SAS Radission Amsterdam Airport
Jan 20, 2003, 3:23 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: MSP, PSP
Programs: UA 1P, Rapid Rewards, SkyMiles
Posts: 1,079
SAS Radission Amsterdam Airport
Has anyone stayed here recently? Your thoughts or suggestions.... Thanks.
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Greetings from the land of 10,000 lakes.
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Greetings from the land of 10,000 lakes.
Jan 28, 2003, 12:02 am
#4
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: SUV
Programs: UA *G MM
Posts: 7,018
I stayed there a year ago. I am not a big fan of Radissons. It follows the typical formula, although emphasis on dark woods -- decent but nothing special. I recall that internet connectivity was lousy. It had a TV based internet connection that did not work.
I had a decent meal in the restaurant, which was pleasant and the breakfast was top notch. The gym was very nice. It was externally operated and had non-hotel members. Very busy with enthusiastic staff that wanted you to join ab clinics and whatnot. Hours are limited though.
Hotel is quite far from the airport in an office park area in Schiphol. I recall waiting a long time for the shuttle.
I had a decent meal in the restaurant, which was pleasant and the breakfast was top notch. The gym was very nice. It was externally operated and had non-hotel members. Very busy with enthusiastic staff that wanted you to join ab clinics and whatnot. Hours are limited though.
Hotel is quite far from the airport in an office park area in Schiphol. I recall waiting a long time for the shuttle.
Jan 28, 2003, 7:25 am
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: MSP, PSP
Programs: UA 1P, Rapid Rewards, SkyMiles
Posts: 1,079
Well, things must have changed in a year. I was delighted with my stay. And would stay again in a heartbeat. Hotel is about a 10 minute ride from the terminal on the hotel's shuttle. It runs about every 15 minutes and was very punctual. Extremely comfortable room and very quiet. The entire hotel was spotless. And the staff can't do enough for the guests. I didn't try the internet connection so I can't report on that. The gym is well equiped but the hours are not that long. On Saturdays they close at 5 pm. As I said I'd stay there again.
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Greetings from the land of 10,000 lakes.
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Greetings from the land of 10,000 lakes.
Feb 5, 2003, 10:36 am
#6
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: Seattle, WA, USA
Posts: 315
I agree with Boomerang. The hotel has improved a bit I guess. One correction, the airport shuttle runs every 30 mins. Be careful because in the mornings it runs 00 and 30, and then in the evening it switches to 15 and 45 mins on the hour. (That's when it departs the hotel.) There is a schedule in the foyer on the -1 (lowest level) floor where you exit to board the shuttle.
The rooms were spacious and clean. I think I had the Scandanavian style room. The others are Oriental and Maritime, I think? I really couldn't tell. The shower was a shower head style that I couldn't figure out. No matter how I pointed the nozzle (without holding it by hand), I couldn't prevent flooding the bathroom floor somewhat. It was positioned in the middle of the tub,not at either head of it.
The business upgrade, Boomer, included the best availabe room, newspaper, breakfast, robe/slippers and 24 hr pay movies (includes 6 Hollywood releases and 2 straight adult films). Breakfast and the pay movie system are $19 and $12.50 (Euro, that is), so $40 for the room upgrade isn't a bad deal, but I still opted against it.
Unfortunately, breakfast wasn't included in my rate. Since I paid nearly $100, I found it a little disappointing. I paid 60 pounds at Marriot in London, got upgraded to the Concierge level (I'm lowly Silver with them) and it included free breakfast, access to Club Lounge and free mini-bar. Maybe I'm spoiled and shouldn't compare the two chains. Soooo, I cannot comment on the breakfast service. I just took early lunches in town.
It worked out because I am trying to lose 5 lbs anyway so breakfast would have just negated great workouts received in the Fitness Center which is also on the -1 level. The selection of machines and weight lifting equipment was one of the better ones I've seen in a hotel--ever.
The hours are awful on the weekends. It closes at 6PM on Sat & Sun On weekdays, it closes at 930PM (2130 hrs). The Fitness Center is an actual membership-based gym located in the hotel (which is in a business park).
