Welcome to Amsterdam Andaz!
An Oasis in the city of canals awaits
A HYATT GOLD PASSPORT AMBASSADOR REVIEW
General Info
The hotel is situated just blocks from the well known Luxury Collection Pulitzer Hotel on the historic well known street Prinsengracht.
The Pulitzer was the first hotel I ever stayed at in Amsterdam many years ago and perhaps the most overrated and overpriced hotel for what it is. Location of Andaz is spot on and close to all the action without the negatives of the Red Light district and Central Station area and the daily sea of intense frenzy of local traffic,noise & bikers.One can easily walk to Andaz from Central Station in good weather without too much luggage.
Cool personalized shopping abound in either direction of the hotel wherever one chooses to walk.
After many years of asking Hyatt and waiting for their presence in Amsterdam the moment had finally come!
For years Amsterdam despite the beauty of the people and the city Amsterdam has been challenged by customer service standards and a lackluster food and beverage scene for foodies that could compete with the global travel market expectation for CRM standards that many discerning travelers have come to expect.I had confidence that if anyone could do it right Hyatt would.
Would it be all I hoped for? Or a bust? I was anxious up to my arrival.
Looking back at 20 years of Amsterdam hotel history there has been the frequently challenging array of cookie cutter and quirky old hotel choices in Amsterdam from budget to luxury typically stuffy and prententious with frequently surly or frequently lost disconnected customer service at least with the major brands typically most of us have afiliation with.
Hotels in Amsterdam have also had numerous challenges primarily due to their frequently historic infrastructure and antiquated elevator systems. It marks a first for impressive change I’ve almost ever seen in the city ever. Even the Marriott properties have driven me crazy in this city with one elevator at the newly renovated Renaissance almost severing my arm several years ago!
Andaz Amsterdam has eliminated most logistical/infrastructure negatives with smooth planning, beautiful elevators (that visually appear to have book lined walls through glass) with a minimum of stairs which impressively makes it even fair enough for those in need of handicapped accessible to enjoy a stay.
For all the guests rooms and suites are a short walk from the lobby and elevators as if in your own condo residence.
It's the anti hotel feel
Upon Arrival
My first point of contact was with a bellman who said welcome to Andaz Amsterdam Mr. 777 Global Mile Hound!
I finally figured he had been tipped off by another team member that had been working there from Andaz Wall Street during the pre opening as to what I looked like. So much for being anonymous lol.
For a moment I thought they had spy cams with our photos on our guest profiles!
Upon entering the entranceway I felt like I was walking into a high end jewellery store
By the time I reached the front desk in seconds I met my smiling radiant welcoming host I pad in hand
It felt like they were tracking my every movement.Could they also beam me up Scotty (Star Trek style to the room?)
The front office had contacted me with emails prior to arrival asking when I would be arriving
As I gazed in circles there was so much exciting design around I hadn't really realized however I had entered into a new world of design where
Alice in Wonderland with her array of modern colourful 3D circus lights had gone vertical meets wild and unpredictable Dutch designer with a
small touches of Philippe Starck thrown in.
Who Knew Andaz could be so cool?
For those of you who don’t know who Philippe Starck is he remains the granddaddy of high design boutique hotels and product designer celebrity who in the 80s paved the way after his association with the Ian Scrager Hotel Group that gave way years later to the W brand and later Andaz and many others as we know today.
All as a result of his original design creation and inspiration.
But speaking of Andaz hotel design its Andaz time to shine.
Enter Marcel Wanders
The creative Dutch designer who I salute responsible for Andaz Amsterdam.He clearly is an original even if nothing in life is truly original. He certainly turned in an overall very impressive performance for the most part on the finished project
In some ways breaking new ground. Of course it won’t be for everyone’s tastes and thats excatly the point!
Guest Service
The team on board at Hyatt Amsterdam starts at the top with of one of the best General Managers Toni Hinterstoisser to ever manage IMO or lead any Andaz or Hyatt property in my decades with Hyatt.
