Sep 4, 2015, 4:39 am
Last edit by: bgriff
Notes about the W Amsterdam:
- The hotel is divided between two buildings. The Bank building is reported to be quieter and less of a scene. Each building has a Platinum breakfast offering and guests can try either regardless of which building your room is in; more details about breakfast are included in this post.
- Many people have reported limited upgrade availability.
- The hotel is divided between two buildings. The Bank building is reported to be quieter and less of a scene. Each building has a Platinum breakfast offering and guests can try either regardless of which building your room is in; more details about breakfast are included in this post.
- Many people have reported limited upgrade availability.
W Amsterdam, Netherlands [Master Thread]
Feb 13, 2017, 10:17 pm
#136
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Chicago
Programs: United GS 3 MM LT, Marriott Ambassador LT Titanium, HH LT Diamond
Posts: 461
Staying at W Amsterdam with Kids
We are going to be staying at this hotel in late March with our 10 and 12 year old kids. Can someone please give us some advice? We would like to be in the more quiet side of the hotel, but open to your thoughts. Should we request the bank building? I appreciate in advance all of your advice.
Feb 14, 2017, 10:35 pm
#138
Join Date: Mar 2010
Programs: DL PM, Bonvoy Gold
Posts: 8,414
Feb 14, 2017, 10:54 pm
#139
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: HKG • Ex SFO, NYC
Programs: UA 1K, AA EXP; Marriott Amb; Hyatt Globalist; Shangri-la Diamond; IHG SpireAmb; Hilton D; Accor G
Posts: 3,319
Ws tend to be party hotels, and the W AMS is no exception. It's a fun experience; but it's not really a family crowd.
Feb 15, 2017, 11:08 pm
#140
Join Date: Mar 2010
Programs: DL PM, Bonvoy Gold
Posts: 8,414
If you are looking for a kid friendly place in SPG you might consider the Marriott or the Element. We stayed at the Element after the W on our last visit and really liked it. It's a bit out of the center but not too far and very comfortable. The free breakfast is decent, standard European continental.
Feb 16, 2017, 4:08 am
#141
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Sydney, Australia
Programs: HH Diamond, Marriott Titanium/LTG, IHG Platinum
Posts: 1,921
I am staying at this W now and all I can say is WOW. We are massive W fans though and this property truly showcases what a W property is. Fun, funky, stimulating all the senses and although only one night into a three night stay, my wife says "can we stay here forever?!" Anyway, I will post a mini review a bit later - but for those thinking about staying here, as Nike says - JUST DO IT 
Jun 23, 2017, 12:50 pm
#142
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Alexandria, VA - DCA
Programs: BA Gold, American Airlines, Marriott Plat, Hilton Diamond, IHG Diamond
Posts: 5,075
My wife and I had a great three night stay at this property a few weeks ago.
We booked a king room on the Bank side and that was certainly the way to go. The Bank side is quiet and even though our room faced the small side street that runs between the two sides, the noise from the road was present but not bothersome. The canal side of the Bank building is certain to be even more quiet.
The Exchange side seems very busy with both guests and non-guests using the facilities (the Exchange-side located roof top pool, lounge and bar areas are all very popular with non-guests).
We took advantage of the spa services, pool (indoor on the Bank side and the outdoor on the Exchange) and all get good marks from me. Staff was very attentive and seemed to very much enjoy their work. As mentioned up thread, probably best for singles or couples and not really suited for kids/families.
We booked a king room on the Bank side and that was certainly the way to go. The Bank side is quiet and even though our room faced the small side street that runs between the two sides, the noise from the road was present but not bothersome. The canal side of the Bank building is certain to be even more quiet.
The Exchange side seems very busy with both guests and non-guests using the facilities (the Exchange-side located roof top pool, lounge and bar areas are all very popular with non-guests).
We took advantage of the spa services, pool (indoor on the Bank side and the outdoor on the Exchange) and all get good marks from me. Staff was very attentive and seemed to very much enjoy their work. As mentioned up thread, probably best for singles or couples and not really suited for kids/families.