As for getting to Centraal Station, trains leave the #3 platform below the airport every ten minutes. The last airport shuttle leaves the hotel at 1145PM (2345 hrs) so be back to the aiport be 1130PM if you don't want to pay for a cab back to the hotel.
Also, to save stress, none of the train ticket automated kiosks accept Euro BILLS--only coins (and it seemed to reject any of the credit cards I'd attempted). Thus, if you don't have Euro coins (I'd just changed $300 at an ATM machine, but sadly, no Euro coins, of course.)
Two options, stand in line and purchase from an attendant or run into one of the little shops and buy something so you have coins already. Save yourself some stress. Buy some snacks in the airport. There is a supermarket there. The mini-bar prices are some of the most exorbitant I've seen... anywhere.
There is internet access in each room, but it's a webtv variety and it will cost you $1.60 (euro) per 5 mins. An absolute rip-off. The ISDN connection is absolutely useless. Unfortunately, my ISP is not international so I could not use the phone line to connect in the conventional way. I was forced to use an internet cafe in near the city center and unable to dock my laptop the entire 3 days.
[This message has been edited by TravelMann (edited 02-05-2003).]
[This message has been edited by TravelMann (edited 02-05-2003).]
The rooms were spacious and clean. I think I had the Scandanavian style room. The others are Oriental and Maritime, I think? I really couldn't tell. The shower was a shower head style that I couldn't figure out. No matter how I pointed the nozzle (without holding it by hand), I couldn't prevent flooding the bathroom floor somewhat. It was positioned in the middle of the tub,not at either head of it.
The business upgrade, Boomer, included the best availabe room, newspaper, breakfast, robe/slippers and 24 hr pay movies (includes 6 Hollywood releases and 2 straight adult films). Breakfast and the pay movie system are $19 and $12.50 (Euro, that is), so $40 for the room upgrade isn't a bad deal, but I still opted against it.
Unfortunately, breakfast wasn't included in my rate. Since I paid nearly $100, I found it a little disappointing. I paid 60 pounds at Marriot in London, got upgraded to the Concierge level (I'm lowly Silver with them) and it included free breakfast, access to Club Lounge and free mini-bar. Maybe I'm spoiled and shouldn't compare the two chains. Soooo, I cannot comment on the breakfast service. I just took early lunches in town.
It worked out because I am trying to lose 5 lbs anyway so breakfast would have just negated great workouts received in the Fitness Center which is also on the -1 level. The selection of machines and weight lifting equipment was one of the better ones I've seen in a hotel--ever.
The hours are awful on the weekends. It closes at 6PM on Sat & Sun On weekdays, it closes at 930PM (2130 hrs). The Fitness Center is an actual membership-based gym located in the hotel (which is in a business park).
As for getting to Centraal Station, trains leave the #3 platform below the airport every ten minutes. The last airport shuttle leaves the hotel at 1145PM (2345 hrs) so be back to the aiport be 1130PM if you don't want to pay for a cab back to the hotel.
Also, to save stress, none of the train ticket automated kiosks accept Euro BILLS--only coins (and it seemed to reject any of the credit cards I'd attempted). Thus, if you don't have Euro coins (I'd just changed $300 at an ATM machine, but sadly, no Euro coins, of course.)
Two options, stand in line and purchase from an attendant or run into one of the little shops and buy something so you have coins already. Save yourself some stress. Buy some snacks in the airport. There is a supermarket there. The mini-bar prices are some of the most exorbitant I've seen... anywhere.
There is internet access in each room, but it's a webtv variety and it will cost you $1.60 (euro) per 5 mins. An absolute rip-off. The ISDN connection is absolutely useless. Unfortunately, my ISP is not international so I could not use the phone line to connect in the conventional way. I was forced to use an internet cafe in near the city center and unable to dock my laptop the entire 3 days.
[This message has been edited by TravelMann (edited 02-05-2003).]
[This message has been edited by TravelMann (edited 02-05-2003).]