Leonardo Royal Hotel Amsterdam — Hotel in Amsterdam

I recently stayed at the Leonardo Royal Hotel in Amsterdam from 04 September to 09 September 2025. Unfortunately, my experience fell far below expectations for a “4-star hotel,” particularly given the cost of over £600 for the stay. While there were some positive aspects, several issues left me feeling disappointed and reluctant to book with Leonardo again.||Check-in and Pre-Arrival|Prior to arrival, I completed online check-in and later added breakfast. However, a technical error incorrectly indicated that I had an outstanding balance of €270.09. This caused unnecessary stress and frustration, although the branch did respond quickly via email to confirm there were no outstanding charges. This experience was not pleasant before arrival.||Arrival and Room Cleanliness|Upon arrival after a long journey, we were given key cards and a very brief explanation of hotel facilities. However, we were left confused about how to use the lifts and which floors to access. It was a non-English-speaking guest who kindly assisted us, not staff.||When we entered our room, we found a dirty sock from the previous guest. This was unacceptable and raised serious concerns about whether the room had been properly cleaned or if the sheets had even been changed. When I raised this with reception, I received only an apology—no offer of a new room or additional cleaning. Furthermore, the phone in the room did not work, so if I wanted to ask reception a question I had to walk downstairs. ||Wellness Facilities|We used the steam and sauna facilities, but there were multiple issues:|• The cold-water dispenser tray filled up and stopped working on two separate days, and staff did not attend to it. We had to empty it ourselves.|• On one occasion, we witnessed a staff member throw a towel on the floor and use it with her feet to soak up water—extremely unhygienic and concerning regarding how towels and robes may be handled.|• My partner was also told off by staff for using hot water in the shower, as this could trigger the fire alarm—a reflection of poor design and lack of ventilation.|• The sauna was not on at 10:30am, we had to request for it to be turned on by the staff.||Room Service Issue|Despite making it clear at check-in that we did not want room service, we returned one evening to find a staff member in our room with our personal belongings, money, and documents exposed. This was extremely distressing. When I raised it at reception, I was initially told that I had requested cleaning, then that it was an “automatic” policy after three days unless a door sign was displayed. This was not explained at check-in and contradicted the app instructions. In addition, during the cleaning the staff member binned my partners nose ring. ||Positives|• The breakfast was excellent—great quality, variety, and value for money. I would only suggest adding decaf options for tea and coffee.|• The gym and wellness facilities, when working properly, were enjoyable after a long day.|• The location of the hotel on the tram line provided easy access to the city.||Conclusion|While there were redeeming features, the combination of poor service, lack of cleanliness, and serious issues with staff conduct created a very negative impression. These are not the standards expected from a 4-star hotel, and in many ways the service felt closer to that of a hostel.||I wanted to share this feedback in the hope that improvements can be made, as the potential of the hotel is clear, but the current service and management fall short of...

I recently stayed at the Leonardo Royal Hotel in Amsterdam from 04 September to 09 September 2025. Unfortunately, my experience fell far below expectations for a “4-star hotel,” particularly given the cost of over £600 for the stay. While there were some positive aspects, several issues left me feeling disappointed and reluctant to book with Leonardo again.

Check-in and Pre-Arrival Prior to arrival, I completed online check-in and later added breakfast. However, a technical error incorrectly indicated that I had an outstanding balance of €270.09. This caused unnecessary stress and frustration, although the branch did respond quickly via email to confirm there were no outstanding charges. This experience was not pleasant before arrival.

Arrival and Room Cleanliness Upon arrival after a long journey, we were given key cards and a very brief explanation of hotel facilities. However, we were left confused about how to use the lifts and which floors to access. It was a non-English-speaking guest who kindly assisted us, not staff.

When we entered our room, we found a dirty sock from the previous guest. This was unacceptable and raised serious concerns about whether the room had been properly cleaned or if the sheets had even been changed. When I raised this with reception, I received only an apology—no offer of a new room or additional cleaning. Furthermore, the phone in the room did not work, so if I wanted to ask reception a question I had to walk downstairs.

