RuthC Posted February 28, 2018 #1 Share Posted February 28, 2018 I will be spending one night pre-cruise in Amsterdam on September 1, arriving very early morning. Although I have been there many times, I don't want to return to any of the hotels I have stayed at before. I need some help picking through the overwhelming number of choices. I am looking for a clean, comfortable place somewhere between the airport and pier. It does not have to be handy to attractions, as I expect to spend most of the day napping and relaxing. It must have an elevator, and must have a restaurant on site that serves both breakfast and dinner. Basic steak house fare is fine. A lounge is a plus. Early check-in possibility would be ideal. If anyone has stayed prior to a HAL cruise before has any recommendations that meet my criteria, I would love to hear about your selections. Thanks in advance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rkacruiser Posted February 28, 2018 #2 Share Posted February 28, 2018 My traveling companion and I have stayed at the Movenpick in Amsterdam. It is so close to the cruise terminal in Amsterdam that we were able to take our luggage down the sidewalk from the hotel to the terminal. I do understand that Bellmen would also do this as well, if needed. There is a restaurant where we enjoyed a nice dinner and breakfast. Probably a lounge as well, but my memory is hazy on that. Perhaps that location would be suitable for your needs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuthC Posted February 28, 2018 Author #3 Share Posted February 28, 2018 My traveling companion and I have stayed at the Movenpick in Amsterdam. Thank you for the suggestion. I saw the hotel when I sailed out of Amsterdam last summer, and had considered it, but thought it would make for a very unhappy cab driver to take me such a short distance to the pier. However, I will keep it in mind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hhagatha Posted February 28, 2018 #4 Share Posted February 28, 2018 We have also stayed at the Movenpick on 3 cruises, and always found it excellent. Rooms are quiet and comfortable, restaurants are good, staff is friendly, and they do serve drinks if you are so inclined. And, as RKACRUISER stated, the terminal is connected to the hotel and only a few hundred steps away. Sleep in late, have a leisurely breakfast, and a short walk to check in. If you are lucky enough to get a room on the river side of the hotel, you may even see your ship coming in to dock. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rkacruiser Posted February 28, 2018 #5 Share Posted February 28, 2018 RuthC, No question that a cab driver would not be pleased. But, as I said previously, I'd suggest that you check with the hotel. I really do think they have Bellmen assistance for guests to get to the cruise terminal. My memory hard drive finally kicked in and there is a Lounge in the hotel. But, it is nothing special. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuthC Posted February 28, 2018 Author #6 Share Posted February 28, 2018 ... and a short walk to check in. Sadly, for me there is no such thing as a "short walk". Just getting from the hotel room to the lobby is difficult. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sppunk Posted February 28, 2018 #7 Share Posted February 28, 2018 Ruth, we looooove Hotel Esthera. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuthC Posted February 28, 2018 Author #8 Share Posted February 28, 2018 Ruth, we looooove Hotel Esthera. Thanks for the suggestion. I'll add it to the list of hotels to research. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alberta Quilter Posted February 28, 2018 #9 Share Posted February 28, 2018 I am currently booked at both the Movenpick (through HAL) and the Banks Mansion which is highly recommended in the Europe forum. I think I'm going to cancel the Movenpick as I don't believe HAL's hotel package includes breakfast. The Banks Mansion not only includes breakfast but Happy Hour with Dutch cheeses in the afternoon and free booze (limited selection). I'd have to check about dinner options. The price was slightly less than the HAL package at the Movenpick. Incidentally, I'll be there at the same time as you, Ruth, except we arrive the day prior. Might you be going on the Prinsendam the next day? