Mövenpick Hotel Amsterdam City Centre — Hotel in Amsterdam

The initial problem started when we checked in, I was told that I had seemingly already checked in despite at that point being seated on a Eurostar. It took quite a while for this to be resolved and no clear reason/explanation was given as to what had occurred - as I had to checked in with Passports and booking reference if someone had checked in as me this is a serious security issue. We then got allocated a King Size room, when I pointed out we had requested a twin, the person dealing with me looked very put upon and then changed it. After a very long check in we then finally managed to get into our room.

The room itself was nice but could have done with a bit of updating here and there, the view of the City was amazing. The air conditioning in the room was also not great, if it had been warmer it would have been insufficient. Didn't make a complaint as I knew by this point nothing would be done. The mini bar in the room does need to be kept refreshed daily, rather than a condensing note saying why it won't be. The executive rooms and suites cost a lot of money so this should be taken into account.

We went down for dinner which we were very much looking forward to having looked at your website. However we found the menu was limited in its offering and for the cost was not that great. We again encountered the room issue when the server tried to put the bill against the room - it wouldn't let them as this time because there was no deposit or something? We paid by card but it was another example of ongoing issues with the room that just put a dampener on our experience.

Next morning and we went down for breakfast - first thing we noted was that times noted for when the restaurant would be busy did not match - we found by experiment that the red zone noted was actually one of the quieter times. As someone who has a severe nut allergy I found navigating breakfast to be akin to Russian roulette with labels sometimes containing allergy notes and sometimes not and in some cases the labels being on the wrong item. Cross contamination was a big problem, not enough tongs/serving equipment per tray/basket and different bakery goods both not labelled and in some cases put together (so when one basket of Danish running low, croissants put with them). Since we had paid for breakfast with the room I navigated the buffet carefully sticking to what I knew would be safe (either from ingredient or where cross contamination would not occur) had we not paid for it in advance we would have gone elsewhere.

That particularly day we were out in Amsterdam, we came back and our room had not been serviced so went down to reception to check why it hadn't been done. Reception told me at around 16:00 that it had a note of "inspected" against it but that they would send someone up straight away to do it. We went for a couple of drinks and on our return found the room still had not been serviced. At around 21:00 I had an odd phone call from reception which was basically "has your room been serviced, yes or no?" - quite an abrupt way to ask - when I said no I was told someone could be sent up then, however since it was late and no one had turned up thus far I declined. This was just yet another example of problems...

Situated on the 18th floor of the Mövenpick Hotel in Amsterdam, guests can enjoy breathtaking views of the city and the harbor.

The rooms The rooms are spacious, clean and well equipped with a refrigerator with 2 bottles of water, a coffee maker and a very clean electric kettle, a large safe (that can hold a laptop), a large LED screen with Hdmi connection, an iron with board. There are plenty of sockets in the room and the beds are very comfortable, with wonderful mattresses.

Air conditioning One drawback is that the air conditioner cannot be turned off and the setting does not work properly. Around 5:30 a.m. the room gets very hot, up to 24 degrees and then back down to 22 degrees. The air conditioner does not turn off when the window is open, although a window can be tilted for ventilation.

The Bathroom The bathroom is equipped with a hair dryer, soap, lotion, bathing cap, ear sticks and other accessories.

Distances The hotel is located 10 minutes from the train station and 15 minutes walk from the city center. There is also a tram to the city center right next to the hotel.

Parking facilities The hotel does not have its own parking lot, only at the entrance you can park briefly to unload your suitcases, below the hotel is a municipal parking garage, which is accessible from the hotel by elevator. The price is 50 euros per day, which is even better than in the city, where it is 20 euros per hour. The parking spaces are large and the garage is clean and well lit when you enter.

Restaurant and breakfast There are 2 restaurants in the hotel, The Mövenpick Restaurant, which was closed during our visit, and the Lobby & Lounge Bar, with a small menu, the food is very good, but as I said, the choice is limited. There is nothing more to say about the breakfast buffet on the 2nd floor, very extensive and there is plenty of everything. It is a business hotel, business people, managers, etc., are well represented in the morning, so it is important to mix, because I noticed that after their departure to the conference rooms, the buffet is well cleared and I did not find everything I wanted to eat. The coffee is very good, the machines are of the Melitta brand, the selection of teas is very large.

In the lobby there is a computerized self-service store with chocolate, drinks, alcohol, chips, nuts, etc.

Points of criticism We were satisfied except for 2 things, the check-in on the 1st day, we stood in the lobby for 35 minutes until we could check in, 4 guichets but only 2 occupied and 43 people to check in.

And that our room was not cleaned and the beds were not made after 15:30 for whatever reason.

And as already mentioned, the air conditioning....

I am not a newcomer to Amsterdam; I have been traveling there many times throughout my life since my first visit when I was about 22 years old. Many travelers, whether for work or leisure, try to stay closer to the center, near the Museum District, because for many, Amsterdam is primarily about Van Gogh, Rembrandt, and the wonderful collection of museums on the Museumplein. From there, you can reach by foot to the unique grid of canals and bridges.

However, this time, my work brought me to a completely different area of the city—North Amsterdam. In this part, I had established contacts with film studios, animation studios, theater universities, museums, and other cultural and educational institutions located in the northern part of Amsterdam, across the IJ River. This led me to the Movenpick Hotel, part of the ACCOR hotel chain.

It was a revelation. First of all, the view from the 15th floor overlooking the IJ River (or bay, as it may be better called) and both parts of Amsterdam—north and south, down to the central area with the peaks of the old Gothic buildings and the Royal Palace—was breathtaking. All of this can be seen from the 15th floor where I stayed. The most unique aspect was the body of water stretching right below the windows, with boats and barges continuously passing by. It was quiet because the windows at the Movenpick, if not opened as a casement, insulated all noise. You are in absolute sound isolation but can see all this beauty right beneath you from a bird's-eye view. This is a first impression of a cozy environment in the room, and the feeling that you are in a unique safe place, but somewhere in the sky, of course, is not accessible to visitors staying in central hotels. I believe this is the only place from which you can see all of Amsterdam.

Secondly, I was struck by the unique combination of freedom and an incredible level of organization demonstrated by the entire staff, from management to concierges, housekeepers, restaurant staff, and front desk personnel. On one hand, they are super organized, and on the other, they are open and free-spirited. It feels like each of them is empowered to make their own decisions, but you can see that they coordinate internally through their own channels of supreme organization. The food is delicious at breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and the staff's friendliness and artistic flair give the impression that they are all performers playing their roles with a wonderful, kind, inclusive, and beautiful approach.

This is my first review of the Movenpick Hotel in Amsterdam, and I hope it won’t be the last. Thank you for the warm hospitality; it was unforgettable, and I recommend it...