Jun 23, 2017, 7:58 pm
#143
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Sydney, Australia
Programs: HH Diamond, Marriott Titanium/LTG, IHG Platinum
Posts: 1,921
Whilst there are people who say this W isn't family friendly, I would say to those with kids to just go for it. Book your room in the Bank Building which is the 'quieter' building, you can check in there, the Duchess Restaurant is there, the indoor pool and spa is in that building and hence, you never need to end up in the Exchange Building where the main Living Room is, if you don't want to. Of course the rooftop pool is Exchange but that's more for a few laps than lazying around. The W location is as central as you want it to be and you are within 20 minute walk radius from most of the things/bars/restaurants that you want to do in the City. Of course there's rental bicycles and Uber is readily available to help you get around.
Jun 24, 2017, 12:19 pm
#144
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Programs: Marriott Gold, IHG Elite KLM Flying Blue,
Posts: 519
Mixed feelings on the Wetdeck of the Wamsterdam
A while ago the Wetdeck opening for the 2017 season was a success and recently we planned to visit the Wetdeck on a sunny day.
I invited a friend and told her the the WAmsterdam was hip, trendy and luxurious.
When we arrived at the sundeck near the Lounge, we noticed the shabby couches with holes in the sittingarea. We went to the Wetdeck. Since the sunny sitting area on the left neat the Wbar was full we decided to got the sitting area on the right, near Mr. Porter. Most of the couches here were shabby too, especcially the yellow couch was a far for being fancy. When we sat down at first we did not notice but after a minute or so I felt my trousers became wet. The yellow substance is like a sponge and only after sitting on it the water came out.
The wooden sunchair was damaged too and it was not what one can expect from a cat 6 Starwood hotel.
The tables were not cleared and former guests left a plastic box of AH olives on the table.
Another guest came out of the poolarea and sat down on the wooden sunchair. It appeared she did not stay in the hotel and if think its great the pool is also open for guests who do not stay in the hotel. Next time I will remember and will have a dip in the pool!
We wanted to have a drink and a small bite. We noticed the waiter on the others side of the Wetdeck several times but I guess he did not notice us. We believed this was because we were in the area near Mr. Porter.
After 15-20 minutes I decided to go inside to contact the waiters. I asked if they could serve us, and one of them handed me the menu. I noticed the same very limited menu of last year I have seen many times. We had to wait again, I guess 10 – 15 minutes. When I decided to go to the waiters again, finally a waiter came to serve us.
My friend made a choice for chocolate cake, only after the waiter told her it was not a cake we both ordered the cheesecake. I had this before and I like it very much.
The waiter cleared the table and asked us if he could take the olives away. We told him it was not ours but he did ask us again if we wanted the olives. Very friendly of him.
Soon the waiter came back with our capuchino, tea and later the cheesecake. He was friendly, professional and helpfull. Upon my request he made a picture of us, even so after we discussed the shabby couches and damaged chair.
Since the sun moved over the deck, my friend decided to sit on the yellow couch……… she likes the sun so much she decided to put her fancy coat as a cover for the spungy shabby couch…. Well, we never expected we had to do this due to the uncomfortable seating on the Wetdeck of a cat. 6 Whotel.
According to the waiters the couches were new, only for one week on the deckt. It seemed the guests burned the couch when they put out their cigarettes, so this would explain the holes....
When I paid the bill the waitress was Dutch, so we could finally speak Dutch in the WAmsterdam. She was friendly and I asked her about the new menu. I knew this from the F&B manager some months ago. She told me she had seen it but it would be only available next month. We talked about the very limited choice and the fact the Whotel does not have a Starwood restaurant. Since I am a Lifetime Gold, the discount is only for drinks. It must be a dissapointment for many SPG
’s if they do not know this when ordering from the pricy menu. Information could me printed on the menu, the food is from Mr. Porter which is not an SPG restaurant.
