I was in Amsterdam on a business trip a couple of weeks ago and decided to extend my trip over the weekend here. The first two nights were at the W Hotel, which was nothing to write home about. Let’s focus on the two hotels I stayed at over the weekend.
There are three hotels in In Amsterdam that I wanted to try the most: the TwentySeven, the Waldorf Astoria, and the InterContinental. Unfortunately, the TwentySeven didn’t have award availability, but I did manage to try the other two which I’ll cover in two posts.
InterContinental Amstel is one of IHG’s flagship properties in Europe. I had considered redeeming my last Creation free night voucher here before, but ended up using it in Cannes at the Regent (which was an excellent hotel). This time, seeing points availability, I jumped on it, but 120,000 points is quite a chunk!
Compared to London, Amsterdam is full of canals, so river views aren’t particularly exclusive. The InterContinental sits along the main river, from which it takes its name, Amstel. Personally, the location is just okay: it’s on the outer ring of canals – quiet, but a bit far from the city centre and museums. Amsterdam’s weather changes quickly, so I grabbed a couple of shots when the sun came out.
The hotel lobby is elegant and grand, typical of a European palace-style property, reminiscent of InterContinental Paris or Carlton Cannes.
Behind the lobby is a gorgeous afternoon tea restaurant with beautiful colour schemes.
I used an IHG suite upgrade voucher here. At only one night it may seem a little wasteful, but at least it didn’t expire unused. I was upgraded to a River View Junior Suite, which would normally cost over 1,000 euro. IHG generally isn’t very generous with upgrades, so I was not expecting a further room upgrade – and I didn’t get one.
The suite is very square and well-laid-out, which I like. The design matches the exterior and public spaces, sticking to a vintage style with almost no modern elements. Furniture is simple but not plain, giving a “classic” rather than “dated” impression.
The building is over a hundred years old, so renovations can’t make major structural changes. As a result, window soundproofing isn’t perfect, but the location is quiet. The river view is decent but nothing spectacular.
Welcome amenities were thoughtful: two small egg tarts and a local pastry on arrival, followed by a plate of cheese in the evening.
The wellness facilities are impressive. The indoor heated pool is large, visually appealing, and includes a jacuzzi, all overlooking the river bank.
Sauna and steam rooms:
Gym:
After working out, you can enjoy fresh fruit, mineral water, and coffee.
Breakfast is served in the main restaurant, which also has a river view, though less refined than the afternoon tea restaurant.
It’s a la carte, as a Diamond member you have €36 credit to spend. Besides classic Western breakfast items, there were options like shashuka and pane carasau, which is a nice touch.
I had oatmeal porridge and a sweet pancake, both looked and tasted great.
One downside of InterContinental Amstel, as a European flagship, is the lack of a club lounge. The hotel , amongst others, had piloted a Club Intercontinental package (breakfast + afternoon tea + happy hour) for a while but it didn’t last long. For those of us holding the annual lounge pass, this is a bit disappointing.
A quick one-day stay was enough to check off a bucket list item. The hotel’s quality is undoubtedly high: both the facilities and dining met my expectations, but the service had minor flaws: I had to confirm a late checkout in the morning, and breakfast was mistakenly added to the bill at checkout. As a flagship property, “meeting expectations” feels a bit underwhelming, though comparing to InterContinental hotels in London or Paris, it’s probably on par.
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