Conscious Hotel Westerpark — Hotel in Amsterdam

We had booked this hotel mainly due to the location & its good room rate The website was clear about the facilities with pictures, showing the important things to me due to my disability (PD) - the shower/bathroom, seating & stairs We took a taxi from Amsterdam Centraal about a 5-10 min journey. There is no vehicle access allowed in the park, so there is a 100m walk from where taxis drop you, which is well-lit along a straight path - the entrance is after the restaurant/bar Upon arriving, we were warmly greeted by staff, which is manned 24 hrs a day and incl. a shop & café. The checking-in process is self-service using the provided terminals which works well as it is quicker to type your details that explain the spelling of everything, and the door keys are made of wood! The doors into the lifts and bedroom floors are secured with locks using your door key & the lifts are very modern and spacious The lobby, lift & corridors are very accessible (no steps unless you wish to use them) wide & well-lit The bathroom is on the level you enter the room which was very spacious & modern, though the walk-in shower floor was a little slippery (I travel with a pair of crocks for this reason) & the shower head is tiny but surprisingly very powerful. There is also a small lip on the bathroom floor threshold, which could be a trip hazard if you shuffle like me You then go up a couple of steps to the lounge area which has a couple of chairs, a low and a writing table along with a kettle, cups, glasses & some complimentary tea/coffee but no fridge (they do provide an ice bucket you can take to café for ice if needed) Above the writing table is the start of a couple of large loft windows which have electric blinds/screens should you need them The bed is located on the 3rd level above the bathroom via a set of very sturdy stairs going up against the wall on one side & metal railings & banister on the other. They were a little steeper than we had hoped but because they are so well constructed and secure I felt very safe slowly going up/down them We always travel with plugin night lights for my numerous toilet visits during the night, so I don't need to switching on lights The bed itself was amazing & very large, but the pillows are feather type so very soft & do not provide much head/neck support There was room at the end of the bed to put our 2 suitcases as there is no storage & hanging space on this level, but there is some hanger/space in the lounge level if you need it The connected restaurant/bar can be accessed via the hotel lobby, so you do not need to go outside We did not include any meals with our booking & its also worth mentioning the restaurant & bar do room delivery via an app (details in your room) The restaurant is excl. vegan & if you are a meat eater like me then this will NOT be a problem. We had a couple of evening meals with cocktails along with breakfast, all of which were excellent in taste, presentation, service & value for money (the servings are a good size). We did not need to book the restaurant The café was great to get a lovely hot drink upon returning from a day out & maybe a cake/cookie The shop is stocked with its own brand of ethical merchandise, along with snacks & drinks NOTE:The tap water in Amsterdam is perfectly safe to drink directly from the tap The park to the west looks like it is designed to host events, with lots of restaurants/bars along 1 side & plenty of hard-standing areas. We imagine this area is buzzing during the warm summer days. In contrast, the park to east is more park-like, with lakes, wildlife, trees, grass & paths Trams are easily accessed either via the south bridge that the taxis use then a short walk - about 350m, or via the east park exit - again about 600m, both of which are flat and firm surfaced Our leaving day arrived all & you can either defer your checkout time (subject to avail.) or ask them to hold your luggage if needed The main standout takeaway from our stay was the friendliness & helpfulness of the staff, we will certainly return here if in...

Modern hotel, chic and sleek. As the golf saying goes, drive for show, putts for dough. This place is a very bad putter.

I’ll start by saying the rooms are clean, with minimalist styling. They may appeal to younger folk. I’m a well travelled 50 something and the hotel doesn’t work for me or indeed my older student aged kids.

So here’s my warts and all review:

Check in. A guy behind the desk pointed us to the check in station. You basically do everything yourself. Enter your details on an iPad type device, swipe your credit card to pay and cover incidentals and set up the key cards. You pick a paper wallet if you desire for your keys. We had to repeat all this four times for each room we’d reserved. Zero help from the worker. I’m not actually sure what they do. For us this took place at 1am after a 3 hour flight delay. Not a great first impression.

The rooms are minimalistic. They are small. If I had a cat he would have concussion-like symptoms before we’d established any centrifugal momentum at all. Floors are concrete with luxurious grey paint. I’m sure it’s eco friendly, comfortable it isn’t. It won’t take long to unpack as there’s almost nowhere to put any clothes. I’ve posted photos of the entire storage, which comprises of a tiny single shelf hanging from the roof (so it’s triangular) with 5 coat hangers. No drawers or closet and not one of those suitcase stands as it’s not required. I used some of the limited floor place for all my clothes. We are attending a wedding, have been traveling for a number of days on a multi-venue trip and our wedding clothes needed hanging. There’s no room for anything else. Suit cases had to be slid under the bed.

