Blumie

I would say just go in with modest expectations. The rooms aren’t great, but they’re fine. The service is friendly. The lounge, if it’s open, is good. The location is great.

mcgahat

Staying at the property now and it is a solid choice I think. A few random thoughts on the property.

1. Location is excellent, really close to Central train station and heart of tourist areas.
2. All team members are really friendly and helpful.
3. Lounge is open during the day for coffee and soft drinks starting at 11AM. Evening service is 5.30PM to 7.30 for appetizers and beer and wine til 9.30PM. You will not fill up on the food.
4. Breakfast for elites is at Scossa restaurant and while it is "ok", it is nothing to write home about. Not a huge offering and quality is just average. It is all buffet style and mask wearing in the restaurant is not good.
5. The café at the hotel is reasonably priced and good quality. If you do not have breakfast as a benefit, I would eat there instead.
6. Arrived early and Club room was not available at 10.30AM. They got me into a deluxe room and it is a bit dated but perfectly fine and slightly more roomy than your typical European hotel room. I doubt the club rooms offer much of a difference so happy with where we are.

I got a good rate due to a best rate guarantee claim so I definitely can't complain.

Blumie

Café del Mar, a 45-second walk from the hotel, is another good option for excellent coffee and a light breakfast or lunch.

mcgahat

That looked to be an even better option as far as quality but they didn't have any outdoor seating.

Adam1222

Had planned on using expiring SNAs here for a stay around the holidays, but with the extension, thinking of canceling. As a Platinum traveling solo, would use of SNA be worthwhile?

itisme

Do not leave your luggage with the concierge/desk here as it gets stolen. Then the manager denies responsibility because it was done by ‘professional luggage thiefs’. The poor lady lost all her passports/money/cc/ etc. And was forced to stay another 3 weeks thanks to the hotel staff.

MonThruThurs

Stayed here 2 nights. It’s a very easy walk from Centraal to the hotel and you can cut down Nieuwenidjk if you’re looking for a shortcut.

I was able to check in and access my room by 13:00. Received a refurbished and upgraded room from what I booked. The lounge HH is very good - beers, wines, small plates — as is the breakfast buffet.

Loved the location of this hotel and would stay here again!

JayeJ

Thanks for this -- we'll be there in May.

HadesNL

Just a heads up warning for all Bonvoyers &
those booked into the Amsterdam Renaissance hotel this summer till Q2025


The Amsterdam Ren is getting now a major overhaul :
https://www.kentie-partners.nl/proje...tel-amsterdam/
Renderings are sparse on the interWeb but the Ren was on a slippery slope downwards to old junk.



For those wishing to remember it's 2009 look for eternity:

https://www.gebouwdin.amsterdam.nl/m...-1&item_id=510

Or have a look at my travel muse Sheila Simkin's video




Or even better....,
Stay in person to experience the renovations in person in situ

https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotel...otel/overview/
Hotel's site has a notice up:
The Renaissance Amsterdam Hotel is currently being renovated and extended. Some of our services may temporarily be unavailable. We apologize for possible inconvenience. Our team will do their utmost to ensure that you will have a comfortable stay. We look forward to welcoming you!


Why they didn't shut down completely is beyond comprehension
Some Tripadvisor & Google reviews have been brutal.....
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Re..._Province.html

Quote of 6 days ago
The ground floor of the hotel has been relocated to an old meeting room space that is not appealing, the reception, executive lounge and waiting areas are all in separate meeting rooms that all feel a bit dated and sad

Anyway,
I discovered this all because the usual tenant (Viking Cruises) at the Ren AMS has switched to the competition on the other side of the street.
IHG's Kimpton de Witt hotel feels now like jovial tout Florida en masse in residence with those having booked Viking Cruises pre/post cruise packages.
Kimpton De Witt Hotel Amsterdam (Master Thread)


I'll pop in later today at the Ren to have a peek and take a snapshot at the present situation.

JayeJ

Oh dear... and I'll be there in a few days. Forewarned is forearmed, thanks for the information.

HadesNL

I'll see what i can figure out for you and post back here

EDIT:
To get an idea about the past culture at the Ren AMS which might reflect to the future (maybe still having a Club Ren lounge?) ...
Article from 2008 talks about the 2009 refurb, we are in limbo about the 2023-2025 refurb will encompass...
https://www-hospitality--management-...n&_x_tr_pto=sc

Ren's facebook is awkwardly quiet about the refurb:
https://www.facebook.com/RenHotelAms/

The most recent article about the Ren is about their new GM
https://www.hospitality-management.n...msterdam-hotel

HadesNL

As promised,
to inform everyone about the actual situation at the Ren
and to give some advice.....


