Hi, insiders!
I´m going to Amsderdam next July for a week.
I was studying the hotels and couldn´t decide... Renaissance or Marriott? Which one is better located? Which CL is better?
The price is almost the same...
Thanks!
Renata
Hi, insiders!
I´m going to Amsderdam next July for a week.
I was studying the hotels and couldn´t decide... Renaissance or Marriott? Which one is better located? Which CL is better?
The price is almost the same...
Thanks!
Renata
The Marriott has the best CL that I have ever encountered. If you stay there, don't plan on going out for dinner. Their dinner offerings topped the next best by a mile.
Excellent staff, great location and nothing worthy of any negative comment.
With those two answers I'm thinking of something diferent... Stay in both... 4 nights each!
But phctourist, what about the location? Is Marriott close to the tourist atractions?
The Marriott is in a great locations. Right near the Van Gogh and other museums. Close to the canals, you can catch a boat, almost across the street. Shopping is very close.
My only experience was at the Renassaince. Location is great. Walkable from the Central train terminal. Amsterdam trolleys are cheap and clean. So it would not matter which hotel you stayed in. We used the trolleys to go all over the city. Taxi is around $60 American from airport. Very nice hotel and as others have said, the CL is worderful. Great breakfast, and if you choose, the evening spread can be suitable for a light meal. You didn't say, but if you are staying on points, the 5th night is free. So you would loose that if you changed hotels.
Thanks for your informations, kingfish45! I had forgotten about the 5th night free! This free night is only when you are staying on points? Four paid nights get one free?
I've stayed at both Marriott (below) and Renaissance, the latter closer to the train station; however, you can take a tram outside the Marriott directly downtown to central station, if you're leaving/arriving via train. Also, if you plan to rent a car, you can do so with Hertz inside the Marriott, and the Hertz office is walking distance to from the hotel, so you could pick up auto there. You can also arrange for shuttle bus into town from airport, with stop at Marriott.
Also, the ground floor concierge room affords very nice breakfast and evening snacks
It's already been mentioned that famous hotels are within walking distance; same for the canal tours.
To me, it's not contest!
Thank you fschumpert! Loved the infos and the pictures! Do you know if the shuttle bus stops at Ren also? Is it a free service on Marriot?
The tram travels throughout Amsterdam and is not free, but very inexpensive. You can take tram from Marriott to Renaissance, and just ask conductor to exit at Renaissance, if not scheduled stop. It goes on to the train station as well.
I can't talk about the hotels, since I never stayed in them. However, I can shed some light on their placements, since I have spend a lot of time in the city (I studied there).
Honestly, you don't have to worry about the locations. Both are right downtown and you'll be using the public transit anyway (make sure to get a public transit chipcard "OV chipkaart" at Schiphol Airport to take the train to Amsterdam Central and once in Amsterdam, you can use the same credit on the local trams/buses/metros).
If you stay at the Renaissance, maybe ask for a room that is away from the Spuistraat, as it might remain noisy at night.
Same thing at the Marriott: the view over the Leidseplein must be great with the Municipal Grand Theatre, but it might remain noisy with traffic (mainly the trams).
With the Renaissance you're next to Amsterdam Central Station, which is only an advantage if you want to visit other cities (The Hague, Delft, Leiden, Utrecht, etc.)
With the Marriott you're close to the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum, the City Museum, the Vondel Park, so less need for taking public transit.
Shopping, dining, drinking, dancing can be done any where.
yogib, perfect! I think Renaissance will be my choice! We're thinking about visiting Utrecht and Koln (Germany). Better stay next to Central Station, indeed!
Great advices and an importante point of view, the noise issue...
Unless you have a bucket-list destination in Utrecht, I'd prefer going to The Hague instead. Especially the borough of Schevening is a very popular destination, since it has the beach. (Not all beaches are easily/quickly reached by public transit.)
Under the stairs of the magnificent hotel Kurhouse is a very fun nightclub with live music called Crazy Pianos. Don't show up on flipflops though, the bouncers do check for attire.
Köln / Cologne is almost 3 hours by train, so not really a day trip, unless you think an afternoon is enough.
I should also be in The Netherlands two weeks in July. Maybe we should convince brightlybob to come over for a mini-tipple in Amsterdam. ;-)
Visit Harlem it is only 20 minutes far from Amsterdam by train and it is really lovely. It used to be the first Capital of Holland. You can t miss it
Where did you get that information from? Haarlem was never the capital of any state/county/kingdom of Holland. It's the present capital of the province of North Holland.
I agree though that it's a nice city to visit. The train station is gorgeous!
A freind who lives there told me that. !!! Thank you for that clarification.
stayed at the Renaissance last summer, vey close to central train station, CL is nice (not as good as St Pancras in London or the Renaissance in Vienna!!!---but very very nice none the less) Walking to metro train is a block at best, around the corner to Anne Franks house.------no complaints--watched the Indy 500 in the lounge there last year
Ren would be my choice..with the Central Station and pretty much tram station etc almost at your doorstep.. it gives you the flexibility to be on your own at any time...
Hi. I will stop at Renaissance. I stayed twice there and it is really great. The location is perfect, the rooms are well appointed, the staff is very profesional and the CL is fabolous one of the best I have tried in Europe.