T A B L E_T A L K

Travelers remember the strangest museums they've encountered in Table Talk

Editor's note: This is the second in an occasional series of Road Warrior insider guides designed to help business travelers get the most out of their business -- and pleasure -- hours in financial capitals around the world.

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BY DAVID DOWNIE | Sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll? Yes, please. Amsterdam's reputation as Europe's swinging capital remains unshakably deserved.

But do not be fooled into thinking that Amsterdammers are mere hedonists: The Netherlands' true passion is business -- the art of the deal. It is no coincidence that the expression "going Dutch" was invented here. If there is a single word to sum up the national character it must be: savvy.

Dutch business-mindedness is underpinned by centuries of religious tolerance and ethical pragmatism. That is why Amsterdam's Red Light District (read prostitution and party hotels) has been run and regulated by city authorities so efficiently since the city's foundation in the Middle Ages. That is also why the city's 300-plus "smoking coffee shops," where soft-drug use is tolerated, are (almost always) clean, safe, law-abiding -- and profit-making.

Statistics show, however, that Amsterdam's drug and sex tourism industry is actually on the decline. The reason is simple: Family and business travel are even more profitable.

One result of this shift is that the standard of hotels has improved dramatically: Nearly half the city's 30,000 or so beds are now in the four- and five-star category. There are also more family- and convention-oriented attractions than ever: more than 40 museums, plus the recently inaugurated Metropolis science and technology center.

Amsterdam's Provos and radical squats are now a historical footnote. Service is the new ideology. Whatever business travelers seek -- high-tech facilities, conference centers, convenience shopping, user-friendly telecommunications, multilingual local staff -- is now readily available in the city.

One example is the telephone company, privatized in 1996-97. Telephone booth instructions are now in Dutch, English and German. Using a local telephone card or a credit card, you can access the Internet via dozens of sidewalk telephone stations scattered around town.

Another example: Business hours and days have been extended in the last two years. Many shops are now open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. (until 9 p.m. on Thursdays) six or seven days a week, including Sundays. The dollar has gained significantly against the Dutch guilder ($1 is currently about 2 Dfl). This makes Amsterdam's prices highly competitive, especially compared to London or Paris.

These are a few reasons why Amsterdam, the Netherlands' de facto capital (the administrative capital is The Hague), has in recent years become a major European convention and business city, out of all proportion to its population of 730,000 (about twice that in the Greater Amsterdam area).

The easy entry starts at Schiphol (locals say "skipple") Airport, a thoroughly user-friendly complex 15 minutes by taxi from town. Among its several hotels is the Golden Tulip Barbizon Schiphol, one of the city's best-equipped business and luxury hotels (swimming pools are rare in Amsterdam, but it has one, plus squash and tennis courts and a fitness center).

Schiphol is more than an airport: It includes a mega shopping center popular with locals. In fact, unlike most European airports, this one has become part of the city itself. It is now Amsterdam's second largest employer. Thalys fast trains to Paris, Brussels, London and major Dutch cities stop here, so plane-to-train connections are never a problem.

A taxi from the airport to Centraal Station, the city's heart, costs only 50 Dfl or so. The hotel bus (with stops at the Hilton, Barbizon Center, Pulitzer, Krasnapolsky, Holiday Inn Crowne Plaza, Amsterdam Renaissance and Barbizon Palace) is 17.50 Dfl. The train is the cheapest yet: a mere 6.25 Dfl.

Amsterdam has become so popular in recent years that the biggest challenge now is finding a hotel room at short notice. Here are four tips. First, reserve through one of the International Reservations Systems popular here: Golden Tulip International BV; Accor; Bilderberg; Carlton; CIGA; Concorde; Hilton; Holiday Inn; Mercure; Swissotel or Utell.

Second, ask the Netherlands Reservations Center to do the job for you, by writing, faxing or calling them (P.O. Box 404, 2260 AK Leidschendam, NL; telephone 31/70/320-2500, fax 31/70/320-2611) (31 is the international calling code for the Netherlands; remember to drop the first "0" when dialing within the country, unless the number starts with "0800" or "0900").

Third, telephone or visit the Amsterdam VVV Tourist Office (the main offices are inside and opposite Centraal Station, telephone 0900-400-4040). They work miracles to find rooms at the last minute.

Fourth, the city's two biggest business hotels, where you are most likely to find last-minute accommodations, are the Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky (over 800 beds; Dam 9; telephone 020/554-9111, fax 020/622-8607) and the Amsterdam Renaissance (more than 400 beds; Kattengat 1; telephone 020/621-223, fax 020/627-5245). In a pinch, stay at an airport hotel.

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