The Andaz Amsterdam Prinsengracht is an intruding hotel that’s both creative and hip. The property’s decor is eye catching and artsy. The property offers an innovative take on modern luxury with their wacky, yet cool design. Here’s how Jen and my visit to this property went!
Table of Contents
Location
I usually don’t put a location section on most of my hotel reviews as the location is not something that deserves its own section. However, the Andaz Amersterdam Prinsengracht is located along the “De 9 Straatjes” (The Nine Streets), a very popular area in Amsterdam filled with boutiques, art shops, and popular food spots.
The hotel is also perfectly situated in the heart of the city, making it a quick journey to the Anne Frank House, Museum Quarter, De Wallen, and Vondelpark. The property is situated on a quiet street which provides extra comfort and peace.
Booking
This was a last minute pivot( about 3 weeks before check in date) as we were originally planning to visit Paris. As I try to stay with Hyatt Brand whenever possible, the other potential property was the Hyatt Regency Amsterdam. Room rates for that property were closer to $500 a night with 0 availability for points. The Andaz had award space for 29,000 points per night which was a tough pill swallow considering the awesome value I was able to get from the Park Hyatt Zurich at just 25,000 points per night. Daily rates were upwards of $700 a night which ease some of the pain. I booked using points in my Hyatt account, but if you’re low in Hyatt points, the hotel chain is a Chase transfer partner.
The Room
The hotel was pretty packed and even though we were eligible for a complementary suite upgrade, we were only upgrade to a high floor room with a view of the garden. Facing the hotel’s garden gives you extra privacy and less noise.
Andaz prides itself in being eco friendly and that is evident in the room’s set up. Our room was decently sized with a very interesting shower. The shower was located in a glass box that felt more like large closet. The room had a Nespresso and a very interesting choice of decor. There was a giant fish mural on the wall and a unique blend of books and a classic looking bluetooth speaker.
Amenities
The Andaz has a small gym with a sunroof which created a very vibrant workout area. In addition, the hotel also has a small library where many patrons were using as a home office. The property also has a spa, restaurant, and bar.
The one thing we did try out was the hotel’s bike rental. Amsterdam is the city of bikes and of course you can rent a pair of wheels from the Andaz. Bike rentals are 16 Euros for the whole day and comparable to what many shops in the city charge. Each bike came with a built in bike lock and we were able to explore the wonderful Vondelpark one morning.
Food
Similarly to our other stops, breakfast was severed as a buffet along with the ability to order one a la carte item. The a la carte menu had plenty of good options including eggs Benedict and avocado toast. Each a la carte order also came with hash browns that were crisp and utterly delicious. In contract to our other hotels in Europe, the Andaz had a much more limited selection of cured meats and cheeses. In addition, the options for fruit and pastries were smaller than our previous stop. Don’t get me wrong, the Andaz had a solid buffet offering, but unfortunately it paled in comparison to both the Hyatt Centric Milan Centrale and Hyatt Centric Murano. The hotel easily made up for it with their a la carte menu.
While the food was solid, especially from the excellent a la carte menu, the coffee was another issue. In Europe I was expecting hand made lattes and cappuccinos, but the Andaz was using a large machine to automatically make you drinks. The latte was nothing special when it could have been an area to shine.
My Thoughts
Jen and I had a wonderful time at the Andaz Amsterdam. This hotel was unique and definitely very creative with their decor. The property was also very modern and centrally located allowing us to visit many attractions on foot. In addition, the service was excellent and the staff was extremely helpful. On the flip side, for 29,000 points per night, the price was a bit steep. This property is a category 6 with a starting price of 25,000 points per night so unfortunately we caught peak days. If you have the points and can make things work, this is definitely a great place to stay for exploring Amsterdam!
