Hotel Review – The Waldorf Astoria Amsterdam

Guest Writer Mallory (my wife & Editor-in-Chief) is in charge of AYP today as she gives her full detailed hotel review of the Waldorf Astoria Amsterdam!

The Waldorf Astoria Amsterdam is one of my favorite hotels in the world, and definitely my favorite Hilton-owned property. I will do my best to write this review, but I imagine it will fall short in describing my experience at the Waldorf Amsterdam, as I can’t adequately find words to illustrate the beauty of this hotel.

Booking – As this room can set you back upwards of 500 Euro per night, we used Hilton HHonors points to stay at the Waldorf in order to save our cash for museum entry fare, local cuisine and eh hmm…coffee… Our 3-night stay cost us 80,000 HHonors points per night, or, a total of 240,000 HHonors points, although the redemption rate has since increased to 95,000 HHonors points per night – and I am not surprised given the pure elegance that radiates from this property!

Getting There/Location – We took an Uber from Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS) to the Waldorf Amsterdam and it cost us under 30 Euro and took about 30 minutes. Most Amsterdam landmarks are within walking distance of this central hotel, and the views from the front of the hotel (canal) and back  of the hotel (gardens)  are decidedly charming.

Hotel Entrance/Check-In – We were greeted at the doors by a couple of friendly doormen who relieved us of our luggage and directed us to the front-desk. Rather than a typical walk-up check-in desk, we were escorted to an aesthetically pleasing office space, where we were offered seats while we completed the check-in process. The hotel staff gave us a tour of the property (which is located in 6 former town-homes, strategically combined into one gorgeous hotel), beginning in the impeccably decorated “Peacock Alley” lounge, a Waldorf Astoria staple, and ending in our elegant guest-room.

The Room/Amenities – Amsterdam was our first stop of 3 cities on our anniversary European vacation, and as soon as I walked into our guest room, I knew no other property on our trip would top this one. Our first level room featured large floor-to-ceiling windows with a view of the picturesque canal no more than 20 -feet away. Opposite the large and comfortable king-sized bed sat a marble fireplace and a mirror as grand as the windows, a working desk with European and UK outlet plugs, and a large TV. The bathroom, albeit small and without a free standing tub, was both contemporary and luxurious. The Salvatore Ferragamo amenities add a touch of bliss to the overwhelmingly welcoming room. Additionally, Room Service surprised us with special touches each evening, including chocolates and macarons.

Fitness Center – When traveling, Derek and I love to start each morning with a run around town. Amsterdam was no exception, and we especially enjoyed running right up to and on the course of the 2015 Amsterdam Half Marathon. However, we did venture down to the Waldorf’s fitness center one afternoon to scout out the scenery. The fitness center was larger than the average hotel gym, and had standard equipment. The large windows in the fitness center looked out over the beautiful gardens. We did not indulge in any treatments at the hotel’s Guerlain Spa, but I would have loved to!

Dining – When we originally began researching the city of Amsterdam to plan out our visit, one of the first things I searched was “Michelin stars in Amsterdam”. Surprisingly, a 2-Michelin star restaurant was IN OUR HOTEL! Of course, we immediately resolved to eat at Librije Zusje at least one time, in order to discover what all the hype was about. We made our 8pm reservation for our second night at the hotel, and decided to leave our phones in our room so we could have the most “present” experience possible (thus, there are no photos of this dinner in this post). There was not a single aspect about this restaurant that wasn’t remarkable. The service, the ambiance, the presentation, the taste, the quality. Everything exceeded my expectations. I suggest you read this review for a more in-depth description of LZ, because the whole magical evening was a blur for me.

Overall Impression – 5 star, high class, luxurious, exemplary…. I don’t know how else to describe my experience here, but it was perfect. At 95,000 HHonors points per night, the Waldorf Amsterdam  is WELL worth the redemption.

Want to stay at this fabulous property? Need a point boost to your Hilton HHonors account? Consider applying for one or both of the following cards and you could earn up to 3 nights here!

1. Citi Reserve Hilton Card offers 2 Free Weekend Night Certificates, which are perfect a high value luxury hotel redemption like this! Just note that these certificates can only be used for “weekend nights” – which are considered Friday, Saturday, Sunday!
2. Hilton HHonors Surpass American Express – earn 100,000 HHonors points – enough for at least 1 free nights at the Waldorf Amsterdam! This is a current  limited-time high offer (up from the previous limited time offer of 85,000 points). 

While we didn’t pay cash for our stay, I would have paid the 500 Euro if I did not have the Hilton Honors points. This hotel is among my favorite in the world…

Until next time!

MW