Anyone else staying here around June 9-11th?

will probably need 2 rooms. i sent an email to the property and still havent heard what sort of rooms they have to accomodate a family. neighborhood is mostly fine for kids but make sure you know where the adult district is - its not far but there is plenty to explore in amsterdam anyway. best plan is to get a hop on hop off boat ticket and explore the area near the museums which are more tailored to kids. as for the hotel, i think they can accommodate your family but i got a cool vibe from them. my young son thought the wierd ceilings (coffered, some attic-type rooms) were cool.

its definitely a charming hotel but a notch below westin on the luxury scale.

We have family rooms available at the Pulitzer which accommodate four persons. If you put "4 persons" in your reservation request on starwoodhotels.com the family rooms will show (if available of course)

Kurt Renold
Area Manager The Netherlands

PS: Do not forget to reserve the tickets for the Anne Frank House in advance on the internet if you want to visit it with your kids (its only 300 m from the Pulitzer). If you do so you do not have to stand in line, and the lines can get pretty long in season!

when i did that, all i saw is 2 single beds or 1 king. that's why i emailed the property, but never got a response.

is there a better email address to contact the property than the one listed on the SPG website?

as for Anne Frank, the advice earlier on this thread to go later in the evening was very wise. even if you have a timed ticket, the museum is obviously quite small and it will be much more pleasant later in the day.

The Family duplex comes up for paid bookings when indicating four guests. I don't think it is a "standard room", so if you are trying to book an award, you would need to call SPG to see if it is available at the award rate for specialty, specialty select, or suite award nights (at a higher cost).

I just booked a stay at your Pulitzer hotel thanks to that news! ^

Terrific Stay
 

We had a great stay at this hotel towards the end of March. We had 2 separate stays booked - the first for one night and the second for 2 nights...for two nights in between, we made a quick trip to Brussels and stayed there for two nights at the LM Brussels. Overall, we had a great experience and cannot wait to return!

We landed for our first stay fairly early (around 9am) - I had been in touch with the hotel early on to check about early check-in and was advised that they would try their best to ensure a room. They also mentioned that they would charge a fee of 50 Euro if the room were to be ready before 9am (which I was fine with). The hotel had pre-upgraded us to an Exec Canal room ^^ (the standard Plat upgrade) but that room was not ready upon check in. We were given a choice of waiting for a couple of hours in order to check in to the upgraded room or check in to a regular room...given that we had just come off a 9hour flight, we decided to check in to the regular room. The room was comfortable but quite small - we were too tired in any case and just spent the day resting.

We checked out the next day to go to Brussels and came back two days later to check in. The hotel had pre-upgraded us once more and gave us a choice between a Junior suite and an Exec Canal view room. The Junior suite was very quaint and we loved it, but unfortunately the beams were a little too low for us (we are both 6 ft. tall). We decided to take the Exec Canal view room which was terrific - spacious, luxurious with a fantastic view on the Prinsengracht side (See pics below). We had no issues with noise as reported in some earlier posts.

The hotel treats Plat guests very well - the Plat rooms are definitely a great upgrade from the regular room (MUCH more spacious and a much better view). The free breakfast provided to Plats is a nice touch - the buffet spread was great, and comes with made-to-order omelets which were superb. The internet connection was fast and worked without any problems - when we checked out, they had added the breakfast and the internet bills to our folio by mistake but readily removed them on being reminded that I was a Plat guest...the breakfast (30 Eur each) and the internet (20Eur for each device - we connected on our iphone and laptop) was nearly 200 Euro over 2 nights...definitely a great value for being Platinum! ^^. Each room also has 2 bottles of complimentary bottled water.

The hotel itself is simply gorgeous- very traditional with a great location right in the heart of the Jordaan neighborhood. The rooms are fairly luxuriously appointed and were on par with other luxury properties we have stayed at (for some strange reason, the toilet paper resembled those found at airports - hope they replace it with paper of better quality). The beds at the Pulitzer have to be hands down the best beds we have ever slept in...we love the Westin and W beds but these beds blew all those out of the water. We had a really tough time waking up each morning!

The hotel has a maze like interior which we had fun exploring. There are multiple wings and stairs but there are ample signs everywhere. Some of the steps were quite steep (see pics below) but we used the elevators for the most part. Overall, it never really felt like we were at a chain hotel...we felt more like being inside a house (and I mean this in a positive sense) - having access to such unique properties is one of the reasons why we continue to remain loyal to SPG ^^.

There are tons of great cafes within walking distance (Vyne, a wine bar next to the hotel was especially superb - great for dates ^). There are also some good ethnic restaurants - Poorna (Indian) and Sampurna (Indonesian) both had great food and an upscale ambiance. We did not really try the restaurant at the hotel except for breakfast.

