Gay hotel The Golden Bear Amsterdam

Golden Bear in Top-3

2009-01-22T11:14:00.000-08:00

I received very good news early January. I am proud to let you know that travellers from all over the world voted The Golden Bear in Top-3 of 1-star hotel category in The Netherlands.
Unfortunately the report is in Dutch.

P E R S B E R I C H T

‘s-Hertogenbosch, 18 december 2008

Le Méridien Hotel Des Indes beste hotel van Nederland

Le Méridien Hotel Des Indes in Den Haag is het beste hotel van Nederland, dat blijkt uit de beoordelingen van reisbeoordelingswebsite VakantieOordeel.nl. Gemiddeld gaven bezoekers van Hotel Des Indes het vijfsterrenhotel een 9,3. Vijfsterrenhotels Het Kruisherenhotel in Maastricht en het Radisson SAS Hotel Amsterdam Airport zijn nummer 2 en 3 met een beoordeling van een 9,2. VakantieOordeel.nl heeft ook de best beoordeelde hotels in andere klassen op een rijtje gezet. Opvallend is dat niet alleen 5-sterrenhotels hoge beoordelingen hebben, in de ranglijst staan ook 2-sterrenhotels met een gemiddelde beoordeling van bijna een 9.

VakantieOordeel.nl biedt consumenten een overzicht van alle beschikbare beoordelingen van alle reisbeoordelingssites zoals de Nederlandse sites Zoover.nl, D-Reizen.nl, Sunweb.nl, maar van ook internationale beoordelingssites zoals TripAdvisor en Bookings.com. De reisbeoordelingswebsite neemt dus ook beoordelingen van toeristen buiten Nederland mee in het uiteindelijke resultaat en heeft daardoor het meest complete aanbod van reisbeoordelingen van Nederland. Het gemiddelde cijfer is gebaseerd op de kwaliteit, beschikbaarheid en populariteit van het hotel. Bij de samenstelling van de ranglijsten is gekeken naar het gemiddelde beoordelingscijfer en naar het aantal beoordelingen. Hotels met dezelfde gemiddelde beoordeling, maar met meer bezoekersbeoordelingen staan hoger in de ranglijst.

5-sterrenhotels Plaats Aantal beoordelingen Gemiddeld cijfer
1Le Méridien Hotel Des Indes Den Haag 146 9,3
2Kruisherenhotel Maastricht 180 9,2
3Radisson SAS Hotel Amsterdam Airport 120 9,2

4-sterrenhotels
1Dorint Sofitel Amsterdam Airport 236 9,1
2Hotel Theater Figi Zeist 124 9,1
3Hotel Newport Huizen 118 9,1

3-sterrenhotels
1Hotel Zandbergen Amsterdam 310 9,1
2Hotel Leeuwenbrug Delft 354 9,0
3Hotel Gevers Scheveningen 121 9,0

2-sterrenhotels
1Hotel LeTo Valkenburg 236 8,9
2Hotel Albion Scheveningen 167 8,9
3Hotel Adolesce Amsterdam 141 8,9

1-sterrenhotels
1Hotel Aspen Amsterdam 156 8,2
2Hotel Lahaye Valkenburg 35 8,1
3Hotel the Golden Bear Amsterdam 108 8,0

Bron: VakantieOordeel.nl

Over VakantieOordeel.nl
VakantieOordeel.nl is de meest volledige reisbeoordelingszoekmachine van Nederland. De website doorbreekt op innovatieve wijze de wirwar van bestemmings,- en accommodatiebeoordelingen, en maakt deze direct inzichtelijk. Met één zoekopdracht biedt VakantieOordeel.nl een volledig overzicht van beschikbare beoordelingen over die bestemming of accommodatie die de consument zoekt. VakantieOordeel.nl is kritisch en volledig onafhankelijk: in tegenstelling tot veel andere websites met beoordelingen, heeft de website geen enkel commercieel belang bij de producten die door consumenten worden beoordeeld.

