I've been to Amsterdam 3x for work and I LOVE LOVE LOVE this city - truly some of the loveliest people on the planet. Check out hotels here:
http://www.nh-hotels.com/nh/en/searc...=1&fini=&fout=
I stayed at one NH on the canal - and it was fantastic. Once, when I was stranded at the airport (thankfully, in this case!) I grabbed a quick reservation at the NH Schiller - on Rembrandt Square - and it was so lovely. Close to everything. And, really affordable too.
The Van Gogh Museum is amazing - so cool to see the paintings in person, when we've seen them reproduced so many times. Bring walking shoes bc the highlight is truly just walking around - it is such a feast for the eyes. The architecture is so charming and unique - the canal is great. Of course, the food and cafes and nightlife. I WANT TO COME!