ERIC VÖKEL APARTMENTS in Amsterdam - Hotel Review with Photos

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Updated: May 27, 2022

Essentials
• Location: De Ruijterkade.
• Hotel website: ericvokel.com
• Hotel phone: +31-(0)20-808-0487
• Check prices for Eric Vökel Boutique Apartments

Review of Eric Vökel Boutique Apartments in Amsterdam.

Eric Vökel features modern, spacious, and bright apartments in a central location close to Centraal Station and within walking distance of the Medieval Centre.

Eric Vökel Boutique Apartments – Modern, minimalist apartments a stone’s throw from Centraal Station.

Overlooking either the IJ waterway or the Medieval Center, these spacious, thoroughly modern apartments are a favorite with independent travelers. Clean lines, blond wood floors and furnishings, a neutral color scheme, and plenty of light from the floor-to-ceiling windows lends each apartment a Scandinavian feel. Beds are comfortable, the soundproofing is excellent, living areas are spacious, and the hotel’s proximity to the Medieval Center and Amsterdam Noord are big boons.

Eric Vökel Boutique Apartments – Location

Area: Central location next to the train tracks on a street behind Centraal Station; across the bridge from the Red Light District and the Medieval Center. Easy walking distance from many restaurants and bars, walkable to the historic canal ring.
Address: De Ruijterkade 127.
Nearest Transport: Bus, Metro, & Tram – Centraal Station.
How to Get There: Take the train from Schiphol Airport to Centraal Station, then walk for 7 minutes (500m).
Private Transfer: We use and recommend Welcome Pickups car service. Booking through a private car service will cost only a bit more than a taxi – about €50 from Schiphol Airport – but can be worth it to avoid the long taxi queue and for the convenience of paying ahead.
Handy to: Centraal Station, Medieval Center, Red Light District, Amsterdam Noord.

Eric Vökel Boutique Apartments – The Basics

Ages: Guests tend to be couples, families, and groups of friends on a city break. The larger apartments are suitable for families with older children; no baby cots available.
View: Apartments at the front of the building look out over the IJ river, while those at the back look out over railway tracks, with a partial view of the Medieval Center.
Kitchen: Each apartment has a fully-equipped kitchen.
Private Pools/Jacuzzis: No private pools/jacuzzis.
Laundry: Each apartment comes with a washing machine and tumble drier.
When to Book: Reserve 3 months in advance for the mid-March to mid-May tulip season, the July and August high season, and the Christmas-New Year period.
How to Book: Booking.com will have the best rates.
Phone: +31-(0)20-808-0487
Email: book@ericvokel.com
Website: ericvokel.com

Eric Vökel Boutique Apartments – Amenities

Pool: No pool.
Spa: No spa.
Fitness Center: No fitness center.
For Disabled Guests: There are elevators and walk-in showers, but the apartments are not specially adapted for disabled guests.
Other Facilities: Helpful 24-hour reception.

Eric Vökel Boutique Apartments – Food and Drink

Restaurant: No onsite dining, but numerous restaurants and bars an easy stroll away.
Lounge/Bar: No bar, but there are numerous watering holes 5-10 minutes’ walk away.
Breakfast: Complimentary daily breakfast box, bookable via the hotel’s website.
Room Service: No room service.

Eric Vökel Boutique Apartments – Rooms

Room Types: One-Bedroom Apartment • Penthouse One-Bedroom Apartment with River View • Two-Bedroom Apartment with City View • Two-Bedroom Apartment with River View • Three-Bedroom Apartment with River View • List of all Rooms
Smoking Rooms: Eric Vökel Boutique Apartments – Amsterdam Suites is 100% smoke-free.
Best Room: The Penthouse Apartment in the attic boasts plenty of natural light from the floor-to-ceiling windows, great views of the IJ river from the balcony, and a spacious living and dining area.
For Families: The 2 and 3-bedroom apartments with a double bed in each bedroom can accommodate up to 4 and 6 people, respectively.

Eric Vökel Boutique Apartments – Local Transport

Walking: Easy walking distance to the Medieval Center and the Red Light District, both of which are about 10 minutes (1 km) away. 20 minutes’ walk (1.5 km) to the historic canal ring.
Metro and Tram: Amsterdam’s tram hub is in front of Centraal Station, 7 minutes (500m) away on foot. Trams run to every corner of the city; it’s less than 20 minutes by tram (3 km) to the Museum Quarter, 8 minutes (1.5 km) to the Anne Frank House, and 11 minutes (1.5 km) to the lively Rembrandtplein. Centraal Station is also the metro hub, with handy departures to Amsterdam Noord, De Pijp, Nieuwmarkt, and Waterlooplein, among other areas of interest.
Taxis, Uber: Taxis and Uber charge around €35 from the airport to the hotel, but since the apartments are a stone’s throw from the train station, there’s little reason to use either. Within the city, Uber rides cost around half of taxi fares. It’s often quicker to walk, cycle, or jump on a tram.