Voor meer informatie: VakantieOordeel.nl
Peter Huibers
Tel. +31 (0)73 – 6237779
E. PHuibers@ciderhouse.nl
www.vakantieoordeel.nl

E I N D E P E R S B E R I C H T

We are very proud and are going to do everything this year to be number 1.

It is a very good time now to come to Amsterdam. Now winterprices in The Golden Bear and also the American Dollar is stronger, so a cheap time to visit my beautiful city.

Spring activities

2008-03-24T02:34:00.000-07:00

Winter is over although looking out the window I see snow. Easter was very cold and it snowed both days. Nice for my guests from the tropics. But not for most European guests as we are longing for a warm spring. But the breakfast at The Golden Bear was cosy as ever with a chocolate surprise from the Easter Bunny and special Easter bread. It is always nice to see people from all over the world getting acquinted and exchanging suggestions where to go and what to see in Amsterdam. I have the impression that the Thermos sauna was visited by many guests in this cold weekend. Also the bear's party of the Netherbears (http://www.netherbears.nl/) was very busy and a good place as always to meet many bears from Amsterdam and other parts of the world.
Now looking ahead the coming weeks. The end of April we celebrate Queensday. On this day we celebrate Queen Beatrix birthday (she is in fact born on January 31 but to honour her mother Queen Juliana who was born on April 30, she decided to keep this day as the offical Queensday).
On this day all Dutch are free and a few hundreds of thousand come to Amsterdam. The whole city is one big party place and THE place to be for gays and lesbians. Everybody is dressed in orange being the national colour, but also men in kilts, leather and drag queens. Parties in the streets everywhere. Unfortunately The Golden Bear (http://www.goldenbear.nl/) is already fully booked and it will be difficult to find a place to stay in the centre of the city.
On May 2nd there is the big Furball (kilt edition) party (http://www.furball.nl/) and also Leatherpride Nederland is organising it's famous leather/rubber party that weekend. See http://www.leatherpride.nl/ for all details. But also for our non-furry friends there are plenty of places to go and have fun. Check out http://www.gayamsterdam.nl/ for an overview. Let's hope the weather will be much better than it was with Easter.
But... before all that, another bear-party will take place on April 4. See http://www.bear-necessity.eu/
If you want to come to Amsterdam for this party, make your reservations in time on http://www.goldenbear.nl/ as the hotel is fully booked quickly. You can make direct reservations via our secured website.
But Amsterdam is not all about bears or hairy men. Also in The Golden Bear everybody is welcome although the name might suggest otherwise. It is the best place to stay when visiting my beautiful city.

Gay Pride 2007

2007-08-07T14:16:00.000-07:00

After a rainy month of July we were not

so optimistic for a sunny Gay Pride 2007.

But the weekend of August 4 and 5 was fantastic. Sunny and warm and temperatures around 25C. So ideal for the traditional Canal Parade, for the 12th time already. The Golden Bear Hotel sponsored the boat of the Amsterdam gay and lesbian line dance club called the Amsterdam Stetsons. See http://www.stetsons.nl/ for more info about this dance club.

About 400.000 people were gathered on the sides of the canals to watch this unique parade. It took about three hours to see the whole parade. For more pictures visit:

http://picasaweb.google.nl/pouwkraan/GayPride2007?authkey=EnIG2WZ7_r8

On one boat the world's first true bearband Bearforce1 was presented. See http://www.bearforce1.nl/ where you can download wallpapers, their new single and DVD!!

After the parade the guests of the hotel were invited for coffee or tea with Pride cake. It was a cosy gathering to relax a little, talk about the Pride with the other guests and enjoy a wonderful piece of cake. In the warm night that followed one could dance in one of the street parties, the white party and of course, Furball, the party for hairy men.

The Sunday morning all guests enjoyed the traditional ham and eggs breakfast and then everybody went into town again to enjoy another beautiful day.

Next events to come:

August 18/19: Hartjesdagen (heartsdays) on the Zeedijk. Streetacts songcontestfestival, opera and of course on Sunday the spectacular

Hartjesparade. In this parade men dress up as women and women dress up as men.

Another event for our furry friends to look forward to is the Mr. Furball election on September 21.

Visit http://www.furball.nl/ for info and tickets ordering.

