Pestana Amsterdam Riverside — Hotel in Amsterdam

This is a lovely hotel and if you’re content with staying outside of the city centre it’s a nice retreat. I felt a little let down by a few aspects though which might make me question staying again, however I admit most are minor.

It’s about a twenty minute walk from the centre of the city and the nearby Metro and train stations are a similar distance. For a more relaxing stay it’s nice though, being right on the river and in a quiet surrounding neighbourhood. From the street level there’s steps up to the entrance and there wasn’t always staff on hand to assist with baggage, so bear that in mind. The most annoying aspect was with the reception itself, as whatever the time of day there was always a queue - don’t expect to doing any checking in/out or getting assistance quickly here. The decor is really nice though and it’s a welcoming entrance from a physical point of view. The lounge section of the lobby area was particularly delightful, offering a comfortable spot to relax and with plenty of reading material.

Our room was on the second floor but in the newer extension of the building, easily accessed across the glass walkway. There’s a fast lift which serves all the floors and once over the link you wouldn’t know you weren’t in the main building. The Executive Room came complete with a small balcony overlooking the river, which was great to wake up to and the floor to ceiling windows made the most of the view. Waking up each morning to that was a delight so I’d recommend securing a riverside view if you can!

The door to the room was very heavy but the staff offered to deliver the luggage once we’d checked in. There was a decent sized wardrobe suitable for an extended stay and the room, although not as spacious as expected, was comfortable. The TV was on a wheeled stand in front of the windows which was a shame, since it seemed to continually get in the way, especially since we didn’t really use it. Although I have to say the navigation and interface worked well. The bed was massive and seriously comfortable and although there was no desk there was some good magazines about the city, restaurant options etc.

The bathroom was a lot more cramped than the bedroom area. The sink area had adequate storage but there was little else and there was no bath, just a walk in shower however it was huge and a delight to use. The shower was good with nice power and it came warm pretty quickly but throughout the stay no shower gel was provided - there was shampoo, conditioner and body lotion, all in nice bottles, but no shower gel. I thought it may be a mistake of the initial housekeeping but it never got corrected throughout the stay. There was also no towel rail in the bathroom, which meant cold towels every morning and also damp ones should housekeeping not attend, which was the case on our first day. Some artwork in the bathroom would have been nice to match the five-star status too, since it was a bit bare and soulless.

The air-conditioning in the room was almost useless despite being noticeably noisy. All of the information regarding the hotel and services was only accessible through the TV which was a shame as a physical guide is nicer to peruse on arrival. It was nice for housekeeping to have left the bar of soap gift on arrival but we only received one other visit during the weekend stay - turndown service didn’t appear to happen and we were missed completely on the first day.

Overall it was certainly a comfortable stay and the hotel has a relaxing vibe. Everywhere was clean and was modern which I liked. I’m not sure it delivered on the five-star expectations though and as a result didn’t feel the best value for money. Personally I’d consider a future stay but only if the price was particularly attractive, but would recommend shortlisting it if a modern property is what you’re...

