InterContinental Amstel Amsterdam by IHG

The staff were polite, professional, and attentive, and getting around by public transport was easy with metro and tram nearby. We had a room on the third floor. The hotel is old, but well maintained, clean, and elegant, with spacious rooms and a high standard of service. Breakfast was generous and the food quality was very high. I stayed at another hotel during this Amsterdam trip, but this one was noticeably better. For its age, it stands out as one of the city’s more luxurious hotels. I’d definitely recommend it. We stayed on Christmas Eve 2025.

Rosanna, Virginia, and Emily were wonderful with drinks and the amazing breakfast buffet. Their smiles, greetings, and professionalism really stood out. We couldn’t recommend the three of them more, they’re a dream team, and we’re so grateful for their hard work. When we checked in yesterday, a young brown blonde man helped a mother with her carriage and suggested Loetje’s Bali steak, which was amazing too. 11/10!

We expected the afternoon tea at the Amstel Hotel to be special, since we’d heard such lovely things about it. The setting looked right for it, elegant and refined, just as the hotel presents itself. But when we arrived, we were told there were no seats available. Nobody offered another option or tried to find a solution, and we were left standing there feeling unwelcome and essentially sent away. We understand the place may have been fully booked. Still, we were surprised that a hotel of this standing showed so little consideration for visitors just passing through. The experience didn’t match the elegance we’d expected.

The hotel itself was beautiful and our room was lovely. We left on a better note thanks to the man who helped pack our luggage into the taxi on Nov 7. He was delightful and treated us just like anyone else. But the pool incident put us off coming back. Juliette told me twice after check-in that it closed at 10, so we planned the rest of the evening around having time to swim. When my partner tried to go, she said it actually closed at 2100. Juliette was still at the check-in desk and, when my partner reminded her what she'd told us, she replied, “oh, sorry” in a condescending, unapologetic way. It gave us the impression she had done it on purpose, though I have no proof of that. Her attitude was enough that I wouldn't return and would tell my American work colleagues to avoid the hotel. I understand there can be animosity toward Americans. I'm Mexican American and a little darker, but we paid good money like everyone else. We stayed here for our last night in Amsterdam, Nov 6 to 7.