- Which room did you book and which upgrade did you receive?

Booked the cheapest river view room I could find. Got upgraded to an Executive Suite (river view) which is the standard RA upgrade. Oddly, the hotel REDUCED my rate when I arrived without saying why! I had booked a prepaid rate of Euro 385 which was reduced to Euro 336, with a Euro 49 credit given against my bill. The second night (which I was going to use a voucher for anyway) came down from Euro 550 to Euro 485!

- How are the rooms?

50 square metres. VERY classical - lots of orginal antiques, including a 13 volume encylopedia! The non-antique furniture looks about 10 years old and could do with replacing (old TV's, old looking safe etc) but the carpets, curtains, linens etc were spotless. My girlfriend absolutely loved it - to be honest, I prefer something more modern.

- How is the exec. lounge?

There isn't one. The Amstel only has 79 rooms!

- What was good and what was bad?

This is a boutique hotel the size of a conference hotel. It is NEVER busy! Breakfast is expensive (Euro 25 for the buffet plus extra for any cooked items you order) but is wonderful - I totally, totally recommend paying for it. It is served in the main restaurant by totally professional staff. Everything seemed to be hand made, including the jams and pastries. Only about 1/3rd of the tables were occupied and the pace is leisurely. Our breakfast bill for 2 for 2 days was Euro 120 and it was worth every penny!

Swimming complex is great. Pool is not huge but there is a bar with free coffee, papers, juice, tables to sit at, sunloungers etc. Great view over the river.

We didn't eat in the restaurant, which has 2 Michelin stars but is astoundingly expensive. The bar next door also serves as a brasserie and we had a fantastic meal in there - they had a special asparagus menu as well as the normal menu! Again, though, this wasn't cheap for a meal in a bar - Euro 25 for a main course. It was very, very tasty and well cooked - after all, it does come from the same Michelin-starred kitchen!

The staff, in general, were exceptional. The only weak spot was the check-in lady who was on her first day. She had no idea what RA was, almost laughed at me when I asked if everything in the mini-bar was free, and didn't take my Ambassador free night cert - and when I checked out, I got told off for not handing it in at check-in!

Location is poor for Anne Frank House, the Jordaan and the tatty shops. However, it is perfect for the Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum and the boutiques on PC Hoogstraat. There is a metro station 60 seconds walk from the door - don't try to walk it from the Central Station unless you know the city and have no luggage - it is at least a 30 minute walk.

Minibar - as posted elsewhere, you get six 35cl-50cl bottles of spirits (Absolut, Glenfiddich, Gran Marnier, Courvoisier etc) plus 2 half-bottles of wine. No champagne. Snacks were limited, but on our last day some Godiva chocolate appeared!

The RA gift is usually a Delft china windmill, but they had run out. No replacement was offered. Toiletries are L'Occitane.

- Value for $ or Priority Club Points? Would you return?

It's a no-brainer. The rate may sound expensive but all of Amsterdam is pricey. Total bill for the room (1 night free, 1 paid), 2 breakfasts for 2 and one meal in the brasserie was Euro 549 and was worth every penny.

In many ways this is the best IC there is - on a par with LeGrand but with far nicer staff and a far better guest to staff ratio. With a tiny bit of room modernisation (although my girlfriend totally disagrees with me on this) it would be perfect. Give it a go next time you have an Amb voucher to use.