Romantic boat

LYDIA is a very nice person, who will pamper you. Thanks to her!

I admit I booked this houseboat because one of the owner's cats is @Police_Cat_Amsterdam, and I've followed the account for some time. Lydia was great at responding to questions (accounting for an 8-hour time difference) and was willing to stash our luggage as we knew we'd be arriving a few hours before official check-in time. Luckily, the previous guests were gone early, and she welcomed us on board once we arrived - and we were also greeted by her two lovely cats (she knew in advance we were happy to have them around). Lydia spent some time chatting with us (which we welcomed) and repeatedly asked if we needed anything. She even helped with our luggage, which was not expected, and provided some helpful information for the area.

The boat is located on a canal travelled by a number of "canal cruises," and it was great fun to sit on the desk and watch them come and go - even more fun when a captain/guide would point out "Amsterdam's police cat" and people would be sure to get photos/video of him. While it may sound busy, the street is very quiet, and once inside, we really never heard any noise from passing boats (and it was a Saturday night). The "living area" inside is larger than expected (although we spent most of our time on the deck), the bed space in the bow spans the entire width of the boat, and the bathroom is a good size as well. Lydia offered to set up an air bed as we are not a couple and prefer to sleep separately, but we were happy to do it ourselves once she showed us where it (and the electric pump) were kept. As we stayed only 1 night, we didn't make use of most of the provided amenities (coffee maker, kettle, toaster, microwave, and shower toiletries), but it was nice to have them available. If you want sleek, modern accommodation, this is probably not the place for you as the boat is 150 years old, but it has everything you need! I wanted to make a memory for us, and getting the "postcard" canal houseboat experience was certainly fulfilled - portholes for windows is just one example of the charm of staying on an older, traditional houseboat.

The location is simply fantastic! You can get everywhere in just a few minutes on foot! Lydia is a fantastic host! She treated us to delicious beer and snacks right from the start, so we arrived relaxed. :) So, all in all, a dream!

Lydia’s houseboat was great, and we will definitely return. She (and her cats) was a very welcoming and friendly host. The place was very cozy and it was great being right on the water. It was walking distance to many shops, restaurants, and bike rental places.

Lydia greeted us with wine and snacks. When the WiFi was temporarily not working she let us use a hotspot. She made sure we had taxi service at 7 am when the taxi we ordered online didn't come.