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare kazu Posted February 28, 2018 #10 Share Posted February 28, 2018 Ruth, I too will be stayin at the Banks Mansion in June this year. Really looking forward to it. I don't believe they offer dinner but I do believe there are a ton of places very close. In any case, I will certainly report on my live thread and, if you want feel free to reach out to me. I totally understand what you are looking for and unsure if this spot will do it for you but if I think it will I will happily share the pros and cons with you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuthC Posted February 28, 2018 Author #11 Share Posted February 28, 2018 Incidentally, I'll be there at the same time as you, Ruth, except we arrive the day prior. Might you be going on the Prinsendam the next day? Yes, we're on the same cruise. I've been following the roll call for quite some time, but don't want to join until I am positive I will be able to take the cruise. Ruth, I too will be stayin at the Banks Mansion in June this year. Really looking forward to it. I don't believe they offer dinner but I do believe there are a ton of places very close. I totally understand what you are looking for and unsure if this spot will do it for you but if I think it will I will happily share the pros and cons with you. I stayed at the Banks Mansion last June, and it was very nice. The room was comfortable. Breakfast was delicious, with many items cooked to order. There is no dinner served on site, though. The closest place is directly across the street, and there are stairs to get into the hotel. Otherwise, I would be happy to stay there again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oceanmom Posted February 28, 2018 #12 Share Posted February 28, 2018 We stayed at Banks Mansion for several days before a cruise last July. No dinner on site but lots of restaurants close by. Wonderful breakfast and an elevator but also several steps up to the lobby. Most likely not good for Ruth, but we loved it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reagan0712 Posted February 28, 2018 #13 Share Posted February 28, 2018 (edited) The Movenpick. Stayed there one night pre-cruise. Very nice. The attached restaurant was good also for dinner and the breakfast buffet at the hotel was great. Edited February 28, 2018 by Reagan0712 addl info Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bennybear Posted February 28, 2018 #14 Share Posted February 28, 2018 We stayed at the Sheraton at the airport and it was very handy. Don’t know if it would work for you or not. We did it after our cruise out of Rotterdam and it had good connections to downtown buses and trains. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alberta Quilter Posted February 28, 2018 #15 Share Posted February 28, 2018 Yes, we're on the same cruise. I've been following the roll call for quite some time, but don't want to join until I am positive I will be able to take the cruise. I stayed at the Banks Mansion last June, and it was very nice. The room was comfortable. Breakfast was delicious, with many items cooked to order. There is no dinner served on site, though. The closest place is directly across the street, and there are stairs to get into the hotel. Otherwise, I would be happy to stay there again. Wonderful! I look forward to meeting you. I'm sorry, the Banks Mansion won't work for you. Hopefully, the Movenpick will. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Galley Slave Posted February 28, 2018 #16 Share Posted February 28, 2018 We have stayed at the Amsterdam Renaissance several times. They have a wonderful restaurant for breakfast. They also have a restaurant for dinner. It is about a mile to the cruise port. The staff is very helpful. Ask for a room facing the front of the building. It faces a former church that is used for weddings. It is very quiet. If you book on the Marriott website, click on the choice Special Rates and choose a Senior rate. It has elevators. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue from Canada Posted February 28, 2018 #17 Share Posted February 28, 2018 Wonderful! I look forward to meeting you. I'm sorry, the Banks Mansion won't work for you. Hopefully, the Movenpick will. Hi Alberta Quilter. Glad to see you're still cruising. Is mum going with you? One day I also hope to meet Ruth as she sounds like a wonderful lady. I'm doing the 19 day Rotterdam to Boston (on the Rotterdam) August 6th. But I'll be arriving in Amsterdam and transferring to Rotterdam Aug. 4th. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lettienets Posted February 28, 2018 #18 Share Posted February 28, 2018 Ruth C, hi from lettienets Lettie (or Loretta). Long time since I have sailed Hal. Nice to see you are still out there. Hope you are well but I see here your walking is not so good. My last Hal were Alaska and Eastern Canada. Have sailed many times NCL, Carnival TAs on new ships coming over and RCI. Best regards! Sent from my SM-G955W using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigwally Posted February 28, 2018 #19 Share Posted February 28, 2018 We very much enjoyed our stay at the Grand Hotel Amrath. Don't remember enough about breakfast to be able to tell you about it, and we definitely didn't eat dinner in the hotel restaurant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wesport