RDY3238

IMO it's not worth it. I have always found it to be very noisy. I much prefer the inside courtyard /garden view rooms which can tend to be better.

SLF

I'd say it is worth it . You can get a view of a courtyard/garden anywhere, canals are much harder to see usually . We had two canal view rooms recently, one low and one high - I didn't think either were unduly noisy.

RDY3238

This is Amsterdam. You won't be out of sight of water for your whole trip
Hey, if you want the canal view, then the canal view it shall be....it's your stay.
I'll be there later this year for the Art, but not the Pulitzer this time. Overpriced and inconsistent. There is a definite lack of Starwood choices in AMS, its time to try something different. Have fun...

broadwayboy

We spent this past weekend in Paris and Amsterdam. While we had a marvelous stay at Park Hyatt in Paris, our stay at Pulitzer in Amsterdam was not quite so fabulous.

I had kept my expectations very low - so when I checked in, I was surprised the receptionist said "Let me find a really nice room for you". I am only a Gold SPG member and had thought maybe they'd upgrade me 1 category up.

The "really nice room" turned out to be a super small regular room with a courtyard view. There is no decor to speak of, but I do have to commend them for spending the most money on the most important thing: THE BED. It was supremely comfortable and the sheets were nice. I guess the Euros stop there, because there was not even a bedskirt to speak of. The box spring was bare.

The bathroom was tiny, but water pressure was good. The 'Made In Italy' toiletries bearing 'The Luxury Collection' brand was nothing special. Thankfully we brought some Blaise Mautin from PHPV to use.

I am convinced that there is nothing luxurious about 'The Luxury Collection'. As someone mentioned before, they ought to be called 'The Charming Collection' instead -- as they are simply a portfolio of old buildings with character in semi-historic locations. Hotel Schloss Fuschl near Salzburg might have been a perfect property for a 'Luxury Collection'. But maybe since they really fit the luxury category and not the charming one, they left Starwood.

itsaboutthejourney

Does anyone know if they have adjoining rooms?

MagMile

Any recent info on the merits of this offer? Do you just get a canal view room or is it likely to be a better room as well?

Also, is there any way to get cheaper internet for a 5-6 day stay? E.g., is the service provided by a company that offers monthly etc plans?

Many thanks.

MagMile

Another question if anyone knows, do the TVs in the rooms have line in connectors to plug a DVD etc player in?

SteveinA2

In January when we were staying, there was free internet in the business center (with 2 computers - so you might have to wait)

Why spend $ for a canal view room which is noisy so you get woken up at night? You see the canals perfectly well as you leave the hotel and walk around AMS. Realistically how many hours/minutes/seconds will you spend looking out the hotel room's window?

Better value (paid or on free points) is a deluxe room - (only 1500 points) more a night that includes free breakfast - although sadly this is significantly worse than in 2007 or 2006. No more fresh OJ and way worse food quality.

Have fun in AMS - If you don't have fun in AMS the problem is not AMS

MagMile

To answer my own question, the flat panel tv in our room did have line in connectors but they did appeared to have been deactivated. None of the controls on the tv would change the input. I didn't spend a lot of time investigating this as we were out enjoying AMS.

Also, I did not take the email offer but did request and get a complimentary upgrade to a canal room. The service was decent, not up to luxury standards, but I wasn't expecting as much. The location is absolutely excellent and sells the hotel for me. We spent a lot of time around the nine streets and Jordaan area. Much preferred it to Dam Square or the higher traffic areas.

nyjoe4

Hi all,

Does anyone know whether the room renovations at this property have been completed this year? There is some suggestion (on other sites) that the rooms were in the process of being renovated...

Thanks!

Joe

Houston Cowboy

I stayed at The Pulitzer this week. Was "upgraded" to a canal view room. It was tiny with a cupboard for a bathroom. I asked for any room with a big bathroom and they found me a much larger room with a nice big bathroom.

Have stayed here many times before. Great location but service is not always up to scratch.

I prefer the Sheraton Schipol hotel at the airport. Great club lounge, great service and fantastic gym / fitness center.

precision80

Stayed here for a few days last week. Only have great things to say about this hotel. I found the staff to be extremely friendly and accommodating. Early check-in was no problem and was upgraded to a renovated canal room. I am only gold but the girl that check me in thanked me for my loyalty to *wood.

I agree the street/canal side is a little noisier but its really not that bad. You are in the middle of a city so you cant expect it to be pin drop quiet. Location is AWESOME.

Flying Buccaneer

We stayed there December 30 - January 2 using 36,000 Starpoints. We arrived around 6:00 p.m. Tuesday evening and had to wait five minutes to check in. The agent informed us that no upgrades were available because they were sold out for New Years Eve. Because I had heard her offer another guest free breakfast in lieu of an upgrade, I asked if our room included breakfast. She told us it did not, but then she reconsidered, perhaps because she realized what I had heard her tell the other guest.