He is generous and doesn’t micro manage Hyatt terms and conditions. He empowers his team to make guests happy by creating relationships over nickel and dime behaviours
He is a visionary who has assembled an exceptional team of experienced Hyatt team members to effectively do the very best job possible under his leadership by giving guests the highest most individualized personal service. I like in particular that guest satisfaction comes first over all else even if it means sometimes breaking the rules as written by exceeding expectations
Without making this long review longer I watched a number of impressive guest interactions along with his hands on out of the back office approach interacting with both team members and guests.
That should be mandatory for all GMs.
Many of us all know and experience that is frequently simply not the case at all where it’s operationally run from behind the scenes. The Hilton Amsterdam is a hotel case in point where management hides isolated in a bunker from all of their guests
Almost every Andaz team member has a list and taking note the positive of which there is much as well as the negative and working with the highest levels of commitment towards making this a destination property within Amsterdam for all travellers. Even with some of the hotels minor shortcomings its positives for Hyatt loyalists is not to be missed with current folks on board. It is my hope they can keep the exceptional team in place over the long haul.
Guest Room (First Night)
I had been advised that all suites were sold out weeks before my arrival which is my fault as it was available when I originally booked my rate of 243 Euros a night. None the less after setting that expectation going forward I was escorted by one of the lovely and outgoing front office managers who hails from the impressive Park Hyatt Milan. She was information friendly and shared that there are 120 approx room and only 5 suites on property between the two buildings. With one of those being a Presidential suite that should make it crystal clear suites should be hard to come by as the property becomes increasing popular. For those wishing for their nights in a suite you might want to be pro active and use their suite upgrades accordingly in advance should a suite be important for an upcoming stay. I was very fortunate as I was able to move to a s suite on the second night of my 3 night stay as apparently someone cancelled. As a result I had both a guest room and a suite to enjoy and test the waters. Oddly I missed some of my guest room features over my suite.
The basic room itself was very entertaining whimsical where modern architecture collides with traditional Dutch classic design.
Yes most of the rooms are small but they are extremely well appointed.
The designer gave a great sense of increase space by removing much standard hotel furniture relying on built ins for a classy custom finish
Hyatt Diamond Welcome Amenity
Consisted of a local nice Dutch bottle of wine which I sadly left behind as I was travelling to other cities. That’s when you wish Hyatt would allow the points at International properties! And a small metal tin of customary and expected local treat Strop waffles .The room as was my suite was spotless fresh and immaculate all one would expect from a gleaming new hotel. No stinky scents in the lobby or public areas that permeate and have led me to stop staying at many Starwood properties.
ROOM DETAILS/Focal Points
•
A tinted shower door where one can see out into the room when one is showering but can’t others can’t see you.
Which really doesn’t matter as once you come out there is no privacy!
This may not be for most families.The suites do offer a bit more privacy in bath area
•
A toilet area where one reads about Dutch history in a visually artistic way while attending to the nature of personal business. Even Dutch postage stamps are illustrated
•
Clear Glass head boards by the bed
•
THE HOSPITALITY WORLDS BEST GLASS PANED THERMOSTAT EVER DESIGNED to grace a wall and did I say finally idiot proof?
•
Roll out light up mini bar in a drawer (fantastic except that my mini bar had no temperature control and at best my beverages were moderately chilled to room temperature. I am told the bars are very sensitive to item placement. I have short and long term concerns about these mini bars especially during the summer with no ice machines on any floor except through room service
•
The light up rectangular vanity mirror and counter in guest rooms by the bed. It’s confusing at first as laying out toiletries soon makes the room look like a mess. There is no bathroom technically with both the shower and the toilet area being confined to separate glass door closets
•
What I learned eventually as I lived in the space is that by using the nearby beautiful stark white closets and shelf area you can store your toiletries and still keep the minimalist clean lines and sink/vanity area clear of room clutter free enjoying the unique design aspects of the room.
