The Dutch Buoy in Monnickendam made our five days in the Netherlands an absolute dream! Rein Willemsen and his wife were there to greet us with great hospitality! Ben, the concierge, was most pleasant and helpful. If the photos seem too picturesque to be true, be assured that The Dutch Buoy, the immediate area around the canal and the entire village of Monnickendam are better than advertised! With the use of the extra bedroom, The Dutch Buoy accommodated our family of two couples and one individual very well. It is beautiful, comfortable, a perfect blend of modern and historic, and in perfect working order. With the French doors on the upper levels open to the village, the view and the sounds are inspiring!
The home is situated perfectly in the village. We walked across the bridge to restaurants and around the corner to morning coffee and pastries. The grocery store is a five minute walk, bike rentals around the corner, and pleasant people everywhere. A short walk to the bus, transfer to the train, and we were at Amsterdam's Central Station in 20 minutes. We felt it was so worth being out of the city for relaxation and the village experience.
It was extraordinarily hot in early August 2018 (in most of Europe!) and a couple of extra fans would have been useful for the bedrooms. I'm sure this is not a problem the majority of the year and when August temperatures are more typical. The kitchen held plenty of coffee for our stay, but a few more kitchen essentials such as salt and pepper, a few spices, hand dish washing soap would have been nice as we like to cook. (Perhaps we should have just asked Ben!)
The entire experience, starting with the ease of communicating with Rein, was something we will never forget. In fact, I hope to return and spend more time at The Dutch Buoy and Monnickendam!