There is no view. We are “fortunate” to have a room in the rafters, with 2 skylights for windows. At 6ft tall I can see the tops of some trees. If I get up on a chair and can see out and there’s a park. But it’s only viewable perched on the chair unless you’re Shaq O’Neil who might be able to see out unassisted. Emphasis on the might.

I mentioned the grey painted concrete floors. The doors are painted with the same. I’m okay with that but it does feel like a prison cell with the lack of windows, concrete and white walls and lack of soft furnishings. It’s all metal, plywood and a bed.

Bedside stools are provided. 30cm (12 inch diameter) means that you have room for your phone, a drink, an watch charger and your wallet. The IPad can be perched on a ledge which probably conceals plumbing or electrical cable.

There’s no safe, no closet, no fridge. One chair (school chair) and a small, narrow desk. 2 bed side “stools”.

Breakfast is decent. Don’t expect a regular hotel spread with any meat, which doesn’t bother me. It’s pastries and vegetables. Scrambled egg, boiled eggs are available at the buffet. You can add root vegetables, such as sautéed carrots, parsnips or potatoes. There were some tomatoes mixed with mushrooms too. Coffee is on request. Clearly in short supply. We sat for an hour catching up with family we hadn’t seen for 3 years and I managed to get 2 expresso sized cups of coffee from one of the prison guards - oops meant to say breakfast attendants. There’s no help yourself station for tea and coffee. The pain chocolats were nice though.

One anecdote. My wife was looking for someone to check our room in and get coffee ordered when we first arrived for breakfast (the camp commandant instructs “guests” of the regime to do this on entry). She politely asked a lady if she worked here. The woman responded “well, what do you think? And spun around to show us the hotel name written on the back of her shirt.

So all in all not great. We’ve been travelling down through Europe from Iceland have enjoyed some great hospitality, nice accommodation etc. This is most definitely our least favourite stay so far. It might appeal to a younger person who values style and form over performance. It doesn’t tick many boxes for me in a hotel. I value comfort, convenience and performance. I don’t need a hotel room to look like an...

Refused to let me cancel or rearrange my stay when I had just been diagnosed with advanced cancer a few days prior to our once in a lifetime holiday, they would not even offer to rearrange the stay for me for when I had recovered from my chemo. Really not 'conscious' at all, just another corporate entity with no heart. The only choice they gave me was to allow me to give away the hotel stay to some friends, but frankly losing the huge amount of money that I had paid for this trip would have made a simply life-changing difference to me and my family at this time. Really just not very nice people. Starting chemo on Monday which carries a high chance of dying, thanks so much for being so caring and conscious and offering your thoughts and eco-sexy prayers, Bram.

PS Lacking in humanity is categorically not eco-friendly. Please check out the evidence linking corporate greed with destruction of habitats and ecological collapse, it's insanely powerful.

Mon, Oct 14 at 12:58 PM

Dear Katie,

First and foremost, I want to express our sincere sympathy regarding the situation you’re facing. We understand this is an incredibly difficult time for you, and our thoughts are with you.

However, it's important to note that you booked a non-refundable rate, which comes with specific terms and conditions. Unfortunately, our policy requires a 100% cancellation fee, even in the case of unforeseen circumstances. We receive similar requests due to various unfortunate situations, and to remain fair to all our guests, we are unable to make exceptions to this policy.

We always offer the option to book flexible rates, which allow for cancellations and changes without penalties. The non-refundable rate, however, is a more restrictive option chosen for its lower cost, and we must adhere to those terms as agreed upon at the time of booking.

If you decide to travel again in the future and contact us directly, mentioning your situation, we would be happy to offer you a special discounted rate.

Please note that you will need to cancel your booking through Expedia, as we cannot do that on your behalf. However, you do have the option to change the name on the booking if that helps.

Thank you for your understanding, and we wish you all the best during this time.

Kind regards,

Bram Reservations Agent Eco-Sexy. Big Smiles.

On October 11, 2024

Message:

Dear Conscious Hotel, I have booked on Expedia non refundable room for next week Weds-Sun. I have today been given diagnosis of breast cancer and I might not be able to travel due to urgent medical appointments Sadly, as I did not anticipate this, I did not buy refundable room or buy travel insurance. I wondered whether you would be able to please consider either a refund or a voucher so I could come in a year or so once my treatment is complete? I am not sure if I will be able to come yet but just looking into options for delaying this trip. Many thanks for...