•
The lively debate over the fish in a spoon photo art above the bed.It gets your attention and folks talking about it the designer succeeded IMHO
Art (ok eyes of the beholder) is meant to provoke and it does!
•
Too typically expected and silly IMO are the cliché Dutch wooden clogs attached to one wall in every room or suite
•
No two Bluedelft sinks are the same anywhere in the hotel.All have their own unique patterns
•
Large impressive LG Flat screen TVs are in every room and suite
•
I pod plug in sound systems for music in the room as they are in every Andaz with a new color scheme instead of white
•
A firm bed much like most other Andaz properties (not my preference I woke up with mattress impressions in my face from the patterns digging into my face .
Look forward to some foam or feather duvets but to those concrete platform bed lovers will love it
The Anti Hyatt Grand and Westin Heavenly bed!
•Lighting is lovely throughout the room and has gorgeous night lights that may be turned on or off right above the night tables with all room lighting controls. The bed itself has no overhead lights which I personally see as one of the rooms shortcomings which is high in mood light lighting but somewhat deficient in task lighting light reading.For those romantics I call it seductive lighting.He## if you are trying to work in bed or read.There are some directional lighting that have cool factor but limited
task lighting to be fully effective.
•Interesting books on Amsterdam educate and entertain as well as show off local area things to do on wall shelves of both rooms and suites.Interesting mood lighting is also placed on the shelves as well
FITNESS CENTER
For those looking for a full fitness center as I was like the brilliantly equipped Andaz Wall Street you will be severely disappointed.
Its a room with some bikes and treadmills essentially
This was the most disappointing aspect of my stay .They do have a spa which wasn’t open while I was there nor did it matter to me.
Had hoped to work out and it never happened during my stay.
I was so absorbed with the hotel, its team, seeing friends and all other local sightseeing I failed to check out their fitness partnership with Splash which may be a reasonable solution to the problem For those who wish for a full body work out. Uncertain if there is a daily fee to do so but I imagine there may be. I really counted Hyatt to insure in 2012 that fitness enthusiasts would be well looked after.
I was quite surprised
Upon Departure
I summoned for a bellman and went to grab my checkout portfolio where my checkout agent charged my account a flat rate of 44 Euros to my check out bill and pushed a button behind him and Voila the taxi was there in seconds.Many of the team members on duty came to say goodbye much like the folks at the Park Hyatt Sydney did.
Your wish is their command and whatever your request these folks appeared pleased to accommodate and wish the sometimes overly repeated Hyatt mantra
“You are more than welcome”
Personally it was all my pleasure and more than being welcome I felt truly honoured by all the heartfelt team who surprisingly all came to say goodbye like departing family.
“I am not worthy” (quote from Saturday Night Live)
Final Assessment
I’d put this property on par with the Park Hyatt Sydney (in some ways better) in individual attention.Not a room or suite comparison as the budget was higher
3 weeks into their opening I have never seen a hotel team work harder despite some of their continued challenges and no Andaz in the history of the brand has this much class or heart.Even W can no longer compare in my book.
There is Hollywood magic by the canals as one walk up to the hotel at night and looks into the front hotel windows with cool people watching and the candles flickering in their holders That is Andaz Amsterdam.
All one needs to do is grab a drink sit in this incredible space and forget about what isn't perfect about Andaz or the rest of the world and look towards the canal.
It's a true escape in a world class establishment with personality and charm come to life.
Andaz sets the new stage going forward for Hyatt and most of the industry
One always seem to know they are in Amsterdam inside Andaz thanks to Mr.Wanders for playfully reminding us every step and turn of the way as we walk and live in the shadow of his creation simply known as
Andaz Amsterdam.
I highly recommend this hotel ^^:-::-::-::-: 4 out of 5 stars and climbing
My gratitude to all the good folks @ Andaz Amsterdam
Take a bow well done all.
Looking forward to the continued progress
Much continued success! Cheers