The WAmsterdam does have her own roomservice kitchen. I know Starwood hotels where it was possible to order meals or snacks in the Clublounges. Since the Clublounges were in general located on the high topfloors it was still possible. According to the waiters here it would not be practical, since guests have to wait too long. However the WAmsterdam has only 6 floors. So how long would it take……? Even more when ordering a cold dish like a salad, the quality of the food would still be high when it would be delivered from the kitchen to the 6th floor.
Besides this, wouldn’t it be Wonderful if the Lounge offered a kind of cake&coffee station to order with the coffee? How much space and effort would it need?
We did have a “gezellige tijd”/ pleasant time on the deck and we enjoyed the quality of the tea, coffee, cheesecake with icecream and the friendly professional service of the waiters. We loved the view from here.
My friend is not a SPG and was rather dissapointed, she thought the visit to this cat 6 hotel would be very comfortable. She referred to the comfort of the Waldorf Astoria, we had visited before.
As a Lifetime Gold I have been in many Starwoodhotels worldwide, but have never experienced such a poor seating area on a deck in a cat. 6 Starwood hotel. Hip and trendy is fun, but hey we do need a bit of comfort and no wet trouses.....!
And with some efforts and creative thinking, something must be possible to offer Starwood guest a nice and healthy menu from the Wkitchen or a W cake&coffeestation they could Wish for?
I invited a friend and told her the the WAmsterdam was hip, trendy and luxurious.
When we arrived at the sundeck near the Lounge, we noticed the shabby couches with holes in the sittingarea. We went to the Wetdeck. Since the sunny sitting area on the left neat the Wbar was full we decided to got the sitting area on the right, near Mr. Porter. Most of the couches here were shabby too, especcially the yellow couch was a far for being fancy. When we sat down at first we did not notice but after a minute or so I felt my trousers became wet. The yellow substance is like a sponge and only after sitting on it the water came out.
The wooden sunchair was damaged too and it was not what one can expect from a cat 6 Starwood hotel.
The tables were not cleared and former guests left a plastic box of AH olives on the table.
Another guest came out of the poolarea and sat down on the wooden sunchair. It appeared she did not stay in the hotel and if think its great the pool is also open for guests who do not stay in the hotel. Next time I will remember and will have a dip in the pool!
We wanted to have a drink and a small bite. We noticed the waiter on the others side of the Wetdeck several times but I guess he did not notice us. We believed this was because we were in the area near Mr. Porter.
After 15-20 minutes I decided to go inside to contact the waiters. I asked if they could serve us, and one of them handed me the menu. I noticed the same very limited menu of last year I have seen many times. We had to wait again, I guess 10 – 15 minutes. When I decided to go to the waiters again, finally a waiter came to serve us.
My friend made a choice for chocolate cake, only after the waiter told her it was not a cake we both ordered the cheesecake. I had this before and I like it very much.
The waiter cleared the table and asked us if he could take the olives away. We told him it was not ours but he did ask us again if we wanted the olives. Very friendly of him.
Soon the waiter came back with our capuchino, tea and later the cheesecake. He was friendly, professional and helpfull. Upon my request he made a picture of us, even so after we discussed the shabby couches and damaged chair.
Since the sun moved over the deck, my friend decided to sit on the yellow couch……… she likes the sun so much she decided to put her fancy coat as a cover for the spungy shabby couch…. Well, we never expected we had to do this due to the uncomfortable seating on the Wetdeck of a cat. 6 Whotel.
According to the waiters the couches were new, only for one week on the deckt. It seemed the guests burned the couch when they put out their cigarettes, so this would explain the holes....
When I paid the bill the waitress was Dutch, so we could finally speak Dutch in the WAmsterdam. She was friendly and I asked her about the new menu. I knew this from the F&B manager some months ago. She told me she had seen it but it would be only available next month. We talked about the very limited choice and the fact the Whotel does not have a Starwood restaurant. Since I am a Lifetime Gold, the discount is only for drinks. It must be a dissapointment for many SPG
’s if they do not know this when ordering from the pricy menu. Information could me printed on the menu, the food is from Mr. Porter which is not an SPG restaurant.
