Welcome aboard on my houseboat The Morning Star! She's a charming lady of well over a 100 hundred years old, yet with a surprisingly youthful appearance thanks to a complete make-over. The front of the ship is now a wonderful studio with a warm, light and cozy atmosphere, a high-end bathroom and super comfortable double bed.
Houseboat description
The Morning Star ('Morgenster' in Dutch) is an iron ship, built in 1905. Although she has been renovated completely after I purchased her in 2017, you can still sense the history that is attached to this vessel. Not only because of the characteristic outline, but also inside where I have tried to show the original shape of the hull as good as possible. The wooden walls and ceiling create a genuine nautical atmosphere and the roof windows let in lots of daylight.
When arriving on Amsterdam Central Station, it is just a few minutes walking before you arrive at our surprisingly quiet pier. Actually this is the oldest harbor in the city, already in use in the 16th century! During this nice walk, you will enjoy the many old ships, and an abundance of plants and trees that characterize our lovely neighborhood. You enter the ship via a wide staircase with a personal door code (allowing you to check in even in case I would not be there myself) and have access to your fully private studio located on the front side of the ship.
The place is especially suitable for couples, the comfortable double bed is 160 x 200 cm. On the left side of the bed there is a flatscreen tv with Netflix and you will find the compact fridge - everything for your convenience. It goes without saying that we offer free wifi. On the right side of the studio there is a charming bathroom with toilet, comfortable rain shower, a roof window and cool waxed concrete walls. The studio is comfortably heated with high-end electric wall-heaters so you are assured to be nice and warm even on the coldest winter days. Note that the studio has a high ceiling, so it is also suitable for tall people. However we don't offer cooking facilities, but who wants to cook with countless great restaurants within just minutes walking distance? It's holiday, no time for cooking!
The outside space is truly spectacular: the panoramic views from the front deck - a great place for your first cup of coffee - will create everlasting memories. And not to mention my garden where you can sit back, relax, bbq, have a drink and make plans for a brand new day in town.
The neighborhood offers a unique combination of tranquility and countless great things to do within walking distance. The piers where we are located are home to a tight and friendly houseboat community, warmly welcoming guests from all over the world. From here you can discover the city easily by foot, or use the many good public transport connections within minutes walking. This part of Amsterdam is known for the red light district, but I'm glad to say there are so much more interesting things to see and do. From our ship you see the famous Maritime Museum shining in all her glory, next to the great Science museum Nemo. The Artis Zoo is located about 10 minutes walking and the Waterloo Square, Rembrandt House and the Dam Sqare are even closer by. So I guess it is safe to say that you won't find a better location to discover Amsterdam easily.
I truly look forward to welcome you aboard soon and share the unique experience of living on the water with you. And please do let me know if you have any questions - always glad to help!
One or two last things. We love happy people, but please note that the Morning Star is not a party ship. So no smoking, loud music and drugs are allowed aboard in any case. My ship is the first one next to the quay and has three more ships next to it, so residents living there have to pass over the Morning Star. That's part of living on a ship in Amsterdam.
Our regular check in time is 15.00, but on request we can see if it is possible to drop your luggage earlier of arrive later. The regular check out time is 11.00.
The location is nice and quiet at night, yet close to countless attractions.
Theme:
Historic / Sightseeing
Lake / Riverside
Nighlife
Romantic
Town / City
My houseboat studio is perfect for couples who want to enjoy a truly romantic getaway.
Kitchen:
Linen Provided
Towels Provided
You have access to a coffee maker, coocker and a compact fridge.
Heating/cooling:
Central Heating
The boat is heated with high-end electric wall heaters.
Entertainment:
Internet Access
Satellite / Cable Tv
Wi-Fi
We have a flatscreen tv with Netflix and free wifi.
Outdoors Facilities:
Barbeque / Braai
Garden
Sun Loungers
Terrace / Balcony
You can chill out both on the front deck and the garden next to the boat.
Activities Nearby:
Climbing
Cycling / Mountain Biking
Fishing
Walking / Hiking
There is a climbing hall just a few minutes away, as well as a bike rental, tour guide and countless other cool things to do. Fishing from the shore is also great.
Bedrooms:
1 Bedroom(s), 2 Sleeps Number of double beds - 1
The bathroom has nicely waxed concrete walls and offers a toilet, sink and a large rain shower. The ceiling window lets in daylight, creating a bright atmosphere.
Bathrooms:
1 Bathroom(s) Number of en-suite - 1 Number of toilets - 1
My boyfriend and I had a great time. Can only recommend
Absolutely fantastic
Added by: Priya, date added: , country: England
We had a fabulous stay with Maarten, he was a lovely & welcoming host with great communication before & during our stay. There are some great details in the property, you can see a lot of time & effort has been put in as mentioned in other reviews. Would definitely recommend & we will look to stay here the next time we are in Amsterdam. Thanks again Maarten!
Very nice and clean room. Great location
Added by: John, date added: , country: Ireland
very nice and clean room. great location.
Great stay!
Added by: Mary, date added: , country: Canada
The Morning Star is a nice hidden gem. Close to Central Station and within walking distance to many attraction in Amsterdam. The Morning Star was clean and has enough room for 2 people. Although Maarten was away while we were there, he had a very nice friend look after us.
