As somewhere to lay my weary head, it was absolutely fine!
Written: Oct 21 '04 (Updated Oct 21 '04)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Good location for the Arts or the Leidesplein. Comfortable enough and good value.
Cons: It just seemed a little tired, although the staff were superb!
The Bottom Line: Did what it said on the tin, as they say. Comfortable and absolutely nothing wrong with it - had a comfortable night's sleep. Just not outstanding.
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| andymcf's Full Review: Le Meridien Park Hotel Amsterdam |
I had decided to visit Amsterdam again. What a fabulous, and fabulously entertaining city! Last time I went, about three months ago, it resulted in a somewhat euphemistically pre-anaesthetised broken ankle. This time, I determined to keep myself just that little bit more sober. I booked flights and then turned to the infamous Priceline in order to book accommodation of some sort.
For the centre of the "action", you really can't do an awful lot better than the Crowne Plaza City Centre or, say, the Golden Tulip. For the Leidesplein, Rijksmuseum and a spot of culture, you'll certainly enjoy the Park hotel. And that's exactly where I was allocated. There are a load of very decent hotels in this particular region. Don't get me wrong - I adore art. The Rijksmuseum, next door, is, however, apparently closed for the next 18 months or so due to major refurbishment and my agenda meant that planned entertainments - nothing terribly untoward, you understand - meant a tram ride into the real centre. Tram lines 2 and 5 will certainly do the trick. I messed up, however, and ended walking both ways. Probably 20-30 minutes. No real problem. I'm amazed at my sense of direction. I needed it!
I'd hunted down 5-star hotels on Priceline. No luck. Similarly, I fruitlessly checked out their selection of 4-star hotels. So I opted for the 3-star level, and got a night at the Park Hotel for a very decent rate of £45 per night. Something of a steal as, for once, I would actually take issue with the 3-star rating. If nothing else, the rating is certainly somewhat marginal.
Located next to one of Amsterdam's canals (where you can buy tickets for canal tours) it is an impressive building and I entered through the revolving door to find that the reception area was spacious, reasonably luxurious and well-staffed. It was a quiet and peaceful haven.
The receptionist really could not have been much more friendly nor helpful and it was not long before I had the key - and it was, indeed, a proper key - to room 221. I also had a welcome letter given to me, inviting me to enjoy a half-price breakfast in the morning. The offer price of 9.50 Euros would have been an exceptionally good deal if I had not preferred the alternative option of a post-very-late-night-lie-in to the "American buffet breakfast" that was on offer. Check-out time was 11:30am and I just about made it! I had a meeting with some friends and despite hunting down the venue the night before, could I find it? Nope! Probably because it had actually closed down two years previously. But soft! We did meet up.
After checking in, at any rate, I was offered help with my luggage, but I was only carrying a small case and, having declined this, was pointed in the direction of the lift. The bar and restaurant, which I passed en route looked really welcoming. In Amsterdam, however, I think that there are better places to drink than hotel bars, so - for a change - I can't share my experience with you. I used neither. They did, however, look inviting if that's your thing, and the menus were interesting. Room service was also available 24 hours per day.
I reached the lift. It was at this point that I realised that I was not staying in a terribly modern hotel. I pressed the button to summon the lift. It arrived. The doors don't slide open like in any normal 20th or 21st Century lift - nope - you pull them open like a room door and step inside. Select your floor and up you go - no internal door at all; just watch the wall slide down below you! Stand back! I've seen this once before in a budget hotel in Prague, and was truly amazed to see it again. Still, it got me safely to the second floor and my room was only a few steps away.
I unlocked the room and ventured inside. I worked out how to use the lighting. Interesting room - yellow painted walls and blue carpeted floors, with two single beds pushed together to form a double. These were extraordinarily low-level and very soft. They actually provided a great night's sleep, I have to say. Standard hotel-issue remote-controlled TV with personalised welcome screen. The bathroom was reasonably large, was white and was spotlessly clean. The toiletries were decent, and the bath / shower combination was efficient; plenty of hot water.
I just don't know how to sum up - it was very comfortable, and it was certainly more than adequate. It was, at the end of the day, somewhere to lay my rather weary head, and it was clean, comfortable and moderately luxurious. There was 24 hour room service. That's all you need in an Amsterdam hotel - in fact, it's probably more than you need.
What probably stops me raving about the place is simply the fact that it just struck me as being somewhat tired. The reception area had an air of elegance about it yet, once out of the lift, the place had a certain shabby feeling about it. A water pipe, for instance, ran down the wall of my bedroom. Small point, but I just don't like to see such visible plumbing in my hotel room. Perhaps I'm just too picky!
Check-out in the morning was friendly and efficient. Yes - I'd happily stay there again, but there are certainly better places to stay in Amsterdam - if only for the location. If you're more intent on doing the Art thing, however, this would certainly be a contender.
Priceline have it down as a 3-star. Le Meridien have it down as a 4-star. I'm finding it quite hard to judge, to be honest. Customer service gives it a definite 4. The somewhat jaded fabric of the bedrooms leads me towards a 3. As a place to stay, well - it was more than adequate and I couldn't complain at the price; perhaps a star-rating is irrelevant - which is a cop-out. I guess that, whilst it would never be my first choice in Amsterdam for a variety of reasons, it suited its purpose pretty well and I've no real right, or need, whatsoever to complain.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
andymcf
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Member: Andrew McFall
Location: Canterbury, Kent, England
Reviews written: 74
Trusted by: 132 members
About Me:
Maths teacher. Father of young Josh. See below!
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