The WAmsterdam does have her own roomservice kitchen. I know Starwood hotels where it was possible to order meals or snacks in the Clublounges. Since the Clublounges were in general located on the high topfloors it was still possible. According to the waiters here it would not be practical, since guests have to wait too long. However the WAmsterdam has only 6 floors. So how long would it take……? Even more when ordering a cold dish like a salad, the quality of the food would still be high when it would be delivered from the kitchen to the 6th floor.
Besides this, wouldn’t it be Wonderful if the Lounge offered a kind of cake&coffee station to order with the coffee? How much space and effort would it need?
We did have a “gezellige tijd”/ pleasant time on the deck and we enjoyed the quality of the tea, coffee, cheesecake with icecream and the friendly professional service of the waiters. We loved the view from here.
My friend is not a SPG and was rather dissapointed, she thought the visit to this cat 6 hotel would be very comfortable. She referred to the comfort of the Waldorf Astoria, we had visited before.
As a Lifetime Gold I have been in many Starwoodhotels worldwide, but have never experienced such a poor seating area on a deck in a cat. 6 Starwood hotel. Hip and trendy is fun, but hey we do need a bit of comfort and no wet trouses.....!
And with some efforts and creative thinking, something must be possible to offer Starwood guest a nice and healthy menu from the Wkitchen or a W cake&coffeestation they could Wish for?
Last edited by claes059; Jun 24, 2017 at 12:32 pm
Jun 24, 2017, 12:36 pm
#145
Join Date: Apr 2011
Programs: Bonvoy Amb LTT, HHonors Diamond, AA ExPlat, United Silver
Posts: 640
First W Stay
Stayed at the W Amsterdam for better part of a week. First stay at a W. Beautiful hotel. Great restoration of old buildings. Fitness is very nice. Newer, well maintained equipment. Both MR PORTER and THE DUCHESS restaurants gave great food and service. Breakfasts were extensive and extremely good. Location has to be the best in Amsterdam. Walkable to just about everything. Room was large and nicely done with great shower, very comfortable bed and lots of conveniences. Bank building is definitely quieter than the exchange building. Staff was extremely friendly and helpful. IMO this is not a hotel for families with children.
Jun 25, 2017, 1:12 pm
#146
Join Date: Jul 2002
Posts: 410
W Hotel Amsterdam- Help please!
Traveling with 4 children in connecting rooms and used *wood points for 3 nights at the W Hotel. After reading TripAdvisor I realize that the Bank Building is the better building to be with children due to the bar/lounge/noise scene in the Exchange Building (chose the W due to excellent central location).
Can anyone tell me why it is DOUBLE the *wood points per night at the Banks? Also, I read that the clear enclosed shower is in the middle of the room, certainly NOT desirable for privacy! Is this the same middle of the room shower arrangement in the Banks Building ?
Thanks, appreciate opinions from anyone familiar with the W Amsterdam.
Can anyone tell me why it is DOUBLE the *wood points per night at the Banks? Also, I read that the clear enclosed shower is in the middle of the room, certainly NOT desirable for privacy! Is this the same middle of the room shower arrangement in the Banks Building ?
Thanks, appreciate opinions from anyone familiar with the W Amsterdam.
Jun 25, 2017, 1:21 pm
#147
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: New York, NY
Programs: Delta - Gold; Starwood - Platinum; HHonors - Diamond & Avis Preferred
Posts: 10,869
Traveling with 4 children in connecting rooms and used *wood points for 3 nights at the W Hotel. After reading TripAdvisor I realize that the Bank Building is the better building to be with children due to the bar/lounge/noise scene in the Exchange Building (chose the W due to excellent central location).
