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When we booked our flights to Amsterdam, we were pretty excited as we have been wanting to visit for quite some time now. Many of our friends who have been to Amsterdam rave about this city and have even made multiple visits because they just loved it that much. We decided to book our stay at the InterContinental Amstel Amsterdam as it was rated as a top-notch hotel with excellent service and luxurious amenities.

GETTING HERE

From Schiphol airport, we took the train to Amsterdam Centraal, then switched to the metro and got off at Weesperplein station which took about 30 minutes. From there, it was a short short 3-minute walk to the hotel. When we exited the metro station, we ended up getting a little lost because our Google Maps stopped working. We actually missed the hotel a couple of times since we kept looking for a sign that said “InterContinental”, but we eventually found it when we realized we needed to look for “Amstel Amsterdam”. 

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

We were blown away by the luxurious waterfront property, which first opened its doors in 1867. The architecture of the building had a victorian gothic style to it, which definitely exudes luxury and has so much charm. Check-in was relaxing as we were seated with compliments of flavored water and friendly service.

THE ROOM

Beds + Closets

We booked a twin room with a river view located on the 4th floor in Room 404. We immediately loved how bright and spacious the room was laid out in a classic French style with large double windows looking out to the Amstel River. We absolutely adored the intricate and exclusive hand painted blue wallpaper which was enchanting and really created a unique atmosphere. It brought so much character to the room. The room’s entryway had a foyer table which was decorated with glassware and gave it a homey yet royal vibe.

The room had two twin beds and even had two closets. That was a first for us to each have our own personal closet, which we took full advantage of. We were a little surprised at how small the beds looked (we’re used to big American queen size beds), but they were actually plenty big and super comfy. We both had our own bedside table and the television was perfectly centered in front of our beds. 

Bathroom

The marble bathroom was spacious and had a separate bath and shower. Plenty of towels were stocked and the counter space was plentiful. We both need our own little corner to store our makeup and toiletries and having a roomy counter space makes us extra happy.

We appreciated that the toilet was sectioned off and had a privacy door. We prefer bathrooms that have this design since it created a space with privacy. There was a nice big vanity mirror that was portable, which was great since we like the option of doing our makeup sitting down at a table instead of standing. There were plenty of toiletries provided and what stood out to us the most was the body scrub. We’d rather use a body scrub than those little body wash towels because it always feels like we’re not getting a good scrub with them.

Extras

There was an adorable reading nook area and a dedicated space for a work area. It was nice to have so much space where we could both relax and also get a little bit of work done. When we are traveling, we are almost always working (to some extent) so having a dedicated work area with a table and chair is something we greatly appreciate. 

If you like to have a cup of coffee or some tea in your room, there was a complimentary illy espresso machine that was stocked with a variety of tea flavors and coffee pods. Upon arrival, we also received two gourmet pieces of chocolate, which we almost passed up on eating since we aren’t huge fans of chocolate but glad we decided to try them because they were divine! There were also snacks and beverages available for a fee, but we typically don’t purchase things from the mini bar.

They also offer turn-down service later in the evening. When we were in the room, we usually didn’t need this service since we barely used the room for being out all day, but they still offered fresh towels or anything else we needed. They also provided a card with information on weather details for the next day. The one night we arrived back to our room later in the evening, our room was all set up for us to get a good night’s sleep with the windows shut, the beds ready for us to sleep in and slippers out beside our beds. It’s always nice to have this kind of service after you’ve had a long day.

AMENITIES

If you want to get a workout or want to take a dip in the indoor pool, you can definitely do that here. We wish we would have brought our bathing suits with us as there was also a free sauna and steam room which would have been great to take advantage of especially after a long flight. The space inside the pool area was visually stunning and they even had a coffee station and some light bites to enjoy. 

There are several lounge chairs in the pool area, so even if you didn’t bring a bathing suit, you can still relax and enjoy the gorgeous view of the river. They provide several magazines if you read Dutch.

The fitness room was on the smaller side but still useful if you want to get a workout.

The hotel also offers a canal tour on one of their authentic Amsterdam-style saloon boats. These boats look fabulous and stands out from the rest of the of the boat tours you see around the city. They run the tours at 10:30 AM on weekends only and you’ll need to let the concierge know the night before if you’d like to go on the tour. The ride lasts for about an hour and costs 35 Euros per person.

You can also rent a bike from the hotel for 25 Euros and it’s good for the whole day. Amsterdam is well-known for being the most bike friendly city in the world so if you want to be like a local, you can hop on a bike right from the hotel.

DINING & LOUNGES

There were a few dining options and we wish we had time to enjoy the Royal Afternoon Tea at the Amstel Lounge but just didn’t have the time. The colors and views in this lounge were spectacular with vibrant interior colors and we just admired this room so much. It makes for great pictures as well.

We did, however, have time to dine at the Amstel Brasserie for a light lunch. The brasserie was located just below the Amstel lounge, which provided a beautiful level view of the Amstel River. We ordered a Club Sandwich to share and the price tag was the most we have ever paid for a Club Sandwich, but it was so worth it. It was by far THE best Club Sandwich we ever had. The bread was toasted to perfection, the ingredients were fresh and it was even layered with a fried egg. Just spectacular.

STAFF & SERVICE

The entire staff was very kind and helpful. When we arrived, our room wasn’t quite ready as we arrived before check-in but they put in a request to have our room ready as soon as possible. We were dining at the Amstel Brasserie while our room was getting prepared and as we were finishing our lunch, a staff member came down to the brasserie to hand us our room keys and our luggage was already waiting for us in our room. That is some outstanding service.

LOCATION

Amsterdam is a very compact city with an excellent transit system, so you really can’t go wrong with hotel locations in the area. We loved that we were within walking distance to the metro station and to multiple tram stops. There was also a fresh bakery across the street and plenty of dining and bar options. The Van Gogh Museum was only a 5-minute tram ride and Anne Frank House was a 11-minute tram ride. The trams are very easy to navigate and some of them even have an information desk with an attendant inside the trams to help out the tourists.

FINAL THOUGHTS

InterContinental Amstel Amsterdam is such a stunning hotel with everything you could ask for. The location was convenient, the service was top-notch, and the cleanliness and interior design of the hotel was exceptional. It’s no surprise to see an excellent rating on TripAdvisor with 4.5 stars and 1,250 reviews.

INTERCONTINENTAL AMSTEL HOTEL
ADDRESS: PROFESSOR TULPPLEIN 1, 1018 GX, AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS (MAP)
PHONE: +31 20 622 58 50
@amstelhotel