Posted February 28, 2018 #20 Share Posted February 28, 2018 We have stayed at the Hotel JL 76 in the museum area many times. They have a restaurant on site. Probably a short 10 to 15 minute cab ride to the port. Many great reviews on TripAdvisor. We have also stayed at the Doubletree right by the port. Gets a little crazy in that area. Like the quietness of the museum area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alberta Quilter Posted February 28, 2018 #21 Share Posted February 28, 2018 Hi Alberta Quilter. Glad to see you're still cruising. Is mum going with you? One day I also hope to meet Ruth as she sounds like a wonderful lady. I'm doing the 19 day Rotterdam to Boston (on the Rotterdam) August 6th. But I'll be arriving in Amsterdam and transferring to Rotterdam Aug. 4th. Yes, DM is coming with me. Or rather, I'm going with her, as her personal travel agent! This is an easy way for us to do the last European part of her bucket list with only one round trip flight. We have to do this travelling while she is able. It will be two years between cruises (sigh) because she had insurance issues which have since been resolved. Even though we booked this cruise over a year ago, I wasn't sure we were going to be able to go until about a month ago when DM allowed me to book the flights. And, frankly, it will still be iffy until we actually board the ship!! That's why I understand totally when Ruth says she won't join the roll call until she is positive she's coming. Have a great trip! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alberta Quilter Posted March 2, 2018 #22 Share Posted March 2, 2018 Ruth, were you able to find a suitable hotel? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MisterBill99 Posted March 2, 2018 #23 Share Posted March 2, 2018 (edited) I stayed at the Banks Mansion last June, and it was very nice. The room was comfortable. Breakfast was delicious, with many items cooked to order. There is no dinner served on site, though. The closest place is directly across the street, and there are stairs to get into the hotel. Otherwise, I would be happy to stay there again. Have you emailed them? We were also there last year before our cruise and there were a couple of people with scooters. I recall hearing something about them redoing the entrance to have a ramp. After staying there last year, I decided that I really liked the hotel, and the breakfast was excellent, but it was too expensive for me. Then I started looking for a hotel for this year's cruise out of Amsterdam and discovered that it wasn't any more expensive than other places I was looking at like the Movenpick, and the others did not include breakfast. So I booked the Banks Mansion again. We don't drink much so we did not get much value from the in-room alcohol or lobby bar, and I wasn't particularly impressed with the happy hour, but it was still a really nice hotel and very centrally located. Of course, last year many people from our cruise stayed there so we got to socialize with everyone before the cruise. This year we may be the only ones staying there that I'm aware of since our roll call is much less active than last year's cruise. That said, being able to walk to the cruise from the Movenpick is a really nice idea. Too bad they don't include breakfast in the price. And for your needs, I think it would be the best choice. Edited March 2, 2018 by MisterBill99 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
callmedeb Posted March 2, 2018 #24 Share Posted March 2, 2018 Miss Ruth, I was very excited when I read that you were going to be in Amsterdam the same time as my Dad and I. I really was hoping we'd be on the same cruise at last (I have always liked your posts and your love of chocolate ;)) Alas, we are on the Koningsdam. I will just wish you safe travels and bon voyage! If I may suggest... If you're looking just to relax and then take a cab to the cruise port, staying nearer to AMS might be your best bet. I use the IBIS chain and find them well laid out, clean, and reasonably priced. If you sign-up and book through their website you get an additional discount of up to 10%. Hope this helps! Cheers, Deb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dfish Posted March 2, 2018 #25 Share Posted March 2, 2018 Another vote for the Movenpick. Last summer I did have breakfast included, but I had the HAL package. With the HAL package they also took care of the luggage. I gave them everything but my CPAP and tablet. Movenpick also had a restaurant for dinner and a bar where I had the most delicious lemon drop martini. Another thing is that the Movenpick has a van. They use it to take people down to the central station, but they might be able to take you down to the cruise terminal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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