Wellness Facilities We used the steam and sauna facilities, but there were multiple issues: • The cold-water dispenser tray filled up and stopped working on two separate days, and staff did not attend to it. We had to empty it ourselves. • On one occasion, we witnessed a staff member throw a towel on the floor and use it with her feet to soak up water—extremely unhygienic and concerning regarding how towels and robes may be handled. • My partner was also told off by staff for using hot water in the shower, as this could trigger the fire alarm—a reflection of poor design and lack of ventilation. • The sauna was not on at 10:30am, we had to request for it to be turned on by the staff.

Room Service Issue Despite making it clear at check-in that we did not want room service, we returned one evening to find a staff member in our room with our personal belongings, money, and documents exposed. This was extremely distressing. When I raised it at reception, I was initially told that I had requested cleaning, then that it was an “automatic” policy after three days unless a door sign was displayed. This was not explained at check-in and contradicted the app instructions. In addition, during the cleaning the staff member binned my partners nose ring.

Positives • The breakfast was excellent—great quality, variety, and value for money. I would only suggest adding decaf options for tea and coffee. • The gym and wellness facilities, when working properly, were enjoyable after a long day. • The location of the hotel on the tram line provided easy access to the city.

Conclusion While there were redeeming features, the combination of poor service, lack of cleanliness, and serious issues with staff conduct created a very negative impression. These are not the standards expected from a 4-star hotel, and in many ways the service felt closer to that of a hostel. I wanted to share this feedback in the hope that improvements can be made, as the potential of the hotel is clear, but the current service and management fall short of...

We arrived with a small 6-month-old dog and had some issues with the hotel's payment as we could only pay in cash. Nevertheless, we weren't simply turned away but instead, they tried to assist us. We arrived at 1 PM, and due to payment problems, we could check in at 4 PM after making a cash deposit as collateral. Unfortunately, it took a bit of time, and we had to repeatedly address our issue to get assistance. In the meantime, we ordered coffee and later found out that we were supposed to pay with a card, which we learned only afterwards. However, after explaining our situation again, we could easily pay for our delicious coffee with cash. Our dog also got something to drink, but after he had enough, he knocked over his water bowl. We promptly informed the staff that it needed cleaning. However, the person we spoke to came with an extremely wet mop and made the situation worse. Suddenly, there was a pond where ducks could have swum right in the middle of the bar. From start to finish, the hotel left a very positive impression on us. The "duck pond" with the mop was the only negative aspect. The rooms were very clean, the coffee was excellent, and we could also have a cash dinner In the evenings, we could also dine in the restaurant, which was equally delicious. The breakfast buffet was a bit chaotic, as it seemed like a complete mix-up in the arrangement of choices, but we could find everything, even the plates under the counter. Nevertheless, the breakfast buffet was also very tasty . Our room number was 1310. The view from the 13th floor wasn't stunning, but it was interesting. It was somewhat fascinating to look out onto the highway and observe the lives of people in Amsterdam from above. The airplanes flew very close to the hotel, which we also found exciting and interesting. It was very quiet. For safety reasons, the windows cannot be opened, but the air conditioning worked perfectly. It only took a little while for the air conditioning to cool the room. The reception greeted our dog every time we passed by and fell in love with the little guy. They were very excited to see a young Hovawart dog. Our dog Akirou won't forget the kind ladies at the reception. The hotel is very pet-friendly, but unfortunately, there is no snack bar for dogs, which we missed with the friendly staff. It would be a great thing for all dog owners if there were the possibility to offer their dogs something to drink in front of the door or at the reception after a long journey. But also providing some food for the dogs would be a great idea. If there were such a snack bar or at least dog bowls that could be borrowed for the room, many dog owners would be happy to return. Greetings to the nice and sympathetic ladies at the reception, we...