Eric Vökel Boutique Apartments – What’s Nearby?

Recommended Nearby Tours

Stromma – Open boat canal tours, hop-on, hop-off boats, and 100 Highlights canal cruise. Start location: 500m.
That Dam Guide – Intimate, small-group, 2-hour tours that provide an excellent all-round view of the sex industry. Guides explain Amsterdam’s laws and working conditions, and point out the good and bad sex shops, peep shops, live theaters, and strip clubs. Start location: 500m.
Rederij Kooij – Private canal tours in a vintage wooden boat. Start location: 700m.
Lovers Canal Cruises – Semi-open boat cruises, plus luxury cruises on small, restored historic boats. Start location: 1 km.
Prostitution Information Centre – Fascinating information center where you get the answers to everything you’ve ever wanted to know about Amsterdam’s prostitution industry. Hour-long walking tours (€15 per person) depart from here at 5pm on Saturdays. Start location: 1 km.
Amsterdam City Tours – Coach tours depart for the Keukenhof flower gardens and Zaanse Schans windmills from the I Amsterdam tourist office. Start location: 1 km.
Amsterdam Red Light District Tours – Several options of Red Light District walking tour – with a group, with a private guide, and with exclusive private guides who’ve worked in the sex industry for decades. Start location: 1.5 km.
Offbeat Amsterdam: Red Light District Walking Tours – Entertaining 90-minute tours that depart from Dam Square, and take in the history of the sex worker industry and highlights such as a peep show, hidden street art, and the Amsterdam Museum of Prostitution. Start location: 1.5 km.
Blue Boat Company – Open-boat cruises, themed kids’ cruises, evening cruises, and Hard Rock burger cruises. Start location: 3 km.

Best Nearby Restaurants

Dabka – Good Lebanese mezze spreads and kebabs; eat inside, or on the canal-side terrace. (600m).
Kam Yin – Large, inexpensive portions of Chinese and Surinamese standards. Popular with students. (700m).
Omelegg – Central branch of the popular all-day breakfast/brunch café. 2 dozen different omelettes and shakshuka are specialties here. (700m).
Thaise Snackbar Bird – Diminutive Thai restaurant, authentic curries, spicy papaya salad, and more. Takeout service. (750m).
Nam Kee – Classic Cantonese cuisine in more spacious surrounds than its sister restaurant in the Red Light District. (800m).

Best Nearby Bars and Breweries

Molly Malone’s – Live Irish folk music, good pub food, Guinness on tap, and a crowd of Irish expats are regular features at this Irish pub. (600m).
In ‘t Aepjen – Atmospheric local watering hole inside one of very few remaining wooden buildings in Amsterdam, with vintage jazz on the stereo. (600m).
In de Olofspoort – A jenever tasting house, accessed through the former city gate, with an incredible range of the venerable Dutch spirit. (600m).
Café ‘t Mandje – Legendary gay bar – Amsterdam’s oldest. (750m).
Brouwerij de Prael – Multi-level tasting room of the eponymous craft beer brewery, with numerous IPAs, stouts, barley wines, and other brews on tap. (750m).
De Bekeerde Suster – 16th century cloister turned brewery with 4 own brews flowing from copper tanks, seasonal and guest beers, and numerous bottled brews. (1 km).
Rosalia’s Menagerie – Intimate little cocktail bar that’s part of the Misc EatDrinkSleep hotel. Ideal place to sample your first jenever, or sip a cocktail with your sweetie. (1 km).

Nearby Shopping and Cool Shops

Kokopelli – Smart shop specializing in magic truffles, with an attractive juice bar and lounge. (700m).
RoB Amsterdam – Bondage, leather, rubber, and other dress-up gear. (800m).

Eric Vökel Boutique Apartments – The Hotel

Apartment bedrooms feature large double or twin beds.

Bedrooms in all the apartments at the boutique Eric Vökel come either with large double beds or twin beds.

2-bedroom apartments have a spacious and contemporary living area.

2-bedroom apartments feature spacious living areas with contemporary decor.

All apartments feature a well-equipped kitchen.

All apartments come with well-equipped kitchens.

The living areas of 3-bedroom apartments are bright and spacious.

The living areas of the 3-bedroom apartments benefit from plenty of natural light.

The Penthouse features a river-facing terrace, and a corner location.

The Penthouse comes with a terrace overlooking the river, and a winning corner location.

Centraal Station is the hub for trains, trams, and metro.

