Leonardo Hotel Amsterdam Leidse Square

The location was lovely, with shops and restaurants nearby, the museum district about a 10-minute walk away, and a tram line that gets you to Amsterdam Centraal in around 20 minutes. We also liked the big windows overlooking the canal, the small fridge, and the in-room coffee machine. The decor was cute, with dog, cat, and bird photos, stylish furnishings, and an adorable blue bear cushion. Comfort was lacking in a few ways. The toilet paper was cheap and unpleasant. The bed was made from two soft faux-leather mattresses with just a topper, not a proper fitted sheet on top. After three nights, we both felt achy and unsupported. Housekeeping required signing up through a QR code. I tried on the first day, but it couldn’t find my reservation, and I didn’t bother trying again. We ended up without cleaning. Since Covid, hotels seem to expect guests to opt in to housekeeping, which feels like a cost-saving measure and an inconvenience. My partner and I stayed at Leidse Square because we’d had such a good experience at the Leonardo Hotel Rotterdam Savoy and expected this to be a similar win.

The room clock and phone weren’t working, and hooks were coming loose from the wall. Several towels and linens had stains. The safe was another ongoing problem: it failed on day one and couldn’t be fixed until the next day. On day two, we were told it was fixed, but it showed a different error. It seemed fixed on day three, then gave the original error again on day four. We requested cleaning on day two, but there was no toilet paper refill and the shower door wasn’t cleaned. On day three I specifically asked for toilet paper while the lobby was full. After a long day out, we came back to find no cleaning had been done, so I had to go down to reception and ask. Less visible surfaces behind doors weren’t cleaned either. Mistakes happen, but it’s how they’re handled that matters.

We really enjoyed our stay, and the staff were all very nice. The bed was SUPER comfortable, and we liked our room. The location is great, right across from the canal and a short walk to lots of shops and restaurants. Dam Square is about a 25-minute walk away. The main drawback is the steep stairs at the entrance. Going up and down felt a little dangerous at times, especially while carrying suitcases.

The location was fantastic for our museum and food plans. Most of the places we wanted to visit were a short walk away, and service was great. The one time we needed help, staff responded quickly and without fuss. We spent four nights in a Comfort Room with a double bed, and would probably stay again if we got a different room. Our room was much more cramped than the example photos suggested. There was only about 2ft on either side of the bed, whereas the pictures showed space for a table and room to pass at the foot. The bathroom was also smaller than pictured, and it had one shampoo/soap option instead of the two shown. Most frustratingly, there was nowhere to open our suitcases without putting them on the bed or blocking the hallway door. We paid the same as for a full-sized room, so I think this one should have cost less. The hotel should make the differences between rooms clearer.