When people think about Amsterdam, the first thing that comes to their mind is often what a fantastic destination it is for leisure travellers. It does indeed have a reputation as a particularly good spot for sightseeing and relaxing, but Amsterdam is also a very desirable destination for business travellers. Amsterdam's metropolitan area is particularly popular, due to its long history as a major transit hub for people, capital and service for the whole of the European continent. With a busy financial and web industry, as well as information technology and fashion concerns, Amsterdam is a business favourite for many reasons.
Choosing a hotel in central business areas is likely to make your life easier as it will cut down on commute times and lessen the likelihood of you getting lost if it's one of your first trips to the region. However, hotels in business hubs trend to be a little more expensive, so if you're trying to economise it may be worth sitting with Google Maps or another map of Amsterdam and working out just how far hotels are from your business destination - you could find that the different of a mile or two can make a substantial difference in price.
If you're booking a business trip to Amsterdam, it's a good idea to have a think about business etiquette too - the last thing you want to do is offend your potential new business partner. One of the most important things to remember is that punctuality tends to be very important to Dutch business people, this means you'll want to make sure you've left plenty of time to get to your meetings and that you keep an eye on the time to make sure you don't run over at the end either. You should also address business people by their full name and title and less it has been indicated that you do not have to.
When you're hoping to clinch a big deal in Amsterdam, it makes sense to ensure that any promotional materials you will be handing out have been translated into Dutch. While the majority of business people in Amsterdam speak English, it is more professional and gracious to offer materials in the language of the host company.