We were assigned room 134 ("a lovely garden room") which is probably the closest room to the front desk. The room was tiny (11'x14' in the main area), but I have visited Amsterdam enough times to understand that rooms in hotels there are small, especially when you're staying in a room in what used to be a canal house. The bed was exceptionally comfortable. There was a .5L bottle of water and a package of stroopwafels, compliments of the hotel. (These were replaced daily.) A sliding glass door opened into the courtyard. I am sure this is a great feature in April or May, but not in December/January.

In room wifi is €19 per 24 hours with slight discounts for longer term purchases. There are also two computers in the business centre that are complimentary (in 15-minute increments). It was on one of the computers that, out of curiosity, I decided to check the hotel's availability the evening of our arrival. Even though we were told the hotel was sold out, the hotel's website showed deluxe, classic, and executive rooms available for a three-night stay starting on December 30, 2008.

I will say that the complimentary breakfast more than made up for the lack of an upgrade. The breakfast is excellent, and the dining room is a wonderful place to have a leisurely breakfast. Is it worth €24/€29 for a continental/complete breakfast? No way, but if it is included, it is a great feature.

The location is great, but in nearly a dozen stays in Amsterdam, I don't think I have ever stayed in a location that was not great. After all, Amsterdam is very compact.

Overall, I would just rate our stay at the Pulitzer as satisfactory, nothing more. The bed was great as was the breakfast. The negatives were the towels (below the standards of the worst Four Points I have ever stayed in), and the noise in the room (from the hallway, the room above, and the heater). The hotel has charm, but so do most other hotels in Amsterdam.

I don't think my expectations as a Starwood Platinum are unreasonable. I realize that upgrades are nice perks, and not guarantees. However, if Room 134 was the best available room when we checked in, I would hate to see what we would have gotten had we booked a deluxe room without status. Seeing that Classic and Executive Rooms were available when we checked in, after we had been told the hotel was sold out, also left something of a bad taste in my mouth. Again, I understand the nature of hotels in Amsterdam. I have stayed at the Estherea, the Schiller, and the Doelen, and the Marriott. My room at the Putlizer was no better than rooms I have received at any of the others.

I would have been very disappointed had I paid €235 per night for this room. In the future, I will not use 12,000 Starpoints per night to stay at the Pulitzer. I don't think it's worth it. At those prices, "satisfactory" is not good enough.

thaliajen

I'm in Europe and was staying at a hotel in Amsterdam, which happened to be the loudest and most annoying hotel I've been to in 20 years (a non-Starwood hotel.) Desperate for sleep after night one was so bad, I checked Starwood's hotels in Amsterdam and was surprised to see a luxury hotel (Pulitzer) for cash/points. Not one to turn down a bargain, we schlepped our luggage into a cab and arrived.

From the moment of arrival to the next morning's departure, everything went perfectly. We were there before check-in but as soon as I walked up to the desk and said my name, the wonderful desk clerk made sure I was taken care of. She inquired about our trip and we told her about our night of screaming into our pillows. Even though it was early, she said we could check in, and then began searching for an upgrade, and it's the 1st time I didn't mention it first. (I was too tired to care!)

I told her that anything quiet would be fine, but she searched and found us the most adorable "family" room they had. The hotel is made up of several buildings together, and it's so beautiful it took my breath away. Our room not only had the 2 twin beds I'd booked, but a King bed, as well. There was a loft with 2 twins- just gorgeous.

My friend took the ladder up and had the loft while I had the King bed. Pillow-top mattress and windows that opened for cool air- I was in heaven!
And THEN the manager called. He heard we'd had a bad experience in Amsterdam and wanted to offer his help if needed.

There was a nice marble bathroom with slippers and robes, a safe, and the lovely ambience is hard to describe. It had the luxury hotel bath collection so we had actual soap, shampoo and conditioner, as well as gel and lotion. It's amazing what you take for granted.

Also, upon check-in, I chose my points for the gift. Then, I asked what the speciality gift was. My friend commented that it was nice (a lovely tile of Amsterdam) and the lady said, "I'll give you both." WHAT? THEN she gave us a box of cookies! I love my husband but at that moment I could've kissed her. Lack of sleep does strange things to a person.

Considering I stayed for cash and points (only $90) I thought we did very well. The concierge, desk staff and even the doormen were SO kind. And it was a huge plus that we were just down the street (same street, few blocks down) as the Anne Frank House. Also, there was s canal boat stop right at the Hotel Pulitzer.

I couldn't find this hotel in a search (I'm sure someone will find a master thread but I couldn't) and wanted to make sure it was mentioned. It was the most wonderful place, and their rates are reasonable for Amsterdam. Their rates in that city are very high, but Pulitzer wasn't that bad in comparison, and it was a better hotel.

I will always remember the wonderful Hotel Pulitzer and recommend it to anyone who asks. What a gem Starwood has!

thepointsguy

Agreed- I stayed there in January and loved it. I especially loved the complimentary waffle cookies that magically appeared in my room every day ^