In a nutshell,
I see standard rooms priced at €260 but i would avoid it all together .....

To give an overview of the situation:




RED arrow : old hotel entrance
BLUE arrow : new hotel entrance

RED line : part getting gutted and redone and closed
GREEN line : part still operational and open for paying staying guests
(left half-circle green line is the Ren's event space at the Koepelkerk : https://www.koepelkerk.com)

YELLOW line : suggestion avoid those rooms


I will show you now the parts that are currently an off limits building zone.
This is part of the Ren facing Kattengat street



At least it is a work in progress






View on corner Smaksteeg / Kattengat (opposite Koepelkerk)







Complete restructuring






Scaffolding and construction zone on Ren's rooms facing Kattengat street






Ren's old entrance at Kattengat is currently blocked and not in use





Unfortunately hardhat-zone only so i could not see how construction affects the Ren's interior court facing rooms



And we go now to the area on the above map that i marked GREEN,
These are part of the Ren that are still open for business and guests



The Ren's F&B venue Koepelcafé at corner Spuistraat Kattengat street is open,
however standing outside i could feel the tremors of construction
and the trucks & traffic : fortunately my tits were not falling off




This is the Ren's new entrance at Spuistraat,
i couldn't enter the lobby,
because they were doing some wiring in the hall,
it is not a most welcoming entré.....bit dark and pokey hole




A view of the Ren rooms that face Spuistraat,
these are currently still for sale on Marriott website / available Bonvoy redemptions



We move now to area of the Ren that is still open and that I marked Yellow : the AVOID !
The Yellow line marks the rooms on Spuistraat parallel / facing the white fence below.............



And if you are a
Marriott Bonvoy elite
Cobalt,
Ambassador,
Titanium lifetime,
Titanium,
Platinum lifetime,
Platinum,
Gold Lifetime,
Gold,
Silver lifetime,
Silver,
Base..........

(sarcasm mode)
Phone Marriott's CEO, Anthony Capuano that you won't be fobbed off with an upgrade to these rooms ....


Because every morning between
8.30 - 10.00
you will be greeted to views / sights and sounds of the delivery trucks, waste collection, laundry processors,
as the YELLOW line rooms are exactly above the white fence which is now the designated area of the Ren for its back of the house operations ....



Just a suggestion:
So my advice is to give it a hard pass,
Flee to someplace else !
Get clarity beforehand by contacting the hotel or to keep an option of switching to the Amsterdam Marriott at LeidsePlein!

I can fully understand now,
that Viking Cruises has made the switch from the Ren to the IHG's Kimpton de Witt hotel across the street for all the pre/post cruise travel package stays...... Edna Mills from Seacaucus would be mortified to be staying at the Ren with ongoing construction. https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/35235188-post100.html


Hope you all find this all informative and ofcourse Caveat Emptor!
If i managed to save someone's holiday stay in Amsterdam, you treat me to a pint in the pub

JayeJ

We are here now having paid with points for a week's stay.

Our room is older with 70s colors, not very large, low ceiling, but clean and the bed is very comfortable. It bears no resemblance to the picture on the website. The a/c works well. The bathroom is good sized with place to store items. Lighting not great for makeup application. The hallways are a bit of a rabbit warren and the small hotel entrance has a make shift ramp for luggage. Our TV doesn’t get any channels — one concierge says the cable was cut during work outside?

The lounge is pretty uninviting and when we tried to just take our glasses of wine up to our room we were told that is not allowed.

As far as the noise goes, they work weekdays from 9 - 6 and Saturdays from 10 - 4. We are on the 7th floor and do hear noise in the hallways, in our bathroom, but not so much in our room. Definitely much more noise in the cafe where breakfast is served.

The location is great with good access to trams and near the central station.

If they can't move us to a room with a functioning television, how many points per night should we ask to be reimbursed?

JayeJ

Update: They fixed the TV while we were gone today... apparently the entire floor was out.

RCyyz

Wow. Just. Wow.

Thank you @HadesNL for the comprehensive pics. I'm shocked they thought it practical to keep this place open while that much work is being done.

Absolute hard pass on this property until they're actually back up & running for real.

Thanks again for the pics.