Crowne Plaza Amsterdam City Center (after refurbishment) [master thread]
 

The Crowne Plaza Amsterdam is beginning a refurbishment programme from February 2009 until September 2009.

pilote renovated room photos

The new rooms are quite nice (same style as the Crowne Plaza London The City, even if not avant garde design).

The former club lounge with terrasse is transferred to the ground floor during the renovation (2 large meeting rooms with 2 PCs, printers, drinks, sofas; breakfast is served at the restaurant for free for club floor guests)

Hmmm...we'll be there in 3 weeks. Stayed there a couple years ago and had a great time. I hope we get a refurbished room, even though it is an award stay. It sounds like the club room might be more convenient for popping in and out for drinks & snacks during the day. Will miss the view, though.

I don't think that any refurbished room will be ready at the time of arrival.

I'm writing this from the Crowne Plaza Amsterdam City Centre. The refurbishment appears largely complete. The rooms were certainly in need of an update, and the treatment IMO is well done, with wall-mounted flat-panel TVs and lots of electrical outlets.

What used to be the reception/lobby has been transformed into a modernistic (read: stark) set of podiums that unfold into a "living room" with a fireplace. Looks nice, but I'm not sure how useful it really is. As mentioned by the OP, the Club is now on the ground floor, and features more of a cafeteria seating arrangement that the previous lounge. The rooftop terrace was a spectacular feature of that lounge, and of course now all you see is pedestrian traffic on the sidestreet (the lounge is where the Amsterdammer Bar used to be). There is now a "New Dorius" restaurant in the corner, which also appears to have gone to a neo-modern styling. The gift shop appears to have disappeared, with a luggage room in its place.

The gym is still in the basement, where it is now joined by the business center (I haven't been down there yet, so I can't give a comparison with the old one that was off the lobby).

The former lounge on the sixth floor is now unused, and the staff were vague about future plans for it. I suppose it will probably be a meeting room for special events, parties, etc. to take advantage of the terrace. It's a shame they closed the old lounge, though I do suppose that now Europe is intent on making older places friendly for the handicapped, there was not much way to work around the circular staircase.

The place has an admittedly different look and feel, and frankly not all of it agrees with me. Amsterdam has a lot of old charming buildings and architecture, and the recent trend with hotels seems to be to discard as much of that as possible. While the room upgrades were more than worthwhile, the other changes just seem far too radical for me. Maybe it'll grow on me, maybe it won't. It still has the same great location, so I suspect I'll probably remain a fairly regular customer here.

I just stayed at this hotel. It does look very nice inside but Platinum members no longer get lounge access. I was also given a breakfast voucher for one person. I was there with my wife and was told no free breakfast for 2, only the member.

I did talk to the manager who explained that after renovation Plat members no longer get lounge and only one breakfast voucher. He did explain that a Plat can get the second breakfast for one-half off; I was not told that by the front desk at check-in. he did give me a second voucher since I was not informed at check-in.

IMHO I would not stay there anymore; there are several properties in AMS for either less points or a less expensive rate. With lounge access there is value to stay at a Crown Plaza for a little extra $$ or points but without that benefit it just becomes another hotel.

Wirelessly posted (Opera/9.80 (J2ME/MIDP; Opera Mini/4.2.13918/1016; U; en) Presto/2.4.15)

This is very new - I have stayed here a few times since the refurb was completed, last only two weeks ago, and always got lounge access (even on points stays)

If confirmed, this would be a deal breaker for me. :td:

Club access for Platinum members used to be a guaranteed benefit in the past, but was eliminated many years ago. With the ease of making platinum in Priority Club, and the large number platinum members, I can see why the benefit was removed and the new watered down room upgrade policy was implemented.

I don't understand why platinum members believe that they are entitled to Club access at Crowne Plazas? There is absolutely nothing in the T&C's that even remotely implies this benefit.

mxm135 :)

So what?

Club was offered and is not anymore, and no one can be happy of such a decision.
Yes, it is definitely a deal breaker.

I think there is a difference between viewing lounge access as an entitlement and seeing it is a nice plus when it is provided. A hotel that offers consistent, quality upgrades (and the quality of an upgrade could indeed include club lounge access) is simply more attractive for stays. There is nothing wrong with using the hotel's overall value proposition in determining where one wishes to stay. Let's imagine that two identical CPs were located next to each other. Same rooms, same prices, etc. One offered free club lounge access to Plats and one did not. Which one would you choose?

It's also important to note that in the competitive hotel program landscape, other programs do indeed provide elites with guaranteed lounge access benefits.

Maybe their owners/Managers read the T&C's of the program. Expecting an entitlement beyond what is written may be the problem.

mxm135 :)

I posted here because I made a decision to stay here based on a FT thread stating the lounge access is part of a Platinum amenity. I felt it appropriate to let everyone here know that the thread on this benefit it not there anymore. I for one have NEVER been to a Crown Plaza in the past that had a lounge that did not give access to a Platinum member, just as my Platinum status does for Starwood. Even though T&C may not state lounge access is a given I still thought it appropriate to comment on this benefit being removed at this hotel.

The other comment I made about only one free breakfast for the Platinum member also was worthy of note. If they offered none at all would be better than to give one when a husband and wife check-in; kind of insulting to me.

I disagree on that. I think it's sort of petty not to give two free breakfasts if there are two guests, but certainly one free breakfast as an option is better than 0.

I was here a couple years ago and receieved (without asking) lounge access on a reward stay. To not give it regardless of whether the stay is paid or not is a shame and will cause me to choose between the 2 Marriott properties next time I'm there. I know it's within their right to not allow access just as it's my choice on where to stay.:td:

shame!....yet another hotel diluting the programme!....sure its not in the t's & c's, but as previously stated...ive not been to many crowne plazas that don't give you club lounge access!!