Brucemcdou

Hi all - just spent a week at the Renaissance Amsterdam and wanted to post some thoughts which I hope may be helpful for those planning a trip.

Overall - this is a surprisingly pleasant, almost 'boutique' hotel. The staff were generally warm and welcoming, management was visible and interested in guests comfort, and all important features work as they should.

Location - it's roll-your-suitcase close to the train station. This has pluses and minuses, as like in most European capitals near the station there are also a selection of cheap hotels, cheap take out food shops and (unique to Amsterdam) dazed pot smoking foreigners on the sidewalk you need to step around. However, if you use the train to/from the airport, or take any day trips on the train as I did, it is very convenient. It is on the edge of the Jordaan, a trendy area that quickly gets more residential as you go further west from the hotel. Since it's close to the station it's also convenient for all the tram lines that start and end at the station, along with the ferries across the Ij behind the station. I rented and used a bike for the week, and it was incredibly easy to get around from the hotel and always find your way back.

Room - I booked a basic queen deluxe and was upgraded as MR Gold to a Club King on the top (eighth) floor. Beware because the 900 rooms are on the second floor of the hotel. The room was decent sized for Europe, with a desk and sitting area by the window. Small closet but ok drawer space in chest. As others have noted you can hear your neighbors - I had a connecting room and I could hear neighbors talking in a normal tone of voice in the room next door even with a towel under the door. The bathroom was nice, porcelain tile and granite, but nothing lavish, with a shower/tub combo. Coffee/tea service was a kettle and instant coffee and tea bags, not great.

Club - the lounge is on the first (American second) floor, and is fine for normal use but packed on weekends. This explains why they serve Gold/platinum breakfast in the restaurant on the weekends, which is a full hot breakfast buffet. The weekday club breakfast is limited but includes scrambled eggs/bacon/sausage for those who need fat, selection of breads and rolls with jam and honey for the carb folks, and sliced meat and cheese for the Swiss/Germans. A few cereals along w bowls of yogurt and fruit. Afternoon Tea was sweets and pastries, no sandwiches or savory. Evening hors d'ouvres were cheese and crackers, some limited canapés, dips such as hummus and tapenade, and some fried bitteballen. Beer and wine only. The stated hours are strictly enforced by a very attentive and very helpful lounge staff who circulated and constantly made sure guests were taken care of, from clearing plates to offering to refill wine or beer glasses

Gym - not bad for the size of the hotel. In the basement so little light. Four treadmills, three elliptical and one bike, along with two adjustable benches and dumbbells up to 30 Kgs. There's also a small stretching area w Swiss balls, mats, and a cable pulley machine in a corner.

Restaurant and bar - didn't try except for eating breakfast buffet there on the weekends. Very pleasant and hardworking staff at that time.

Odd bits - the street out front is still under construction (late august 2014) which is hand-laying brick. Once it's done it appears that vans will be able to get to the front door once again. Until then you need to be flexible to get in and out of the hotel. From the station you can cut through the back way past touristy cheap restaurants and pot-smoking coffee houses, or come around the corner and just assume you'll need to carry your bag a ways.

The restaurant, bar, gym, and meeting rooms are all effectively in the basement of the hotel, with windows where you can see people's legs as they walk by. The ceiling heights are low on each floor, giving a potentially claustrophobic feel throughout. I assume the designers were going for 'cozy' but there is really no space in the hotel that doesn't feel crowded or cramped.

You can't get away from CNN in this hotel - although the cable selections include Euronews, BBC World, RTL, TV5, FR1, etc, the TVs in the lounge, the gym, and the bar were always tuned to CNN. You may consider this an advantage; some of us would prefer to avoid the American news cycle when we're traveling.

Durning the time I was there I saw big crowds from a cruise line that specializes in elderly American passengers. I also saw numerous flight crews, including in the lounge. You may have your own opinions about this, I'm just reporting the news. Overall I was very happy with my stay.