Flying Lawyer

They have 55 rooms and 24 suits and to my recollecton they need to make awailable 5% of these 55 rooms. Given that they don't have one room per night but something in the range of two or three.

Stealthmode

I also had an award night last Saturday with Club Life Experience, and was equally disappointed about the coffee and water which I previously could enjoy nearly everywhere in the public spaces incl. Bistro, A-Bar terrace, etc.

But when I mentioned this at check-out Monique took note and thanked me for the feedback, I guess they're just trying to find the right mix of benefits. My partner and I don't care much for the minibar soda's, but that's a personal preference, so wouldn't be surprised if other guests have expressed their preferences for soda's instead of water, tea & coffee.

The inroom canapes and pre-dinner alcoholic drinks where also less enjoyable, compared to the previous A-Bar cocktail hours.

For the rest another wonderful stay as usual.

turner32

So, no more A- bar for Club Experience? Is that correct? How do they offer in-room drinks and canapes? What does this comprise of?

scubaccr

I took my Tuesday 1800-2000 drinks/canapes in Amstels A-Bar last night. There are 3x pre printed menus regards canapes, which are rotated each night.

Canapes not really anything I want to eat here so I just drank 4 glasses of Moet.

I see offer of sodas(non alcohol) from minibar to save guests walking to lounge and also occupying seats/tables hotel wants to use from 1230 onwards for Amstel tea's

Raffles

I did a review of the Amstel club life experience here:

http://www.headforpoints.com/2017/06...life-reviewed/

I took the canapes in my room so only got 1 glass of champagne, if I knew I could have had multiple downstairs I would have done that!

For a couple it is a good deal, given the cost (and quality) of the breakfast here which it would be a shame to miss.

ChinaShrek

I am taking a cruise out of Amsterdam next summer and plan to stay two nights pre-cruise at either the Intercontinental Amstel or the Le Grand in Paris. Which would you stay at if cost wasn't a factor?

scubaccr

If on AWARD night, don't bother with IC Amstel Amsterdam. Amstel have recently implemented a new award stay position.... ZERO UPGRADES ON AWARD STAYS

I am a regular guest here since 2009, paid and award nights before always treated the same.... last 2years only paid nights, AND now i stay on award and get zero uopgrade and am told by Duty Manager that is policy, no upgrades.

This is about JULY2017 stays !

ChinaShrek

Thanks for the information. This is disappointing.

TravelTheWorld66

Incredibly disappointing. This has always been my favorite IHG points redemption as an RA, probably because I wouldn't pay the prices they charge here. I've always enjoyed the upgrades on awards nights to their Executive River View suites, and sometimes even the Penthouse.

Maybe if enough RAs reached out to Anita (who is very reasonable), they would change their decision? I wonder if it's just temporary during renovations when they have less rooms available than normal.

scubaccr

ref ...I wonder if it's just temporary during renovations when they have less rooms available than normal
ANS:- At 5pm when I checked in IC Amstel still advertising for sale both Junior Suites and CityView Suites (no RiverView Suites)... did not check for higher types which have been outside scope for ugrades.

DutyManager even who showed me to room even lied saying no higher room cats available when I expressed that as regular, repeat guest hotel should have either
i)told me on an earlier visit of change in policy,
ii)upgraded as normal and informed me new award policy is no future award upgrades

I had 8x recent paid nights Nov16 and Apr17 plus earlier July17 stay too, so no excuses. Anita Bos on 2week vacation, a smarmy younger new DutyManager. The other DM on duty rushed to my room to ask why etc, tried to offer me a drink in lounge before I left, ...
I refused drink offe, informing why waste hour of my time 1730-1800plus as would delay me getting to other hotel before 1900 and further cut into my personal time.

IC Amstel have permanently lost me as a customer including upcoming 4 planned stays, 3paid, 1 award... as this was last straw on top of poor last stay, and again very poor attitude of a junior manager at checkout when issues with stay mentioned. As no GM change, Anita still the big boss, I am quite astounded, though Anita Bos was on 2week vacation, and then these things happen.

I told the second DM she needs tell Anita that they have just lost a regular long term customer, I don't think DMs will, as they may think Anita will never know about my two problem stays. Well not true, I will wait 2weeks more for Anita to return from vacation, and to reach out to me assuming DMs relay the info, and if nothing write in to ask Anita if she was informed that IC Amstel has lost a good regular customer due to 2x poor stays in her absence and why.

jtpc

I was thinking of buying Ambassador status for the 7 night reward stay I'm currently planning for Amsterdam Pride next summer, but reading the last few posts, it sounds like I should maybe save myself the $200 US.

A data point to add to the 5% reward night availability discussion: From searching dates the furthest out, it appears that 3 reward night rooms are loaded into the system. The rewards night option comes up when you search for 3 rooms, but as soon as you try to search for 4 rooms, it says reward nights are not available.

SanDiego1K

You can wait til check in. Ask if you were ambassador would they have a better room. If they say yes, then pay the $200.

scubaccr

Agreed, 79rooms, 54 standard exec rooms + 25 suites, so 5% (1/20th) = 3 award rooms/night minimum under IHG corporate rules.

Luckily it is 3% if total rooms, not 3% of standard rooms as some poster suggested as that would be just 2rooms minimum at 5%per night.

scubaccr

For the Pride weeked, I'd use your MR-G status and stay at either Renaissance (near central station / Danrak) or Marriott (Leidseplein)

IC Amstel is not ideally situation to see anything parade wise. Boats use canals rather than going past IC Amstel on Amstel waters themselves.

jtpc

Thank you very much for the Marriott property suggestions. I'll keep those in mind for future trips to Amsterdam when I'm not planning on using IHG Rewards. I'm really looking forward to spending a week at the IC Amstel, so even though the canal parade doesn't come by the hotel, I think there will be many great vantage points for the parade that I could walk to from the InterContinental.