The staff were exceptional - right from the front desk to the waiters at the restaurant. Everyone spoke flawless English and seemed eager to help. Unfortunately, the hotel no longer offers a local gift as a choice for Plat amenity...they did offer some cookies instead of the points and we took the points one time and the cookies the next. The hotel also runs its own 10-seater boat (the explorer) and we took a tour of the canals on it one evening...a fun experience (38 Euro each).

Overall, we were very happy with our stay - I had booked this on a C&P rate of $90 + 4800 *points a day...and the cash rate was well in excess of 250Eur for each of those nights for the most basic room...so we were able to redeem our points for upwards of 5 cents/point. At these rates, it was definitely great value for money...Amsterdam is a lovely city and staying at the Pulitzer made our trip even more memorable!

Hotel Bed
http://img100.imageshack.us/img100/4253/dsc0885g.jpg
View from Room at Night
http://img405.imageshack.us/img405/4210/dsc0796m.jpg
Room
http://img62.imageshack.us/img62/3047/dsc0710s.jpg
View from Room during day
http://img535.imageshack.us/img535/6793/dsc0712u.jpg
Armoire
http://img405.imageshack.us/img405/2848/dsc0714.jpg
Bathroom Sink
http://img62.imageshack.us/img62/3421/dsc0716r.jpg
One of the many corridors
http://img510.imageshack.us/img510/8559/dsc0777h.jpg
Steep stairs!
http://img510.imageshack.us/img510/3428/dsc0778.jpg
Painting in corridor
http://img202.imageshack.us/img202/8379/dsc0780e.jpg
Cookies as Platinum Amenity
http://img191.imageshack.us/img191/6903/dsc0785oy.jpg

Thanks for confirming this. As with others, this confirmation has swung our forthcoming three night stay here over the Hilton.

My wife and I are considering a trip to Amsterdam. It seems the reviews for this property are mixed -- and because we plan on making a C&P stay, I'm a bit concerned that we would be stuck in a very undesirable room.

Another option for us is the Sheraton AMS -- given that the airport/hotel gives reasonably convenient access to the city (and at a lower category to boot) is there anybody who would recommend that we take a potentially undesirable but more expensive room with a better location?

Both hotels are ok and I am always happy with the airport Sheraton. I'm Plat so that means Club access which is great. The health club is better at the Sheraton if that is important to you.

We stayed in the lowest category room the first night (because we arrived really early, ~9am and didnt want to wait for an upgraded room). IMO, it was still fine and comfortable if a little on the small side. Opened out to a nice semi-private sitting area too.

I wouldn't want to stay at the airport when I've visiting the city. It's nice to be able to come back to the hotel, freshen up, and go out again. You'll also have a much broader range of restaurants available by staying in town.

Nornally I'd agree with the above, but the Sheraton AMS is a great hotel, and only 20 mins away via easy train. Schiphol is in itself a decent shopping mall with flights too!

What I've done before is stay at the airport on my arrival since there are usually no issues/fees checking in early at the Sheraton. I'll leave my main bag with the bell desk at check-out and only take what I need into the city for the rest of my stay, picking it up on departure and/or spending the night before my flight back at the Sheraton for super-easy check-in the next morning.

That said, I'm looking forward to my upcoming stay at the Pulitzer!

I had a nice stay at the Pulitzer recently. I was upgraded to a deluxe room and really like the unusual design of the place. Breakfast was excellent and I was very pleased when I found out it was free for Plats. I would stay here again

You cannot compare these 2 hotels. The Pulitzer's location is unbeatable for an Amsterdam visit and certainly good value for C&P!

I will be checking in here tomorrow (5/7). This property is in my top ten favorites in the world. The new free breakfast for platinums is such a classy touch. I woke up thinking about it today.

.....

Hotel Review
 

Room 105

Photos: http://gallery.me.com/brenthartley#100083

Early June

I used a points redemption of 29k points for two nights in a executive canal room. I think the included breakfast and a somewhat larger room is worth paying the 14.5k vs the 12k a night, it's too bad they do not include free internet with the room for non-plat. The front desk wanted to give me a regular executive room and not one with a canal room, but after a little push they gave me one on the first floor. The first thing I noticed is how horrible the street noise was, especially from people walking by the room and vespas speeding by. The room was very beautiful and spacious. The road noise was not terrible after around 11pm.

I had some other problems with the room. I've seen on here and tripadvisor comments about the water pressure, it is as weak as other people had mentioned. The is not much in the way of lighting in the bathroom and the electrical outlet was non-functional. The wireless internet was also a problem. The connection would drop out every 15 minutes, it seems to be provided by an outlet in the room near the desk. I contacted the desk several times and they provided me with a cat5 internet cord, but this did not solve the problem. They did not look into the problem any further. It took several emails to the hotel manager to get refunded the $43 for two days of internet. I was not very impressed with the staff in the lobby, but the manager that I contacted via email was very helpful.

