Budget Travel - Sleeping in AMS airport (daytime)

I'm traveling on a very long itinerary of PEK-NRT-SFO-AMS-TLV, with a 10+ hour layover in AMS (10:30am-9:10pm). I would like to hear suggestions for places to sleep (with an actual bed... I know all about the comfy chairs). Shower is not required as I have KLM lounge access.
Specifically, I'm looking for an airport hotel that won't charge me for two nights when I don't plan to stay even one. Any Suggestions?

At the very minimum there's the Mercure Schiphol Terminal (also known as Hotel West) it's airside so you don't need to exit customs and has rooms for about 80 Euros, you can book a day room so you're not paying on a nightly basis.

You can reserve Tel: +31 20-6041339 or try your luck on the day. You pay for the room on arrival, so when you're ready to leave you can just drop the keys off, no need to check out. This also means what is usually pay TV in most hotels is free here, but you can ask them to block the adult channels if travelling with kids. You can't reserve via the Mercure website.

The Yotel may also be open by now, similar in concept, but pay by the hour rather than the half day. Last time I looked this was still under construction. I vaguely recall this was on the Schengen side so you'd need to go through passport control to reach it.

If the Mercure is full and the Yotel ain't complete then the closest hotels are the Sheraton and Hilton but there's loads of other options a shuttle bus away. Best to contact them direct to see if they do day rooms, most booking engines only do nights.

You might have more options in downtown AMS (only 20 minutes by train from the airport), a somewhat cheaper option close to the airport is the Hotel Schiphol A4 (www.hotelschiphol.nl), which has day (0900-1800h) rooms from EUR55.00 and a free shuttle bus to/from Schiphol. Other cheap(er) hotels near the airport are Ibis and Etap, both also with a free shuttle bus. See www.schiphol.nl for more options.

Schiphol is a busy and exceptionally noisy airport with absolutely nothing to adsorb any sound. The A4 hotel is a nice suggestion.

MisterNice

A new, very stylish hotel called Citizen M just opened near the airport. A friend of mine stayed there recently--rooms are prefab pods, but the furnishings are great, real-deal design icons (Eames, etc.).

It's true, Schiphol is very close to the city. If you are open to the idea of coming to the city, look for hotels near the RAI convention center and train station. The train from Schiphol to Amsterdam RAI takes just nine minutes--you'll see lots of KLM staff taking this sneaky back route. Hotel selection around here is cheaper and nicer than anything walking distance from Centraal.

Also, I'm fairly certain the Sheraton at Schiphol has day rates--though it's a pretty nice place, so it's not a huge bargain. But convenient--you're out of the main terminal, a walk across the parking lot.

The Yotel is not yet complete, but will be coming soon...when are you traveling?

AMS actually has very comfortable loungers, and some leather couches, in public areas (couches are near the lockers, just a 2 min walk from McDonalds) making AMS one of the easiest airports to sleep in. The airport is well lit, safe, ou can sleep air-side. Security is out on patrol, and will even stop ,sit and chat with overnighting pax who are awake.

Skip the hotel, stay in the KLM lounge until they toss you out at 11:00pm. Go lock yourbags, sleep on a couch or lounge and go back to the lounge when it opens again at 5:00am for a shower.

Quiet areas above "Holland Boulevard" are your best bet. Wife and I spent an 8 hour layover there last Xmas and got about 4 hours sleep.

Mercure Schiphol is under construction (as of 6 July) ... sometimes they have rooms, sometimes not. Call in advance ... they never seem to have any day rooms available when I pass through there.

Forget about showering in the KLM club (or any other AMS club) unless you're a Platinum elite on a high price fare. Mercure showers are always available for E17.

With a 10 hour daytime layover you may want to take a tour. Nobody sez you can't sleep on the tour bus :wink:

hope this helps

i've never been able to find an empty lounger to sleep in. I like going to the Mercure. I can sleep, leave my stuff in the room, take a shower. It's relatively quiet. I tried going into Amsterdam, but I'm too old for that now. I need my rest, especially when I'm coming from an overnight flight and connecting to another overnight flight. I've never had a problem getting a room at the Mercure, just walking in.

Quiet areas

Forget about showering in the KLM club (or any other AMS club) unless you're a Platinum elite on a high price fare. Mercure showers are always available for E17.


I am AF-KL Gold and I have never had a problem showering at the KLM Crown Lounges in AMS. I toss my stuff in a locker, or cinch it up in a PacSafe, find a lounger and nap. I have always been able to find a lounger, maybe I just get lucky.

We stayed in Mercure's terminal hotel one night and found it to be a great convenience. I believe they have day rates as well. Worth a call.

The Rai area hotels are not that inexpensive. The new the QBic is up to 138 Euros per night, and it has a fairly chaotic shower water flooding thing to boot. And this is the cheapest of the 3 in the area closest to a train station which includes the Holiday and Nova.

But it's a nice area and while not seeing the major sights at least you are soaking up a bit of local flavor at not that much time from Schipol.

Re. showers, as I recall, there are free showers as part of the public bathroom down the hall from the Intercontinental concourse Crown Lounge, a few steps from the reclined seats. I can't remember more detail than that, but search the threads for info. Just wanted to throw out that free showers are available for all.