activity to anyone visiting Amsterdam.

The museums we visited, including the Rijksmuseum, were fabulous. We really enjoyed the cultural experience and the art collections.

The canal cruise in Amsterdam was fun and enjoyable. It was a nice way to see the city from a different perspective and relax after walking tours.

Plumbings needs attention. The staff was great but the hotel needs major renovation

Cute and charming place. Would liked to have stayed here.

Very informative. A must do.

Tour guide was fun and full of information. Hit all the big food spots in 2.5 hours

We would probably skip this next time and just head to the chocolate shops :)

Full of information and pictures to explain the history of Bruges. Was the perfect length for the group and kept the attention of all

not too charming a hotel, but excellent location.

cool hotel, great location in Rotterdam. Excellent service and amazing staff.

Gorgeous hotel, amazing service, excellent chefs prepare delicious food, huge rooms and bathrooms. We loved it!!

so nice to be able to see these important works.

Far too many stairs and unhelpful staff.

LOved this! Lots to see and had a great guide.

The collection is too heavily focused on religious art.

such an excellent museum!! and cafe.

The Royal Museum is dull and the Magritte is just okay.

antwerp is a great town.

it was a problem to do these two cities on the same day. The guide in Bruges instructed us on the interesting history of Bruges, but we did not have time to go into any of the buildings before we had to leave the city to make the ticketed activities of Ghent. more time needed to have been allowed between cities. we loved the canal cruise in Ghent and seeing the Ghent Altarpiece.

Antwerp is a wonderful, beautiful, interesting town. The KMSKA Museum is off the charts!! Such a great collection and a wonderful arrangement of work. We loved it!! and the cafe was good too.

We appreciate being given this card because it was difficult to get another one.

it was very interesting to learn the history of Delft pottery and to see it being made.

This museum is so fun! How wonderful to have these artists all under one roof. Loved it.

Roland was a great guide. I just wish I had understood the route he was taking so that we could have allowed for more time to see inside the important buildings.

very cool museum. I would have liked to have been able to read all they had posted.

chilling

Few of his most famous pieces are here. it was interesting to know his evolution though.