My partner surprised me with this trip, so I was very excited. Initially, we were meant to be going to Paris, however due to recent unrest and protests, the airline cancelled this less than 24 hours before. We therefore decided that Amsterdam would be a good alternative, as I had never been and my partner always says how great it is. When we arrived late evening, the reception staff were lovely, and checked us in with ease. The following day was our first full day there. I was excited to experience all the sites and attractions. To top it off and to my surprise, my partner proposed to me! The best day ever. Dampened slightly due to the lack of any goodwill whatsoever from the staff. I’ve since found out that my partner emailed ahead of time to advise of the last-minute stressful change of vacation destination, doubled price, and imminent planned proposal, requesting an upgrade in room, to no avail. We spent double the amount of money compared to our original Paris trip we had planned, and my partner mentioned this in his email. To my absolute shock and disappointment, when we returned to the hotel following my incredible proposal, I shared the joyous news with the receptionist whilst picking up 2 coca colas (we don’t drink!) from the reception’s minibar. The receptionist made a light joke to my partner on how he was treating me to a Coca Cola to celebrate - she said congratulations then swiftly proceeded to ask for payment. How utterly tight and stingy to not give absolutely any goodwill or gesture on such a momentous occasion for us as your guests. I cannot believe I’m having to write this, however as you claim to be a 5* Hotel, you’d think a complimentary Coca Cola or anything for that matter would be had - but no. The room was ok, it was advertised as an executive suite (entitled ‘diamond’ suite at the hotel) - to me, it was a standard room but nothing extraordinary. Very clean, and the maids were great. The mini fridge with no contents was pointless, and the water bottles in plastic cartons cheapened it slightly. The lighting in the room was not ideal for anyone wanting to apply make up whilst sitting in bed. The only bright lights were by the sink. The breakfast variety was lovely and very tasty, however hot foods would benefit from staying under direct heat rather than sitting in Le Creuset dishes that get cold quickly from guests opening and closing them often. We got told the spa was closed due to unforeseen maintenance - from reading other reviews it doesn’t seem like we missed out on it. However, again given the high price we paid, some compensation or goodwill would have been appreciated. The location is ok - it’s on the outskirts of the main square and central station, however the tram stop is only one street away from behind the hotel, and the trams are very reliable and super easy to use! We bought 24 hour tickets each day and tapped on and off whichever trams we wanted. To summarise, the main building’s architecture and lobby were sophisticated, the room pretty standard but clean, but the staff did the bare minimum. If you say you’re 5* then show it to your guests. I can see from other low-scoring reviews that a generic response from the hotel is given. To me, that doesn’t make amends or remedy the experience. I’m gutted that the hotel did absolutely nothing to mark what was a celebration for my partner and I. I doubt I would stay again for...

We decided on this hotel as a treat as we had not been away for about 12 years ( yes that long but we did have the girls who were both too ill to leave and then Covid and health hit us ) and thought let’s treat ourselves |We have in the past contacted hotels to organise transport from the airport to the hotel we are staying at and had no issues - however for a 5 star hotel we were a little taken aback when they said they didn’t have that facility direct but did use a private company which they did organise for us ( but you naturally want to ensure so we did check with the company direct as well ) |The pick up from the airport worked brilliantly- our driver was lovely but confusion reigned on payment - the driver said we pay the hotel and it’s sorted that way - so not what we were told but ok |But we weren’t greeted/met at the hotel ( we have stayed in 4/5 star hotels in the past and were met and helped with our bags) |We had to wait to be booked in (lack of staff ) and directed to room - which was easy enough- conversation on paying the driver was difficult as hotel saying no you pay them we explaining what he had told us - eventually the hotel said they would contact and let us know - fair enough (in the end hubby left the money in an envelope for the driver to collect later) |So off to our room - and while the room was clean and spacious it was little things that got us |Whilst I appreciate coffee is a very popular drink in The Netherlands and across the world , so is tea! And not just flavoured tea or Earl Grey plus no milk ? I do like my coffee black but hubby does like a little milk in it|So hubby popped down to ask for English breakfast tea and some milk ( he could have called down but preferred to speak direct ) |After about 15 mins from hubbys return we did get some English tea bags and a glass of milk ! Not a jug or a few little milk containers (naff but practical) it was ridiculous for such a hotel |Anyhow we booked a table in restaurant ( late flight in so thought easy to do save trying to find somewhere ) whilst the staff were lovely and welcoming I wouldn’t choose to eat there again - the menu wasn’t that exciting or inspiring for a hotel of this apparent level and the food was ok , just ok |We slept ok and you can leave your luggage in a store room to collect later if you have time to explore before return home/continuing visit elsewhere as we were |But when it came to pay we found they didn’t know we had eaten in restaurant ? It transpired that our meal had been added to another room! We are not sure how that happened as when we signed the receipt we did show room number and it was clearly on the receipt |Not very organised |When we came back after a wander round Amsterdam we were a little taken aback that you can just walk in and no one asks you anything( are you here for visit/staying/meeting someone etc) plus again no one to meet and greet you |Am sorry to say it won’t be a return as expected a lot more from a 5 star hotel - perhaps should be...