Hotel Amsterdam - Bilderberg Garden Hotel — Hotel in Amsterdam

A Complete Disappointment: Misleading Claims and Subpar Experience

I feel completely defrauded by the misleading claims of the Bilderberg Garden Hotel. It advertises itself as a 5-star property but delivers an experience that doesn’t even come close. We chose this hotel to splurge at the end of our trip, expecting a luxurious and relaxing stay to ring in the New Year. What we got instead was a highly overpriced and disappointing experience that fell far below our expectations.

The location is a major letdown. Despite its claims of being “centrally located,” the hotel is in a quiet and inconvenient area, requiring at least a 10-minute walk to the nearest public transport and another 7-10 minutes to the city center. In Amsterdam’s cold, rainy weather, this was not only inconvenient but frustrating. There are plenty of better-located options with superior amenities and lower prices.

The New Year’s Eve arrangements—or lack thereof—were appalling. There were no events, no special dinner, and to make it worse, the hotel’s restaurants closed early on New Year’s Eve and opened late on January 1st. For a supposed 5-star property, this lack of consideration for guests was simply unacceptable.

The facilities and services didn’t fare any better. The heating in the rooms was inadequate, making our stay uncomfortable in the cold winter nights. The hotel’s sole elevator broke down one night, and no effort was made to resolve the issue promptly.

Breakfast was a complete disaster. One morning, the scrambled eggs were cold, and the croissants ran out. When the next batch finally arrived, they were burnt on the outside and undercooked on the inside. The overall breakfast experience was far below the standard one expects at a 5-star hotel—there were no live counters, which was surprising and disappointing.

Even the in-room amenities were subpar. The hair dryer provided was weak and barely functional, something I would expect in a budget hotel, not a luxury property.

While the staff was polite, their attitude toward complaints was indifferent. They acknowledged our frustrations but offered no solutions or attempts to make amends, as if it was our right to be upset and their right to ignore it.

In a city like Amsterdam, renowned for its high standards and strict regulations, I am baffled that this hotel retains its 5-star rating. The gap between the hotel’s claims and its actual delivery is nothing short of fraud. Had this been marketed as a 4-star property at a significantly lower price, I might have written a different review, complaining only about the broken elevator.

Instead, I’m left with a bitter experience of an overpriced hotel that overpromises and severely underdelivers. Save yourself the frustration—there are far better options in Amsterdam that offer true value for money. This hotel is a glaring example of how premium claims can mislead customers into an experience that is anything...

Was here for a two-week stay. Hotel is nice, clean, and in a good location for museums and shopping on the posh Cornelius Schuytstraat. Noa at front desk is lovely and sweet. Offered cappuccino while we waited for our room. Be aware: there is a “deposit” you must pay on checking in. They don’t just take a copy of your card as a precaution, in case you incur extra charges, but they actually charge your card upon checking in “to cover incidentals”. I’m waiting on the refund. There is no real fridge in the room. I bought milk for my coffee and discovered the minibar was not very cold. When I asked how to adjust the temperature, they replied it is not a “fridge” and cannot be made colder. So you cannot store anything perishable. Amenities not provided that one might expect at a real five star include no dresser to unpack your clothes. There is only one small drawer (in the desk) and two small shelves in closet. No face washcloths. Room safe doesn’t work. Nice amenities include Nespresso machine, but they often don’t refill the coffee pods because only one housekeeper has authorization to refill them. A person comes daily to inspect your minibar but doesn’t bother to verify if your coffee pods and stroopwafels have been replaced. I finally bought my own pods. There are nice L’Occitane bergamot-scented toiletries and bergamot flavored Earl Grey tea (deliberate match or coincidence)? Housekeeping staff are polite and professional. Maria got me extra hangers so I could unpack a bit. Should be more clarity on surprise deposit on check in, and b) lack of basic hotel amenities one expects, such as dresser drawers, a proper mini-fridge, and face washcloths. Even the hairdryer is weird. The hairdryer only works if you press firmly and continuously on the “on” button while using it which is tiresome if you have long hair. You can’t remove your thumb or it stops. Would be challenging for people with arthritic hands or similar disabilities. After six nights, walked by linen closet in hall and noticed they have bathrobes and slippers. They just don’t provide them in the room. We requested and received two robes and sets of slippers. Also note: There is a heated, outdoor terrace with a roof and cozy sofas that the smokers love. It looks nice. Conclusion: Not saying don’t stay here, but do research your options and do check your bill carefully and ensure you get your...

We have been coming to Amsterdam 3 or 4 times a year for the last 18 years, usually staying in 4 star hotels outside the city centre. As this was our first visit post covid we thought a 5 star would be nice, hence our stay at the Bilderberg which met these requirements.

We liked the hotel, not too large giving a less corporate experience.

On arrival the check in was friendly and efficient, however on getting to our room we were disappointed as the advertised dressing gown and slippers were absent and there was not a coffee maker. Credit to the reception staff who rectified the dressing gown issue, but when asked if we could have a coffee maker we were told the hotel didn't have any. I find this incredible for a 5 star hotel in the 21st century does not offer decent coffee making facilities, particularly as virtually all the 4 star hotels that we have used offer this facility.

On our first evening we had room service, both the service and the meal were very good. The next 2 nights we ate in the restaurant which was promoted as a popular French restaurant. The menu was limited, in fact much like a conventional room service menu, and the quality was,in my opinion and experience sadly lacking. This was most apparent when what appeared and tasted like the same sauce was used in a Thai meal one night and an 'indian' meal the following. On both nights I had chicken dishes, the chicken had been cooked on skewers and was only just cooked. In no way was the food choice and quality that of a 5 star hotel restaurant which was one of the reasons we chose this hotel.

Overall our stay was pleasant, the room was comfortable, warm and of a decent size. The hotel is convenient for the local shops and restaurants and had good tram links to Centrum and other areas of Amsterdam. All our engagements with the staff were helpful, efficient and pleasant, the hotel public areas were comfortable, pleasant and warm.

The hotel has the potential to be a very nice place to stay, it appears to be in some kind of transformation post covid but certainly needs significant improvement in its restaurant facilities. Oh, and decent coffee making facilities...