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Christina_Moorshead
Canada

Lovely Experience, A Bucket List Item to Cross Off

5.0 of 5 bubblesReviewed Dec 29, 2012
I read "The Happy Hooker" as a teen and was always fascinated with Xaveria Hollander and her life so when I found out that she operates a B & B in Amsterdam I knew I had to go and meet this legend.
Xaveria place looks exactly like the photographs; a cozy home in a traditional European style. A touch cluttered with a very personal touch, this B & B is like a museum of Xaviera with photographs and painting adorning the walls and masses of books and trinkets throughout the home.
I had opted to have dinner with Xaviera and her lovely husband Philip. It was one of the best meals I have had outside of a 5 star restaurant; we started with stuffed mushrooms followed by Dutch steak. The conversation was lively and colourful as we exchanged stories.
I stayed in the chalet in the back, which was amazingly cozy. The one drawback was that shower was extremely tiny. The chalet was extremely quiet and private, with a very comfortable bed and lush towels.
Date of stay: December 2012
Trip type: Traveled solo
4.0 of 5 bubblesValue
5.0 of 5 bubblesRooms
4.0 of 5 bubblesLocation
5.0 of 5 bubblesCleanliness
5.0 of 5 bubblesService
5.0 of 5 bubblesSleep Quality
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58 - 63 of 116 reviews
Reviewed November 5, 2012

Booked the master bedroom - it was a last minute booking and had no time to review what other's had written.
Spent 2 nights, the room we stayed in was Xaviera & her partner's room - spacious with a balcony. The only drawback was that the wardrobes were full up with her clothes :-)
The house is like a museum, really liked it + all the pictures !

The care taker (sorry forgot his name) was very friendly & helpful. Xaviera/partner were away, would have loved to meet them, may be next time! Amsterdam centre is a good 20 mins+ walk.

Highly recommend this place, there is parking as well....for an extra charge.

Room tip: Master bedroom if it's available !
Date of stay: August 2012
  • Trip type: Traveled as a couple
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2  Thank Hegde_n
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed September 16, 2012

We booked this bed and breakfast with a little speculation. However when we got to Amsterdam we were pleasantly surprised at the apartment that we were given for our short stay. It belonged to a local artist and we had his place all to ourselves. It was a great way to be able to get up at our leisure and make our own breakfast with a fully stocked refrigerator. It was close to the main city centre and in a nice neighborhood. Its a 30 minute walk to the main attractions and we like to walk! The owner of the apartment was very nice and we recommend to anyone when booking here to request The Artist as the room to reserve. It was well worth the money and the experience!!

Room tip: Choose The Artist room. This way you will have the whole place to yourself and you can make your own breakfast and be able to enjoy yourself from a local point of view.
Date of stay: September 2012
  • Trip type: Traveled as a couple
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4  Thank Lorraine M
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed July 17, 2012

I spent three nights at the B&B with my boyfriend and two friends. We all enjoyed iving there, and found the location good, the people friendly and carring. However, this place is very special so I would prob not recommend it to families. But friends and couples who want to experience the core of Amsterdam - this is the place, and I would go there again. Note that they have animals, so if you are allergic or don't like cats and dogs running around, this place is not for you.

The breakfast was okay
It is always clean
the location is not far from the center of Amsterdam

Date of stay: July 2012
  • Trip type: Traveled as a couple
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2  Thank Thea2209
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed July 4, 2012

If you are looking for an amazing B&B with superb hosts you should definitely try the Happy House. Xaviera (world famous) and her husband Philip (should be world famous as well because of his better than best cooking skills) are great, full of interesting stories, and warmly welcoming you in their own house. If you want to escape from boring (all the same) hotel chains, and experience being part of the day-to-day life of the bestseller author, don’t hesitate to book a room. We had a normal size room in the house with shared bathroom. There is also a chalet in the garden with own bathroom. The location is very convenient, close to RAI and one minute walk from public transport connections. The breakfast was delicious and last but not least there is a garden that you can use as well.

Date of stay: June 2012
  • Trip type: Traveled as a couple
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2  Thank Julia T
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed June 27, 2012

This is a lovely little property, in a nice quiet part of town within 20 minutes or so walk from the city centre. I was a bit perturbed at being asked to pay the full amount up front but Xaviera an Phillip are good hosts, and their young man (Albert I think?) prepared a great breakfast too. I loved the cats as well!

Date of stay: June 2012
  • Trip type: Traveled solo
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2  Thank Gareth J
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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