Otherwise the room was very comfortable and the free breakfast in the morning was great! They recommended a place called Orange Bikes http://www.orangebike.nl which was about two blocks away to rent a bike. This was a great way to get around town. The location of the hotel is not far from the center of the city or the museums. The bike was a much better way to go than taking the cabs with the shady cab drivers. I also suggest using the shuttle to and from the airport for under 25 euro round trip. http://www.schipholhotelshuttle.nl/s...sp?HotelID=346

The train is so incredibly easy to/from the airport...unless you have a lot of luggage.

We did three nights here at the end of April over Queens Birthday celebrations and all that entails in Amsterdam. The location of the Hotel is great for this, not least as they have their own bar, food stand and DJ's bang outside. :D ^

We had a great stay, with a room on the top floor overlooking the canal. 501 IIRC.

The train is handy for all the Hotels near to Central Station/Dam Square. The Pulitzer is nowhere near there.

"Nowhere" near there? Huh, are you serious? What is your definition of "nowhere?"

I have to agree that the train is not incredibly easy from the airport. I found the shuttle to be convienit and a great value.

Just got to the Pulitzer. The hotel is quite full tonight but, as usual, I got the most incredible upgrade. Such a beautiful room facing the garden. Sunny, gorgeous day. Huge suite. I really love this property. Everyone is very nice.

Hmm, I think you just swayed me from the Hilton Amsterdam.

I love its quirkiness and charm. To get to my amazing suite, you have to walk a maze and then up stairs and down stairs and crazy elevators. It's like nowhere else. And then, when I opened the door, I was like: "Wow!"

Two full bathrooms (one tiny, one huge), huge living room, DVD, flat screen, Sony stereo, big desk, great wifi connection. Bedroom is similarly gargantuan. Hermes shampoo, etc.

The Pulitzer to Central Station, where the airport train arrives.

It's not really that bad. From Amsterdam Centraal it's just a quick hop on the Tram #2/13 to Westermarkt. No more than a couple minutes from Westermarkt tram stop.

Hermes shampoo?

Sorry...Bulgari products. :p

My bad.

Oh, and file this hotel under lightening fast wifi connections.

You must be from the Midwest...or somewhere people don't walk. ;)

Living in Manhattan, that walk is truly a piece of cake...even with luggage.

I thought all rooms got their generic "luxury collection" toiletries and Bose stereo... Maybe I'm wrong?

Again, I am in a fantastic suite thanks to Pulitzer management. Maybe the suites get upgraded toiletries?

Your were lucky or positioned well on the upgrade list!
 

This hotel has gotten very friendly to Platinum members in the last few years. What this means is that there are fewer upgrades as this hotel has few suites to chose from and is quickly buildiing loyal Plat customers.

I am Plat, frequent return guest etc and I checked in on July 6th to receive an executive room...no suites available...OK room but have had much better. I was either not as high on the upgrade list or your timing was impeccable. Good for you!

This hotel now offers platinums free internet, free breakfast and upgrades to their best class of room, based upon availability. That makes the Pulitzer the BEST hotel for SPG's in this city...and I would have to say one of my favourites in Europe. Most European luxury Collection Hotels give few if any perks and this makes a BIG difference.

Enjoy....Great hotel...Great city.

Considering a weekend cash and points weekend stay at the hotel driving in from Germany. Is there anywhere easy and cheap to park that would make for an easy final commute to the hotel and is able to be plugged into a GPS?

Well, I can help on the GPS front. I always carry a hand held Garmin Nuvi when I travel to Europe. My nuvi had no problems with the Pulitzer...or anywhere else in Amsterdam.

Parking looks limited but I have never had a car in Amsterdam. The hotel is right on a canal...so I have no idea where they put cars.

Fully agree with these statements, and the fact that the GM participates in this thread shows that they are committed to improving the not so great image this hotel once had with SPG members here.

Good afternoon,

The hotel offers valet parking at 55.- €/day. There is as well public parking along the canals, at 5.-/hour from 9 am until midnight.

Warm regards and looking forward to welcoming you to Amsterdam

Kurt Renold
Area Manager The Netherlands
Starwood Hotels & Resorts

Euro 55 for valet parking is actually a solid offer in Amsterdam, a city that decided to ban more or less all cars from its inner centre. Both metered parking spaces and parking garages are available, but expect to pat ay least Euro 5 per hour and Euro 45+ for an overnight stay.

If you drive in from Germany, I recommend taking the train and leaving your car at one of the numerous Park & Rail stations around the city, often close to the major freeways. You pay around 3 Euro for the train ticket and parking is often free of charge and based on the amount of suitcases you have , you can still opt for a taxi or public transport from the train station you decide to use. You could also look for a free parking spot in Amsterdam, there are some at the outer parts of the real city centre...

In any case, if there is walkable city in Europe, it is probably Amsterdam, so depending on your 'time & convenience budget', one can reduce the parking charges significantly.

Sound advice. Also, the area right around the Pulitzer is not the easiest to drive in - quite narrow with lots of one-way streets. Great for walking, however!