We stayed at the American Hotel during our stay in Amsterdam. I think it's time they changed the name, because while it used to serve breakfast and food that resembled American style and portions, they have since sold the property, and the new owner has significantly "Europeanized" the hotel. The breakfast buffet is quite different and expensive at 22.50 Euro per person. Mostly breads, fruits, and juices, with tiny, tiny cups of coffee.
This will be the last time that we stay at the American Hotel, if we ever get back to Amsterdam.
We walked over instead of taking a tram. It's only about a 20-minute walk from our hotel to the Anne Frank House, but we took a little detour to walk along the Herengracht (canal) which is where many of the wealthy still live. It was warmer than I expected in Amsterdam this time around. My mistake to not bring any shorts, only blue jeans, and I paid for it. Many places do not have air conditioning in Amsterdam since it is pretty far north.
The Anne Frank Huis has changed a good bit since we last visited in 2008. Now there is an audio tour and they have re-worked almost everything inside. It didn't even look like the same place, but it was very, very crowded. They make you line up outside (in the sunshine and heat) but at least they loaned umbrellas to keep the visitors a little cooler.
It is still a very moving place. One woman had broken down and was crying in a corner about halfway through the tour. How anyone can still, to this day, deny that the Holocaust even happened is beyond me. Those people must REALLY hate Jewish people.
The entire tour lasts maybe 30 minutes. You can take longer if you want, but the crowds just kept on coming, and it was pretty warm in there.
If you go to Amsterdam, the Anne Frank Huis should be a must-see for you, unless you are perhaps an idiotic Holocaust-denier.
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