Every time I go to Amsterdam, without shadow of a doubt I always stay with Yays! Yays is an apartment rental company with 100’s of apartments in Amsterdam, alongside another newly opened building in Barcelona. Yays is a new travel and stay concept located in unique neighbourhoods, offering you a home from home whilst you travel.
Yays offer concierged-boutique apartment living at its best, in historical buildings that have been restored to the best of their ability, in line with local districts, and that are hosted by local personnel. In a Yays apartment you can really feel like a local whilst you explore the city. Read my review from last year here.
As I have grown older, and grown out of hostelling as much, apartment living has been the next best thing. The apartment becomes a home from home, allowing you to relax, cook and enjoy time with friends and family, whilst away, but in more luxurious settings than in a hostel.
I was really impressed from the moment we walked through the door. Our apartment was on the ground floor and was described on the website as a studio apartment, but it was in fact more a mezzanine loft with our living space (sofa, TV, bathroom, dining table and kitchen) all together, whereas our bedroom was located up a small staircase to the left of the room where our bed was located on a mezzanine level. It was a great way to use the space in a building like Yays Oostenburgergracht which has high ceilings, and high windows.
Our bedroom space was lovely, with a comfy bed, fluffy pillows and lots of space to relax. Last year we stayed in Yays Zoutkeetsgracht in a one-bedroom comfort apartment, which again, gave us lots of space to relax in between exploring the city. You can read my review from last year’s stay here. The apartments are bigger than you imagine, and offer you a base for during your visit.
The 24/7 concierge staff are also brilliant, offering you tips for getting around, advice on where to eat locally, and information on events happening in the city. Make sure you grab a map from them, so you can map out your routes.
We cooked in our apartment every evening, stepping out later on to grab an ice cream and wander the Red Light District looking for somewhere to grab a beer.
We also hired bikes on one of the days, due to the weather being slightly adverse and we cycled around the city, exploring neighbourhoods we wouldn’t otherwise visit. This is a great addition to their offering, meaning that you haven’t got to go in search of bikes from bike hire kiosks.
We love staying with Yays, and they are our go-to every time we go to Amsterdam. Every time I come back I feel like I am coming home.
* I stayed at Yays complimentary as part of a collaboration.