Reserve your hotelroom in time as September is a busy month and especially this Furball weekend. Go to http://www.goldenbear.nl/ and make a direct reservation.

Enjoy the summer and see you maybe at the Hartjesdagen or at the Mr. Furball election.

Bearhugs

Theo

Spring and Fridges

2007-03-24T07:28:00.000-07:00

Spring is here and this weekend we change to daylight saving hours, so in the evenings it will get dark later and later. Temperatures are rising and nature is blooming. Daffodils, hyacinths and soon the tulips. People take off their winteroutfits and drink something on the sunny terraces.
Now the days are getting warmer, it is a good thing to have the possibility of having a cool drink when back in the hotel after a long day strolling through the city. So the coming weeks we will install small fridges in each of the rooms, which can be filled with cans and bottled water of your choice. Softdrinks and water is available at the reception for modest prices.

Room 30 is newly decorated; one of the walls in stunning blue, new LCD screen, dvd-player and desk. And a flaming painting of red poppies. Red velvet curtains, a strategic mirror and some other little changes complete the new look. Check out our website www.goldenbear.nl for new pictures of the rooms.
Next on the list is room 29; we are thinking of a soft Italian look. Light yellow walls, new bigger bed, new LCD-screen etc.

High season is starting and the hotel is fully booked now most of the times.
So if you are thinking of spending some days in beautiful Amsterdam, remember to book in time. The Golden Bear is the most popular gay hotel of Amsterdam; we excel in service!

Tonight Furball again, Amsterdam's most popular party. In a new location, a bit smaller so only 500 men, but the next party will be held in a different location with room for many more hot men! Mr. Furball 2007 will be elected at the next party on May 26th.
Check out www.furball.com and order your tickets in time as it is always sold out very quickly.

Only gay hotel in Amsterdam

2007-02-15T14:25:00.000-08:00

Recently a number of gay hotels changed ownership and are now managed by hetero couples.
First hotel Aero was sold and closed for renovation. Up till now they have not reopened yet as they have problems with the licence. New owner is not gay and this hotel will no longer have the typical gay atmosphere.
Then ITC hotel was sold recently to a Chinese business man and is no longer gay. Most of the staff is gone and replaced by non gay people. Also this hotel is lost for the gay community.
And last but not least hotel Orfeo changed hands too. And is no longer gay.
Above hotels are just gay friendly like many others who promote themselves on gay sites. These hotels are only interested in the pink dollar or euro.

This leaves only The Golden Bear as strictly gay hotel with its typical gay atmosphere. It is gay owned and the staff.....members of the family. I still find it important to create a place in Amsterdam where gays and lesbians can be themselves. As in many countries gays and lesbians cannot live the life they would like to live and feel safe in The Golden Bear and can get the information about gay places, where to go for kinky stuff or jack off parties, which parties are taking place, etc. Information you would not dream of asking the receptionist in other hotels, even the gay friendly ones.
An other advantage of staying in a gay hotel is the fact that you have the chance to meet other gays from all over the world and make new friends. Also exchange of information about where to go and which are the most interesting bars, saunas etc. New friends explore the city together and each other :)

Now spring is coming. Winter has not been very cold and we only had a little snow. The effects of the climate change are noticable. Every month had shown a new record of high temperatures.
But it also means that the spring flowers are blooming earlier. Already now snowdrops and daffodils show their colours. And the busy tulip season is starting and bookings are coming in very regularly. It means that we will be fully booked every weekend from now on and we are already fully booked for Queensday April 30, the biggest gay happening of the year.
Also bookings are already made for Gay Pride, the first weekend of August, so if you want to be in Amsterdam that time, make your reservations very soon.

And do not forget the Furball parties. A big event and always sold out.
Have a look at www.furball.nl to get an impression of the party. And in May the Mr. Furball election is taking place. Want to be a candidate? See www.furball.nl
Busy busy is also the Furball drink at Priks. Hard to get in on those nights. For information about location and time, visit www.prikamsterdam.nl

See you in Amsterdam and in The Golden Bear.

