The first thing you should know about a bed & breakfast in Amsterdam is that most establishments advertised as B&Bs are, in fact, simply rooms for rent--a spare bedroom in someone's home. When you wake up, you'll probably find yourself sharing a bathroom with your host family and then walking the streets looking for breakfast.

We asked contributor Melanie Walker, until recently an Amsterdam resident, for help in finding several authentic B&Bs that offer a special lodging experience at an attractive price. She explained first why B&Bs are so different in the Netherlands.

"Dutch regulations limit rooms for rent in a private home to four," she said. "And that makes it economically impossible to offer the services that Americans have come to expect. Some entrepreneurial owners have come up with imaginative ways around this law by converting some of the rooms into 'apartments.' So they may have four regular rooms and then several studio apartments."

Melanie scoured the city of canals and came up with four B&Bs that had several characteristics in common: Each is a centuries-old, brick, canal-style house; the owners live in them and take great pride in them; and each, says Melanie, "has its own heart and soul." Prices range from modest on up.

A real bargain is the Maes B&B at Herenstraat 26. Built in the 1700s, the house was recently renovated. The narrow Herenstraat sparkles with personality, and this B&B is centrally located with easy access to trams. Each room has its own bath-- all with oodles of hot water (which can be an issue in these old houses). A breakfast of meats, cheeses, fruit, jams, cereals, and breads is served in the charming kitchen, which is always open to guests.

Co-owner Ken Harrison, an American by birth and European citizen for 17 years, is also a former pastry chef, so the breads are top quality. There are four rooms (one with a bathroom in the loft which is reached by means of a ladder--very authentic Dutch canal house!) and one apartment. Harrison and his partner, Vladimer Melnikov, have made each room different and charming in its own way, although the one at the rear of the home overlooking the garden is especially quiet. It is the least expensive of the B&Bs that Melanie liked.

Sunhead, a historical canal house located at Herengracht 152, is about two blocks from the heart of Amsterdam off the Dam in a quiet, but character-filled, neighborhood. Each simple and clean room has a TV and a private, nicely tiled, modern bath. A breakfast of yogurt, fruit, bread, milk, cheese, cold meats, and coffee or tea, is delivered to your room the night before. Each room has a refrigerator, microwave and coffee maker so breakfast can be prepared at your leisure in the morning.

All but one room faces the canal. The top floor rooms have beautiful, exposed-beam ceilings, and one features an original ceiling painting dating from 1617. Hosts Carlos Cecilio and Roelf Wentholt will direct you to several wonderful cafes and shops in the neighborhood, including one caf? that serves the most sublime plum and walnut pie and a shop that sells exquisite chocolates.

The Seven Bridges Hotel is an exquisite B&B chock-a-block with gorgeous antiques and custom-made linens. This 300- year-old canal house, located near the colorful Rembrandtsplein at Reguliersgracht 31, is elegance personified. The nine rooms are beautifully decorated with special marquetry woodwork and all baths have hand-painted tiles. Three rooms overlook the canal, while three of the quietest are at the back overlooking the garden. One of the rooms has a huge bath that opens onto a lovely garden. A classic continental breakfast is served in the rooms. The owners are avid antique collectors. There is no web site or e-mail address because the owners believe it would disturb the authenticity of the old-world atmosphere.

The 717 B&B is a luxurious fantasy. This five-story B&B is an 18th century townhouse along the Prinsengracht canal surrounded by galleries and antique shops. The marble-floored interior is the creation of Dutch designer Kees van der Valk and is a blend of extravagant quirkiness. There are eight rooms,  each named for a famous artist. Among the rooms is the Picasso Suite with long, grey flannel sofas, and the Schubert with its big, beamed ceiling and large windows. Each room is a suite and comes equipped with compact disc player, antique bedsteads, custom linens, and exotic flowers. Managers Henk de Lugt and Breta Rohl serve up generous breakfasts, afternoon teas, and house wines, which are all included in your room rate. Smoking and pets are allowed.

Melanie offers two final pieces of advice: Keep in mind that in Amsterdam tour boats cruise the canals, bicycles whiz along the streets, trams clang and cars buzz by at all hours of day and night. And, if you're staying in summer, remember that air conditioning is virtually unheard of. Windows will not have screens. So take your mosquito spray and opt for a rear or garden room.

AUTHENTIC B&Bs

Maes B&B, Herenstraat 26
Phone: 011-31-20-427-5165
Fax: 011-31-20-427-5166
http://www.bedandbreakfastAmsterdam.com
e-mail: maesbb94@xs4all.nl
Room rate: f175-250--about $68-97.

Sunhead, Herengracht 152
Phone: 011-31-20-626-1809
Fax: 011-31-20-626-1823
http://www.sunhead.com
e-mail: Carlos@Sunhead.com
Room rate: f215-f255--about $84-99

The Seven Bridges Hotel
Reguliersgracht 31, 1017 LK
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Phone: 011-31-20-623-1329
Room rate: f250-f390, or $97-152

717, 717 Prinsengracht
Phone: 011-31-20-427-0717
Fax: 011-31-20-423-0717
http://www.717hotel.nl
e-mail: info@717hotel.nl
Room rate: Starting at f575, or $224.
Corporate rates available.

October 2000