Intercontinental Amstel Amsterdam - 1 King Premium River View
What a nice hotel by the Amstel River at night!
A beautiful hotel that exudes its vintage elegance, complemented by the Intercontinental brand's excellent food and service. However, the connecting room was somewhat disappointing!
Intercontinental Amstel Amsterdam - 1 King Premium River View
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After a wonderful stay at Kimpton De Witt, we took an Uber to our next hotel, the Intercontinental Amstel Amsterdam, which took about 20 minutes.
A quick online search revealed that in 2007, it was the only hotel in the Netherlands to make the list of the World's Best Hotels, securing the 90th spot. Quite impressive!
Damage: The cost was 639 EUR for a 2-night stay. However, using my complimentary weekend night certificate, it was reduced to 319 EUR per night. It's not super cheap, but I guess considered reasonable for a stay at a unique European hotel!
We also had a 20USD credit to utilize, courtesy of my Intercontinental Ambassador status.
Check-In
As we drove past the Amstel River, the exquisite facade came into view—very impressive! We were pleasantly surprised when the Hotel Manager personally escorted us to the reception from the hotel entrance, adding to the grand treatment we received.
The hotel itself is a very historic building with a rich history dating back to its opening in 1867, evident in its exquisite design! The abundance of old paintings around the hotel gives it the feel of a walking museum.
A quick description on the hotel history. Designed by architect Cornelis Outshoorn, the hotel was commissioned by Dr. Samuel Sarphati, who envisioned it as a grand establishment to rival Europe's finest hotels. Over the years, it has hosted royalty, celebrities, and dignitaries, maintaining its reputation for elegance and high-quality service. The hotel's architecture and interior design reflect its storied past, blending historical charm with modern amenities, making it a landmark of Amsterdam's hospitality scene.
Room
The hotel features 55 luxury rooms and 24 suites. I booked the lead-in 1 Queen Bed Classic River View, and with my IHG Platinum status, I was hoping for a suite upgrade. But alas, we were only given the King Premium River View, which is essentially the same room type and size.
Upon entering, the 34sqm room actually felt very nice! The decor and room layout were unique and distinctly different from other hotels we’ve stayed in.
The main highlight would definitely be the view of the Amstel River from the window. If the curtains are opened, it was sufficiently brightened with natural light in the day. Unfortunately it was during winter so the light hours was not long, but the evening views outside were also lovely.
Near the entrance, a counter and desk displayed welcome amenities, including a gingerbread man that added to the festive mood!
An inviting couch in the far corner of the room, complete with a small Christmas tree, made it the favourite spot for the missus!
The mini bar was well-stocked (with additional charges, of course), and there was an Illy coffee machine, which I greatly appreciated 👍. There were also some complimentary unique tea brands and hot chocolate.
The hotel's age was evident in the traditional buttons for room functions, but the TV was a modern, high-quality one. There was even Youtube and HDMI functions.
The wardrobe was sufficiently large for both of our clothes, and the luggage could also be stored inside.
The heating system worked very well—perhaps too well, as I found it quite warm for sleeping despite adjusting it lower. Maybe its a room-specific issue?
There was also a significant issue on the soundproofing of the connecting rooms, in which I will elaborate on further.
Bathroom
The bathroom was very spacious! The obvious highlight was the enormous bathtub, which could have been utilized more frequently. I also liked that the towel racks are heated, which really helped to warm the towels sufficiently!
There was a rain shower too, but unfortunately, the water pressure was not good, making it less enjoyable. I ended up switching back to the regular shower mode.
Bathroom amenities were provided by The Spa Collection, and included a loofa for use in the bathtub.
As is typical of European toilets, there was no bidet, and there was a minor issue with the flushing mechanism.
Food
Our breakfast was at the hotel’s main restaurant, The Amstel Bar and Brasserie.
The decor was stunning, featuring a vintage style with fantastic views of the Amstel River. Naturally, we chose a seat by the window! The Brasserie was quite empty, perhaps because Europeans don’t typically wake up early for breakfast?
A side note: we felt the drastic difference between European winters and Singapore in terms of daylight hours, as it was still pitch dark outside at 7:30 am (the pictures of the Amstel River from our seats were taken around 8:30 am).
As for the food, it was fabulous! The buffet offerings were much more varied and of higher quality than most continental buffets in European hotels, keeping up with Intercontinental hotel standards. And there was (wait for it) champagne! I certainly didn’t expect that for breakfast 😁😁
In conjunction with Christmas, there were also festive offerings, and I tried the stollen which was pretty nice.
On top of the buffet, there was also a made-to-order menu, and the variety was also pretty decent. I noted on the 36 EUR cost per breakfast per person, which made it super worth it to have breakfast included in the room rate!
During our two-night stay, we tried the Eggs Benedict, Eggs Florentine, scrambled eggs, and Dutch-style pancakes. The quality really matched the buffet’s high standards. Overall, I highly recommend opting for the breakfast rate at this hotel (which is quite rare usually for a European hotel) and try it when you are here!
We also used the 20USD dining credit (for Intercontinental Ambassador members staying at Intercontinental Hotels) on the in-room dining menu. a Japanese style risotto which filled our bellies (after snacking at the Christmas Market), but was honestly a small portion even for our Asian appetites.
Facilities
We didnt visit the facilities, but the hotel offers the following:
Health Club: Features a well-equipped gym with modern fitness equipment.
Indoor Swimming Pool: A heated pool with views of the river.
Sauna and Steam Room: For relaxation and rejuvenation.
Massage and Spa Services: A variety of treatments available to guests.
Anyway, a night stroll along the Amstel River is the best form of exercise! As you can see from the captivating scenes of the hotel (taken while we were walking back), depicted below:
Service
Service was ok, although we did not request for turn-down service. I appreciated the water provided, but when I requested for more water, the housekeeping promptness was inconsistent, sometimes very fast and other times took quite some time.
The breakfast staff was very professional though (although it could be due to not much people), our orders were promptly served each time.
Side Note
It was unfortunate that I started to fall sick during this period (just to clarify, I tested and it wasn’t COVID 😝), perhaps due to the heating system being too warm for my acclimatizing body.
However, it was further affected by the awful soundproofing of our connecting room, which had our neighbours been heard talking in full volume. Fortunately, they quieted down before midnight.
In hindsight, we should have insisted on changing to a non-connecting room when the staff mentioned that our room type was fully booked, even if it meant a room downgrade. However, we were too tired after two days of sightseeing to pursue it. Do ensure that you get a non-connecting room during your stay!
Conclusion
Overall, it could have been a really unique and memorable stay, staying in a historic building with great views of the Amstel river, and high quality buffet breakfast and food offerings. However, we would strongly advise booking a non-connecting room, and the dated functionality of the room could be somewhat problematic.
