My wife and I stayed here, along with two friends, for a 5 night break. On arrival (only 35 euros and 20 minutes in a taxi..if that), we were impressed by the exterior of the hotel and the quiet but accessible location. The reception staff were friendly on arrival - we asked if we could have our rooms closer together and they upgraded us to deluxe rooms to make this possible, which was a nice bonus!
Deluxe rooms are not exactly plush however. The room we were in had a split level, with the bed upstairs and (steep wooden) steps leading up to it. Downstairs had two leather armchairs, small table, the shower-room and a seperate toilet (handy in the mornings!).
Our breakfast wasn't included but we opted out of buying any at the hotel - at 16 euros each, it was far too expensive. The restaurant looked really lovely but we didn't eat there at all....rather be out and about in the Dam!
The hotel is situated fairly close to the centre - we walked it in about 35 minutes but, after that, opted from the tram as the stop was nearby and had a regular service. The fare one way is 1.60 euro, but you can buy strips of tickets which save you money.
The only problem with our room was the steps leading to the mezanine level - they were steep and made of polished wood. My wife slipped on these slippery steps and injured her back, meaning she has been signed off work for weeks....
Our last night was a Friday and their club (ToNight) was open - the bar and club seemed very popular and there was inevitable noise, well into the night. Not from the club but people drunkenly coming and going. We weren't bothered by this but some might be...
Overall, a very cool hotel, extremely beautiful and friendly place in a good location. Will stay again!

This hotel is dreadful... don't be fooled by the funky website or "great deals".

On arrival the reception and bar/restaurant areas look really cool.. but as soon as you get to the corridors or rooms, it still looks like a dinghy old hostel. The carpets are filthy, the rooms are bare - no duvets on bed, just sheets. No soap or shampoo in shower. No towels. I heard one girl asking for a hair dryer at reception and she had to leave a €10 deposit!!!!!

I stayed all of 20 mins and checked straight back out and went to the gorgeous, clean, friendly and central Victoria Hotel.

Do not stay in Arena Hotel. You have been warned..

Location is awful. Rooms are awful. Bad, bad, bad.

I stayed in this hotel with a friend of mine over a friday and saturday. Like the reviewer before me, i too have returned covered in bites.
Things started badly as i had booked a twin room but was given a double. When we complained the staff were incredibly rude and very unhelpful and tried to persuade me that even though my confirmation form said we had booked a twin they could not guarantee it. The toilet smelt disgusting and the entire room had not been cleaned before we arrived. The tiles were not properly plastered to the walls. The paint was peeling off the walls and the radiators did not work even thought it was mid winter. The beds were very thin pieces of foam and i came home with a very sore back. The carpets in the communal areas were filthy. I guess i wouldn't complain so much if it wasn't incredibly expensive for what it was. Sort it out guys, this place is a complete hole.

This review is a bit dated, hopefully they have upgraded since then. My husband and I have never been to Amsterdam, and this was our first time going. I did an extensive search online to pick the perfect hotel. We didn't want to be too close to the city center, but didn't want to be too far out. I found the Hotel Arena online, and looked at the pictures. Loved the artsy and modern decor. So we booked it. After a long transatlantic flight, we arrived into Amsterdam at 9PM, and it was still light out. We found our way to the hotel by public bus. When we arrived at the hotel, it had a very goth look, with the trees shadows against the building. We walked in, the reception area was like a coat check-in for a club. Mind you it was a Friday night, and there is a nightclub on site, and they were setting up for the evenings festivities. The check-in was quite easy, they gave us keys to our room. As we proceeded down the curtain lined hall, I was just hoping that our room would be better than we thought. Took the elevator to the 6 floor, the doors creeped open and the flourescent like flickering. Not a very good vibe, open the door to the room, and found 2 twin beds on opposite side to the room and the smell was just horrid. I opened the covers on one of the bed and found stuff crawling. We immediately called the front desk, they told us the hotel was all booked, and wouldn't have an open room until the morning. We had no choice but to sleep. We didn't shower, nothing, just closed our eyes and drifted in and out of sleep all night long. Come to find out later that the hotel used to be an orphange in the early 19th century. Best thing of the hotel was the complimentary breakfast, great crossaints!