Type-A presents: Map-A

Click to view the Google Map

Planning this trip with another person is interesting. I'm all about value - bang for the buck. So, if you get exponentially more bang for marginally more buck, I'll go for that. Dave is very cost-conscious. He's all about the lo-rent, cheapest possible scenario. This means a certain amount of compromise on both our parts.

I kinda demanded we fly direct instead of having any layovers. I'll admit it, it was a bitch move.

But my motivations are pure: When returning from Italy 2 weeks ago, my Creative Director was delayed. And re-routed. And delayed. And kept overnight. To the point where his 14 hour travel time exploded into 60 hours of planes and airports to return home.

And really, insisting on flying direct is Me saving Dave from himself. I dislike airports, and I don't think anyone wants to deal with me when irritated in one.

So now I get to compromise big on the hotels. Which I'm totally fine with! I've lived/stayed in dorms, so I don't mind sharing a bathroom... as long as I'm not sharing the bathroom with rats. This is where TripAdvisor comes in.

I've plotted a handful of places to visit/things to do on the map (note: Museums are indicated as suns, because there was no arts icon, and the sun might look like a palette in a warped universe). Then, I plotted 3 highly rated hotels in Amsterdam, all available for $100/night or less.

Again, with my focus on value, I want the cheapest possible hotel with an amazing location. I'm recommending we go with Hotel Aspen, located in the Jordaan District (and the hotel that's Northernmost on the map). It has a walkability factor with the Anne Frank House and Westerkirk just a block away, and the Jordaan itself is known as the Greenwich Village of Amsetrdam, with lots of shops and cafes and such. Aspen also has the highest "recommend to a friend" factor on TripAdvisor of the three.

The other two hotels I've found that meet the criteria of good ratings+under $100 include Hotel Bema and Townhouse Hotel, but their locations seem slightly less desirable (I like that Bema is so close to Museumplein, but am concerned about its distance from the recommended bars and nightlife I've found so far).

Comments or recommendations? I'd like to get the map as populated with things to do/see as possible, so when we're there we can cull down our options based on how the mood suits us.