MisterBill

I'm flying into Amsterdam from JFK in June with a 5:55am arrival (AMS is my final destination, no connecting flight). I'd rather not have to go right to my hotel at that hour since I won't be able to get my room until the afternoon so I'd like to stick around the airport lounge for a couple of hours to rest and possibly catch up on my sleep. I understand that for international flights, PP access is only for departing customers. That said, what are the odds that they'll let me into the PP lounge for an hour or two to rest before heading to our hotel? I read a post elsewhere that said that someone was able to get in for an hour, although they were made to feel like they were being done a favor (which I guess they were).

I have PP thru CSR, if that matters.

krazykanuck

I'd put the odds at next to zero. Without a connecting flight you're going to have to clear customs and immigration right when you get to AMS and then you'll be landside and after passport control with no way to get back to the lounges since you don't have an onward flight. But you're not missing out on much. I've went to the Aspire Lounge in the Schengen part of AMS about a year ago and it was pretty unremarkable in my opinion.

MisterBill

Hmm. maybe you're right. I was thinking that the non-Schengen lounge was before security, since it was near the shops. But maybe I'm wrong. I know that after leaving the lounge we had to go thru the centralized security area before going to our gate, because we thought it would take a long time and left the lounge early, only to return when it took 5 minutes.

And unremarkable or not, it's better than getting a cab to my hotel at 6:30am and then having to sit in the hotel lobby for a few hours. At least if I can kill a couple of hours at the airport, I can get to the hotel around 8 or 9 and they'll give me breakfast (they did last year at the same hotel when we arrived around 9-ish).

nomad1972

As long as you don't have checked luggage you need to pick up at the belt, I don't see why you would have an issue checking in to the Aspire Lounge by Pier E (non-Schengen) for a few of hours before heading out through immigration. Unlike an airline lounge where they do demand to see a boarding card, all independent lounges care for is getting paid (ie an imprint of your PP card).

As for getting from Schiphol to downtown Amsterdam, your best bet is the train - you're there in roughly 15 minutes.

MisterBill

Unfortunately, we will have checked luggage. I had forgotten about the immigration check after checking our bags, but I guess the lounge is on the other side of that, so it wont work. Bummer.

DYKWIA

The Aspire lounge at AMS has recently been checking boarding passes.

MisterBill

Never commented on this. We are staying at the Banks Mansion, which isn't near the train station. When we were there last year, we stayed at the same hotel and used Staxi, which is sort of like Uber (they have an app).They were running a flat rate deal of 25 euros which was a great deal. This year it's 35 euros but probably still cheaper than a regular taxi or Uber. They showed up on time, although I had a bit of trouble finding them (a friendly airport employee called them to help me). I used them after our cruise to get to the airport as well. They had trouble finding me at the port, but it worked out OK.

When we stayed at a hotel near the Rijksmuseum a few years ago, we took the airport bus, but that wasn't practical for the Banks Mansion, either.

NOLAnwGOLD

So AMS is one of the airports that everyone is dumped into the main terminal (not forced immediately to customs). You will be able to make it to the landside lounges, not sure if Aspire will let you in. I've briefly checked it out (was at KLM CR) just to see what I might be missing and it's pretty basic and unremarkable. I'd give it a shot and you're better off with a coffee and some snacks at the airport. I've left my luggage on the belt and got it hours later (you just have to go down the hallway to the left luggage room). It's worth a try.

MisterBill

Of course that assumes that my luggage is still there when I go to get it. It would kinda ruin our cruise if something happened to it. Would be nice to be able to get it and stash it somewhere and then go back to the lounge, but that seems unlikely on multiple counts.

As for the lounge being unremarkable, it seemed nice enough to me when we were there last August. But I don't have a lot to compare it to.

wetrat0

When I used the Aspire lounge they were checking BPs. Edit: this was a while ago but wanted to give you a data point.

fbruno

Last time I went there on arrival they were only asking for the destination.
I answered with the city where I just came from and got in on arrival, so YMMV.

MisterBill

Thanks. At this point I think I'm more concerned about my luggage getting lost if I don't pick it up when it comes off the plane. Even if it gets lost as opposed to stolen, it will make for a very unpleasant 2 week cruise (after 2 days in AMS).

Artpen100

I would have the same fear. So there is really no arrival lounge option for AMS. (There is only one lounge outside security, which is the Thalys lounge if you have a ticket on Thalys that day. It is quiet and empty, but no food or showers, just sodas and coffee.) I note that the airport hotels will allow you to check in early for an extra fee. If you get hotel executive lounge access and thus a free breakfast, it can be worth it.

MSPeconomist

You should be able to get a day rate at some of the airport hotels. IIRC Sheraton and Hilton are connected indoors to the terminal while the newish Citizen M requires walking about a block outside, more of half of the way under a roof (and they might have a shuttle too).

When you arrive into AMS from the USA (on DL I assume), you'll be in the area with airside shops and not forced to go through immigration and customs immediately, but the checked luggage would be a concern/problem. AFAIK all PP lounges at AMS are airside.

MisterBill

Thanks to both of you for the suggestions. We are staying at the Banks Mansion Hotel near the flower market. We also stayed here last year and arrived around 9:30am. They checked our bags and invited us to have breakfast which was really nice of them (an excellent breakfast is included but I wasn't expecting it for a day where we hadn't stayed overnight). Then we went out for a walk but came back tired so we napped for an hour or so in very comfy chairs in their lobby before going out for a tour. I have no doubt that I can do the same thing again this year but it would be a couple of hours earlier. I could ask for early check-in, but I suspect they will be full the night before so they won't have anything available when we get there. I think I'll email them and let them know I'm coming in early so maybe they can try to assign me to a room that will be made up early, if at all possible.