Can anyone tell me why it is DOUBLE the *wood points per night at the Banks? Also, I read that the clear enclosed shower is in the middle of the room, certainly NOT desirable for privacy! Is this the same middle of the room shower arrangement in the Banks Building ?
Thanks, appreciate opinions from anyone familiar with the W Amsterdam.
Can anyone tell me why it is DOUBLE the *wood points per night at the Banks? Also, I read that the clear enclosed shower is in the middle of the room, certainly NOT desirable for privacy! Is this the same middle of the room shower arrangement in the Banks Building ?
Thanks, appreciate opinions from anyone familiar with the W Amsterdam.
In Europe, occupancy is based around local laws. Rates are decided on the number of occupants in a room. There has been much discussion of that here on the forum. Poke around the forum for detailed information.
This should be moved to the W Amsterdam master thread.
Jun 26, 2017, 12:35 am
#148
Join Date: Apr 2011
Programs: Bonvoy Amb LTT, HHonors Diamond, AA ExPlat, United Silver
Posts: 640
Bank Building
Stayed in the bank bldg. last week. Shower was completely enclosed with no glass. Not in the center of the room. The way my room was set up was very nice, but not sure there are connecting rooms based on my room in the bank building. As I said in a previous post, this W is not conducive for children.
Traveling with 4 children in connecting rooms and used *wood points for 3 nights at the W Hotel. After reading TripAdvisor I realize that the Bank Building is the better building to be with children due to the bar/lounge/noise scene in the Exchange Building (chose the W due to excellent central location).
Can anyone tell me why it is DOUBLE the *wood points per night at the Banks? Also, I read that the clear enclosed shower is in the middle of the room, certainly NOT desirable for privacy! Is this the same middle of the room shower arrangement in the Banks Building ?
Thanks, appreciate opinions from anyone familiar with the W Amsterdam.
Can anyone tell me why it is DOUBLE the *wood points per night at the Banks? Also, I read that the clear enclosed shower is in the middle of the room, certainly NOT desirable for privacy! Is this the same middle of the room shower arrangement in the Banks Building ?
Thanks, appreciate opinions from anyone familiar with the W Amsterdam.
Jun 26, 2017, 2:36 pm
#149
Join Date: Jul 2002
Posts: 410
Thank you Kennected and Marlee1421,
I didn't realize there was a W Master thread, sorry.
It definitely sounds like the W Exchange isn't suitable for children (or even some friends traveling together with the funky shower) so I cancelled my reservation. I loved the location and will look for something a bit tamer for sure than the Exchange.
I am curious though why the Banks isn't suitable for children (age 6-12) and what is so different about the Banks than other 5 star properties? Thanks.
I didn't realize there was a W Master thread, sorry.
It definitely sounds like the W Exchange isn't suitable for children (or even some friends traveling together with the funky shower) so I cancelled my reservation. I loved the location and will look for something a bit tamer for sure than the Exchange.
I am curious though why the Banks isn't suitable for children (age 6-12) and what is so different about the Banks than other 5 star properties? Thanks.
Jun 26, 2017, 6:43 pm
#150
Join Date: Mar 2010
Programs: DL PM, Bonvoy Gold
Posts: 8,414
Thank you Kennected and Marlee1421,
I didn't realize there was a W Master thread, sorry.
It definitely sounds like the W Exchange isn't suitable for children (or even some friends traveling together with the funky shower) so I cancelled my reservation. I loved the location and will look for something a bit tamer for sure than the Exchange.
I am curious though why the Banks isn't suitable for children (age 6-12) and what is so different about the Banks than other 5 star properties? Thanks.
I didn't realize there was a W Master thread, sorry.
It definitely sounds like the W Exchange isn't suitable for children (or even some friends traveling together with the funky shower) so I cancelled my reservation. I loved the location and will look for something a bit tamer for sure than the Exchange.
I am curious though why the Banks isn't suitable for children (age 6-12) and what is so different about the Banks than other 5 star properties? Thanks.