Ready for 2007

2006-12-28T14:04:00.000-08:00

We did not quite manage to renovate room 24, 29 and 30 as announced in my previous posting.
This is postponed to January and February and instead we renovated the kitchen and painted the entrance corridor in colourful red and misty grey. Mid January we will have new carpet in the reception, breakfast room and corridor.
Christmas was very quiet. The hotel was closed and we used the time to paint etc.
And since yesterday we reopened and the guests come checking in again. We will be fully booked for New Year's Eve as Amsterdam is a very popular place to welcome the new year.
Crowds are gathering at Dam Square and the Nieuwmarkt and fireworks can be seen and heard throughout the country. A new record sales this year!!
2006 was a very busy year and the outlook for 2007 is promising. Already reservations for Queensday (April 30) and Gay Pride (first weekend of August) are coming in, so if you want to be in Amsterdam one of these events, you better hurry.
I wish everybody a fantastic 2007 and I hope to welcome many of you in The Golden Bear next year.

Hotel news

2006-12-04T07:57:00.000-08:00

It is still very busy in Amsterdam. The hotel was fully booked again this weekend and we had a very animated breakfast last Sunday. Now we are heading for Christmas and for the first time the hotel will be closed as from Dec. 18 - Dec. 27
We will use the time to place a new kitchen and redecorate room 24, 29 and 30.
Room 24 will have new curtains (dark brown with gold), new colour on the walls, LCD-screen, desk and new chairs.
In room 30 we will paint one of the walls royal blue, a desk, LCD-screen and a mirror on the wall behind the beds. It will also be our first non-smoking room.
And here too new chairs.
Room 29 will have a warm yellowish colour. A new desk, the bed will be put against the other wall and also here an LCD-screen. And this will be our second non-smoking room.

Coming Sunday the get-together of the Netherbears in de Barderij (starting around 8.00 PM) and December 17 Furball café in bar Prik starting around 7.00 PM. (www.prikamsterdam.nl)

And do not forget to buy tickets in time for the next Furball. Last time was sold out again. It will have a Scottish theme, but the dresscode is not strict.
So take your kilt out of the closet. Bit cold though when I go to the party on my bike. How to keep my balls warm :)
See www.furball.nl for the latest information.
Tickets can be bought at Mr. B(www.mrb.com), Rob's leathershop (www.rob.nl) and other shops. If you stay in The Golden Bear, we can also arrange tickets for you, but order them when you make your booking!!!

Interesting exhibition

2006-11-27T07:13:00.000-08:00

Last weekend a new exhibition was openend here in Amsterdam.
It is about human bodies and this exhibition has been travelling around the world for a few years already and is now here untill March 2007.
Have a look at www.bodiesamsterdam.nl for more information.

Now the year is running to its end and the days are getting shorter and shorter.
Christmas lights are already in the streets of Amsterdam and later afternoons and evenings the city looks wonderful. Temperatures are still quite high for the time of the year. On one side this is nice, but on the other side it worries me. Is this the greenhouse effect?
When the lights are turned on in the streets it is a good time to have a drink in one of the many gay bars that Amsterdam has. Or have a hot coffee or coco and watch the people hurrying home after a days' work. And see the christmas decorations in the shopwindows.

Hello gay world

2006-11-21T01:05:00.000-08:00

Today my first entry.
My name is Theo (also called Amsterdambear) and I own gay hotel The Golden Bear here in the very centre of the beautiful city of Amsterdam, the gay capital of Europe. This hotel is the ideal place for gays and lesbians to stay when coming to Amsterdam.
It has 18 rooms and most of the times it is fully booked, so if you want to stay here, you have to reserve in time.
The hotel is located in two historical buildings backdating from 1737. The rooms are spacious and clean and restyled regularly. Have a look at www.goldenbear.nl to get an impression of my hotel.
We have a cosy breakfastroom and regularly interesting discussions take place between guests coming from all over the world.
Amsterdam is a beautiful city as the historical centre is almost completely in tact. The city of not big (about 770.000 inhabitants) and most places of interest can easily be reached by a short stroll from the hotel. The hotel is also located in the middle of the main shopping areas.