Ever since my wife and I had visited Amsterdam during a trip through Europe for our 5th anniversary, I wanted to come back; the occasion of my 30th birthday was the perfect excuse for a 5-day trip to one of the most beautiful (and walkable) cities I've visited. The trip turned out to be everything I wanted, thanks in large part to Peter and Aziz at Suite 259.

Our flight arrived very early (around 6:30 am), and after a quick train and cab to Overtoom 259, we were welcomed (by name) at the front door by Peter. He took our luggage and led us into a wonderfully decorated sitting area where Aziz brought out a full breakfast for us--delicious tropical fruit, juice, coffee, and a spicy rice dish (Malaysian, perhaps?). Peter sat and talked to us about our flight, about the Suite, and about their history in Amsterdam. Both men obviously care a great deal about their guests and the bed and breakfast they have built together.

Peter led us up the (steep) stairs to our suite, the smaller "Safari"; to call the suite "small", however, would be a gross injustice.
Compared to *any* European hotel room--and to most American hotels, for that matter--it's HUGE. There is a bedroom with a separate sitting area (and a widescreen TV), but a kitchen/dining area and a computer terminal with high-speed access. The decor of the room is tastefully done, in character with the Safari/Sahara them, and all the appointments are perfect.

The kitchen in the suite has a hot water pot, a microwave, a refrigerator and a coffee maker. The hosts furnish fruit juices, sodas, chocolates, and cookies...and will do his best to satisfy any special requests you might have.

The hospitality of the Suite 259 is unmatched as well. Every morning Aziz prepares a special breakfast for you. All of the dishes were new to us, and certainly unconventional (at least for breakfast) to the American ideal of breakfast. However, we found all of the food creative, flavorful, and delicious--so much so that we found ourselves excited wondering what would Aziz prepare for our next meal! Further, since I was staying with them for my birthday, the hosts gave me a bottle of (fantastic) wine and presented me with a traditional southern Dutch cake (delicious); Peter even coaxed two adorable Malaysian girls staying in the larger Suite with their parents to sing Happy Birthday to me.

In short, our expectations for Suite 259 were easily exceeded by the level of service we received from Peter and Aziz. Our friends who came along stayed at a nearby hotel; they were all raving about how much better the Suite was (at the same price!!) as their hotel, and our room was easily 3 times the size of their's. The Suite 259 experience made our trip perfect.