The math
Solid 3-star or design 4-star hotel: $145 double, so $73 per person. Two coffees and pastries: $12. Museum entries or one tour: $22. Lunch at a decent brown cafe: $18. Dinner at a mid-range restaurant with a glass of wine: $55. Public transport: $8. Total: $188. Add a beer and you’re at $200 exactly. This works comfortably in Amsterdam, Haarlem, Alkmaar, Hoorn and Enkhuizen.
Where to splurge
Dinner is the best upgrade. Amsterdam has serious kitchens at the $60-$90 range — Rijks (in the Rijksmuseum), Guts & Glory, Bak, De Kas. In Haarlem, Ratatouille or Specktakel. Skip pricey hotel breakfast buffets ($28) — brown cafes do a $12 breakfast that beats them.
Where NOT to spend more
Canal cruises: the $22 one-hour standard cruise is fine; the $85 dinner cruises are not worth it. Coffeeshops: quality plateaus at $12 a gram. Hotel spas: covered elsewhere on this site — mostly a rip-off.
Questions answered
Is $200 enough for two people?
No — this is per person. For two, budget $320-$380 a day for the equivalent experience if sharing a room.
Best value hotel category at this budget?
Design 4-stars just outside the canal ring: Hotel V, The Hoxton, Sir Adam, Conservatorium's cheaper rooms mid-week.
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