The aparthotel is across the Oostertoegang waterway from Centraal Station, the Netherlands’ main train hub. From in front of the train station, trams run all over the city. There’s also an entrance to the metro.

Most canal cruises start off the dock at Damrak.

From Centraal Station, the main thoroughfare of Damrak runs south to Dam square. Just off Damrak is the dock for most canal cruise boat companies. Have a look at a few, since some offer open-boat and small group tours that can explore the narrow, less well-trodden canals, while others have large boats that may only navigate the main canals.

Sexmuseum Amsterdam is the city's most popular erotic museum.

Across the street from the boat dock, Sexmuseum Amsterdam is the most entertaining of the city’s erotic museums, with several floors of the world’s earliest nude photos, X-rated ceramics through the ages, mannequins recreating scenes from the Red Light District, and more. Over-18s only.

Kam Yin is known for its inexpensive Chinese and Surinamese food.

The pedestrian Warmoesstraat also runs south to Dam square, parallel to Damrak. Near the boat dock, Kam Yin is a cheap and cheerful place favored by local students, with heaped portions of Chinese and Surinamese dishes, and a canteen-style ambience.

Kokopelli is known for its magic truffles, marijuana, knowledgeable staff, and cool lounge.

Next door, Kokopelli is an excellent smart shop with a wide range of magic truffles and marijuana. Smart shops are a dime a dozen in the Medieval Center, but this one has both, knowledgeable staff, and a cool lounge.

RoB Amsterdam specializes in bondage, leather, and dress-up gear.

There’s a dense concentration of sex shops along Warmoesstraat. RoB Amsterdam is the pick of the lot, with plenty of bondage, leather, and other dress-up gear.

Brouwerij de Prael features several brews on tap.

A block north of RoB, down Oudezijds Armsteeg lane, Brouwerij de Prael is a real treat for beer lovers. The tasting room of the eponymous craft brewery has numerous brews on tap.

Omelegg serves various omelettes, shakshuka, and other egg dishes all day.

Around the corner, tiny Nieuwebrugsteeg lane hides the central branch of Omelegg. Like the original in De Pijp, it’s all about the egg here: a couple of dozen different omelettes, shakshuka, and other eggy creations served all day.

In De Olofspoort is very popular for jenever tasting.

At its north end, Warmoesstraat turns into the tiny Sint Olofspoort lane. In De Olofspoort is a tiny, characterful tasting room that’s very much part of the local scene, compared to the tourist magnet bars in this part of town. A great place to sample jenevers, and occasionally locals will break out in impromptu song.

In ‘t Aepjen is located in one of the few wooden buildings in the city.

Directly across Zeedijk street, In ‘t Aepjen is another atmospheric watering hole inside one of the last few remaining wooden buildings in Amsterdam. It’s a mellow spot, with vintage jazz on the stereo, and not a stag party in sight.

Dabka is a locally-popular Lebanese mezze place.

The north end of Zeedijk is part of the Medieval Center’s nightlife scene, with scores of bars, pubs, and largely mediocre eateries. Exceptions include Dabka, a longstanding local favorite for Lebanese mezze, and a great canal-side terrace to boot.

Molly Malone is a popular Irish pub with Guiness on tap.

Down a tiny lane near Dabka, Molly Malone is an authentic Irish pub popular with Irish expats. Live folk music most nights, Guinness on tap.

Café ‘t Mandje is a local institution, and Amsterdam's oldest gay bar.

There are several gay bars along Zeedijk. Café ‘t Mandje is the stuff of local legend, and Amsterdam’s oldest gay bar. Friendly scene, chilled out place for a drink or two.

Thaise Snackbar Bird is popular for its Thai takeout.

A little further south, towards Nieuwmarkt square, there’s usually a line outside Thaise Snackbar Bird, where locals gather to collect their Thai takeout. Authentic flavors, limited indoor seating.

Nam Kee is a popular restaurant in Chinatown, and famous for its oysters in black bean sauce.

The southern part of Zeedijk is Amsterdam’s Chinatown. Nam Kee is one of the standout restaurants here; oysters with black bean sauce is a specialty.

Nieuwmarkt square hosts farmers' and antique markets on weekends.

Just south of Chinatown is Nieuwmarkt square, surrounded by bars. On Saturdays, the square hosts a farmers’ market; on Sundays, an antique market.

Rosalia’s Menagerie is known for its jenevers and jenever-based cocktails.

Nearby, inside the Misc EatDrinkSleep boutique hotel, the cosy Rosalia’s Menagerie cocktail bar is open to non-guests in the evenings. It’s an excellent place to sample jenevers and jenever-based cocktails, and the ambience is a world away from most bars of the Red Light District. Eric Vökel Boutique Apartments

Hotel Eric Vökel Boutique Apartments in Amsterdam

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