my first review!! this place was not too bad, a bit worn around the edges, a bit far out of town, but right next to the train station. i got there early, they made me very welcome, were very friendly and got the room cleaned quickly. maid was a bit grumpy, but whatever. the rooms were smallish, but serviceable. pros- out of amdam a bit, not in the touristy area friendly staff super friendly restaurant staff. very helpful and the food was actually really good right next to train depot cons- right next to train depot major construction. for at least another year or two worn, small and we were facing the courtyard so it was noisy. not bad, but i might have chosen something else.

My wife and I booked this hotel to be close enough to Amsterdam without the high car park prices and busy city centre. The railway station is adjacent to Golden Tulip. It is a ten minutes ride to Amsterdam Central Station for a modest fare. The rooms are the average size for the Netherlands, well maintained and clean. The wifi makes it a good choice for business travelers as well. The staff was very helpful and provided valuable information to help us to take the best of our stay. The Zaanse Schans park is a must. It is a short drive/bus ride or, ideally, by bicycle. The cycle tracks are excellent everywhere.

I agree with other reviews, this is a convenient alternative to staying in Amsterdam or at the airport (Schiphol). There are regular direct trains to each from the train station which is almost attached to the hotel - a skybridge links the hotel to the station and there is an elevator/lift in the skybridge so one doesn't have to lug their bags up or down several flights of stairs. The hotel is clean and the staff is helpful. There is a restaurant on the premises with room service although I didn't try either. My room was comfortable but some of the fixtures were dated, such as the roughly 10 year old 12"/30cm TV screen which was very dark as well as much smaller than what is in most hotels now. There was a bathtub/shower combo with a tub large enough for my legs to be completely underwater (I'm about 6'/183cm and have long legs). There is construction adjacent to the hotel on the other side of the skybridge. I was told by hotel staff that it will be a complex that includes a new rail station and a new Golden Tulip hotel that will replace the present hotel. The new hotel will be across the street so I expect the current hotel will remain open until the new hotel opens. Seems to me they were aiming for a 2010 but I'm not positive. My room, which faced the construction site, was not bothered by noise. This may have been due to the nature of the work being done during my stay which seemed to be two cranes moving things rather than pounding or loud heavy equipment. The nearest restaurants are about 5 to 10 minutes away by foot in Zaandam. Eating in Amsterdam made more sense to me. Don't make the mistake I made by thinking the large building nearby with Albert Heijn banners contains an AH supermarket - it doesn't. It's the corporate hq.