Fantastic
Added by: Adam, date added: , country: England
lovely houseboat in a great location just a few minutes walk from central station.
Amazing
Added by: Lorea, date added: , country: France
It was a wonderful stay at The Morning Star, the room is absolutely beautiful and it really makes you have the compete Amsterdam experience! We had an amazing stay, and one of the best things is that it is walking distance from everything so we just walked the whole vacation!
Great stay!
Added by: Bob, date added: , country: the Netherlands
The Morning Start is a lovely houseboat in a fantastic location: it is in the city center yet very quiet. It's a very comfortable place and great base to explore Amsterdam.
Lovely houseboat
Added by: Cornelia, date added: , country: Germany
Our stay on Marten‘s houseboat was a real pleasure. A lovely designed room with a extraordinary bathroom including a waterfall shower. We really enjoyed our trip to Amsterdam, thanks to you Marten!
Perfect!!
Added by: Mats, date added: , country: Belgium
We had a great time on the boat. It is located ideal for a city trip, close to Amsterdam centraal and the centre of Amsterdam. And the host was very friendly and helpful.
A great stay in Amsterdam!
Added by: Andree, date added: , country: Germany
My son and I had a great stay in Amsterdam and two wonderful nights onboard the Morningstar. All sights are in a walking distance, the boat is very comfortable, we had all we needed and more than that! The contact to the owner Maarten before and during our stay was very friendly, we got all helpful informations we needed in advance, even individual restaurant recommendations. When we‘ll return to Amsterdam it‘s going to be the Morningstar again!
Well done
Added by: Michael, date added: , country: the United States
had an enjoyable experience aboard the houseboat. Maarten was very nice and the room was prepared nicely. It was quite simple but sufficient and clean. Guest account setup for Netflix was nice to have when winding down at night. Pretty quick walk from Central Station. Would reccomend
What an amazing time at The Morning Star!
Added by: Rebecca, date added: , country: England
My friend and I decided to have a belated birthday get away and where better to go... Amsterdam.
I somehow stumbled upon Bookahouseboat and thought "why not".
Before we arrived Maarten, the owner of the boat was absolutely fantastic. He emailed me with all the necessary information and couldn't be more helpful or attentive.
When we arrived Maartens' boat was easy to find and its location was so central.
The Morning Star has been done to a very high spec and has everything you would need. As well as being very comfortable, it was lovely and warm.
I will definitely be staying again.
Thank you very much Maarten you made us feel very welcome.
Take care, hopefully see you soon x
Wonderful experience on a houseboat in Amsterdam city
Added by: Peter, date added: , country: Germany
Staying with Maarten was a real treat. He created a very private and cozy place that made us feel very welcome. The space is very well designed and the wooden walls create a very warm atmosphere. Even though it was freezing outside during our stay, inside it was very comfortable thanks to great heating and the very nice big bed. Compliments for the bathroom with the big shower - very convenient. And last but not least: the location. It is just a few minutes walking from central station so very easy if you travel by train (like us). We enjoyed every minute of it and will be back one day or another for sure. Thanks for being a great host Maarten!
Very good value for money!
Added by: Marco, date added: , country: France
We had a great time at this floating home and highly recommend it. Just like on the pictures, and maybe even better :-)
Che casa galleggiante ad Amsterdam!
Added by: Mario, date added: , country: Italy
Siamo stati con Maarten per tre notti e siamo stati benissimo. Grazie per averci fatto e complimenti per la ristrutturazione di questa casa galleggiante!
Mario
Hope to be back soon
Added by: Karola, date added: , country: Germany
We had an amazing stay on this newly renovated houseboat. The location is just perfect, and it will be even cooler during the summer when all the trees and plants are green again. You have all the privacy you can possibly ask for, we didn't even notice that the host lives on the same boat. You have your own entrance to the front of the ship and this is such a cool place. It really has character, loads of it ;-) The bathroom is really nice and the shower is comfortably big. Also it is cool that the place is really light thanks to the windows in the ceiling. Thanks for having us, we will be back in september!
Big thumbs up to the host for his work!
Added by: Jonathan, date added: , country: England
We have been so fortunate to be Maartens first guest. He told that he has renovated the whole ship over the last 8 months and the result is just astonishing. The location just could not be better: just minutes away from central station, but the quay itself is really cosy and quiet. I just could not believe that you would find such a hidden gem in the city centre. Once you get on the boat, you enter the studio in the front of the ship. It is surprisingly wide and light, and the wooden walls really create a warm atmosphere. We thoroughly enjoyed relaxing here both on the couch and the queen size bed - a true love nest! I want to give Maarten a big personal thumbs up for all the choices he has made during the renovation: keeping the large roof windows to let in lots of light, choosing for a luxury bathroom, emphasize the shape of the hull and keep the nautical character of the 'Morning star'. And as soon as you get off the ship, there are so many things to do within walking distance! By far the best Amsterdam experience we have ever had!
Maarten I live on this houseboat and l'm a photographer for both Amsterdam and national newspapers and websites. Last year I have been renovating my ship to create 'the perfect floating home' and I love to share the experience of living on the water with you!
Close to Waterloo Square, Dam Square, red light distr.