dewby

I have also felt this.

I have had a few stays and have enjoyed most. I like the location and it is a grand dame hotel but issues on last 2 trips have put me off.

Poorly functioning heater in room in winter left the room like a fridge.

Loud AC because of age. If you like a quiet room this is not the place in winter or high summer for you as the only heating is via the AC system which is old fashioned and loud even on the lowest setting.

No refill of water as an Amb perk. The maid placed the empty bottle back in its place which is novel as I have never before received an empty bottle as a benefit.

Current stay in a junior suite, the web site says loccitane toiletries which is not the case. Just the standard ones.

The place has its charm but it is also starting to creak in places and tears in the fancy wall paper and stains on the old chairs and sofas are normal.

dewby

Fun and games continued this morning.

Was told i had consumed items from the mini bar, not true.

Mentioned the issue of no water refill, answer from check out girl 'Oh well!!!'

Not offered a copy of the bill just a simple thanks Mr Dewby, good bye.

I think the customer service in this hotel has lots to do with the young crowd who seem to run the place. They don't respond to customer needs or anticipate what the clientele in this type of hotel want, that is impeccable and polite service with personality.

its over 500$ a night.

I fear it is my last stay.

BRAISKI

Hmmmm seems to be a difficult hotel to deal with...

Seems like they nickel and dime everyone here regardless of status!

mitpat474

we had molton brown a couple of months back exec suite.

scubaccr

Just got Molton in Penthouse Suite (a Suite I don't really like) but normal Agraria toiletries in my usual Exec Suite rooms.

Terribly small molten soap though, no big soap for bath/shower , just two small pieces.

scubaccr

Where is the Nickel+Diming? That is a rather unfair sweeping statement. Ok there is not a Lounge but neither Lounge or Free Breakfast are an Ambassador/RA benefit. Charging for 3rd person/bed in room or max-persons per room meaning 2-rooms needed for 4 Adults is common across hotels in Europe.

As an example of not nickle+diming, despite room-tray service fee being due on all room service, when I order a pot of coffee, IC Amstel policy is not to charge room-service-fee on small price items, and also if I order a second pot of coffee that day or next morning it is usually provided free of charge

Amstel provide great RA upgrades on both Award and Paid stays, treating both equally with all bennies on Award nights which they do not have to. Ok lowest entry level rooms are Execs so the Exec Suite is a 2-level upgrade but they also give (imoh) the nicer corner room Exec Suites to RA's

Personally for me, the jury is still out on whether I am still getting just as nice treatment recently as 18months ago. I used to get the odd gratis RiverView upgrade and always on ocasion such as birthday bokings, but not in my recent stays and my future bookings similarly have immediately upgraded to Exec Suite but not the River View which I used to sometimes see.
I can't really complain as I do not have entitlement to a free River View, although as a semi-regular guest it was nice to get free ocasionally. It may be I just need to upsell myself next visit at checkin, and they'll remember again.
(Maybe to do with the recent sale of IC Amstel though I really hope not, as it is the same management/checkin staff teams )

BRAISKI

Maybe Nickel and Dimming might not be a right word... Maybe they just don't "splurge" like other properties I guess.

I guess when you compare it to say... Paris LG, Toronto Centre, Davos, Vienna, Frankfurt and Budapest that I've stayed in the past 2yrs. Upgrades were all good without the need to pay "extra". Maybe Budapest you may pay for Lounge. Yes I understand that breakfast is not a benefit. I guess I got spoiled with all the Lounge access

The fact that some of the reviews on recent stays are mixed compared to LG where most if not everyone is happy with it. I guess LG is somewhat best comparison to Amstel, minus the Lounge.

dewby

This is not about a lounge, free breakfast or indeed a room that one is not expecting. The term nickel and dime in a way is fair but probably not what the management want to hear.

It's about customer service and quality.

Lower grade toiletries, forgetting to place a bottle of water, not providing a bill on check out. It is a slippery slop in my view.

I do blame some of this on the young crowd who run the show, they have not got it in my view for the type of traveller that stays in this place. You could also blame this on leadership and a lack of the magic word hospitality...

I don't feel overwhelmed to go back which I feel I should do.

christravelblog

I have stayed at the Amstel now a few times and everything everything was just perfect. Even had dinner four times now at La Rive (expensive but worth it). michelin starred restaurant. As a royal ambassador, feel free to drink the big bottles of liquor. Always molton in the room too. Always upgrade to exec suite and if free the penthouse suite (allthough i prefer the exec suite). both are same size, except penthouse on two floors.

nice note: on Sunday they do the tour through the hotel (free). with some history etc.
i wrote ab it on the tour, and took some nice photo. check it tour amstel hotel
it's worth to do the tour if you did not before.

next time, still want to take the boat for dinner!

scubaccr

Wrong the half bottles of spirits on the shelving outside fridge/mini-bar are not included in free minibar for even RA's, neither is the redwine or jars of nuts.
If you prefer red wine to the chilled white wine in minibar IC Amstel will remove red wine charge at checkout as long as you do not drink white wine also

christravelblog

They NEVER NEVER charged me ANY drinks from the room. Even had tonics brought to the room as in the minibar was none. NO CHARGE.
Stayed once on a BPG, also NO CHARGE. other stays was paid or points.

UPDATE: you are right on nuts and other snacks. it's drinks only

scubaccr

You just got very very lucky you should have been charged for the spirits

I am a regular guest here and should know.

Yes Amstel treat both award and paid nights the same

stimpy

At most high end hotels, and the Amstel is no exception, all guest are not equal. Maybe there is some reason that he is leaving out or isn't aware of that gives him better treatment than the average RA. Maybe it's that he dines at La Rive each time that does it. Who knows? What we do know is that the standard RA treatment on standard rates booking the lowest room category or booking an award night, dictates the large bottles are off limits. Of course I remember a time when that was not the case and RA's could freely consume the large bottles. Those were the days.

BRAISKI

Maybe you smoothed talked the lovely lady there

scubaccr

Once I found out the Amstel upgrade policy for RA is standard entry level Exec to Exec Suite and that booking a higher room is of no benefit as upgrade is capped at Exec Suite I then only booked Exec rooms. I can not see any reason for RA's to book higher category rooms unless Execs sold out which is rare, or you want to book named suites, which are same size as Exec Suites so of no interest to me here.


Maybe minbar spirit bottles are allowed foc for any guest who books the named suites, although room description does not state that and OP did not say he paid/booked one of these higher suites.

Amstel never ring housekeeping on my departures to check my room for chargeable spirit/wine/nibbles consumption, so I am sure I could leave without the spirits being charged, and Amstel would I suspect never charge me retroactively once housekeeping report this later.
I believe honesty is best policy especially as I may stay multiple times per year and I would proactively inform desk at checkout and then it would be an informed decision by hotel not to charge me.

I too have had extra free sodas (and occasionally beers) for my minibar, especially in old days when bar closed midnight not like new bar now closing 1am