| Product: |
Bilderberg Garden Hotel Mangerie de Kersentain Amsterdam |
| Date: |
26/08/06 (117 review reads) |
| Rating: |
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Advantages: welcoming, clean, comfortable
Disadvantages: no leaflets
Last week I returned from my summer holiday in Amsterdam. It is a city well known for sex drugs and that sort of thing but of course when you want a place to retire it’s always nice to know you have a quiet and relaxing place to call it a night. The place that did that for me was the Hotel Bilderberg Garden situated just slightly out of the city centre. I am not normally one who likes the superior five star hotels but on this occasion I got a great deal and thought I would give it a try.
So, one thing I will say is that this hotel is not the easiest to find at first. On asking the locals about this hotel, one even replied “are you in the right country?” and others looked confused on mentioning the name. However, eventually we asked the non English speakers about it and they eventually guided us to our humble abode. On arrival I then came to find that in fact this hotel was merely minutes from the city centre and once I was given a map of the city I could easily commute back and forth.
Before me I saw a red carpet laid out and knew this was definitely where I would be staying. I was greeted with a marble floor and well presented staff all smartly dressed in their orange jackets, easy to identify and welcoming. Now, this is where my only negative comes being the whole check-in process. I was told my room was not ready yet and that I was to return in thirty minutes time, now this was all fair enough as we had arrived before 3pm. I went out for lunch and returned after 3 but by this point I was exhausted and wanted to unpack and see the sights.
I could tell this was not going to be an easy situation as the receptionist was clearly incapable of her job. For one she mocked my accent and then continued to tell me to come back after another thirty minutes. For a five star hotel she was looking stressed and eventually spoke to the manager who found us a room no problem, thankfully. Our luggage was brought up to our room and I was ready to settle in. Apart from that bad experience with staff I found no faults for the rest of them.
Whenever I needed to find out information I could easily go downstairs and they would happily tell me where to find the nearest supermarket, ATM etc. I was also happy to find they provided adapters, toiletries and would happily answer any questions thrown at them. All were dressed in orange uniform, easy to identify and even at breakfast they would attend to your every need.
Some of the extras of the hotel would be the complimentary bathrobe and slippers, the evening fruit turndown service. Basically, around 8pm when most were out they came into the room left fruit, closed the curtains and left the radio on with relaxing music so that when you returned you walked into a relaxing atmosphere. Also, all toiletries were updated regularly, the maids were friendly. There was also a mini bar which was quite expensive as usual but it had a good selection if you were interested.
The colour scheme in the rooms was very modern and neutral. The bathroom was all marble and very well lit. The bedroom was designed with very flat comfortable Art Deco furniture. The bedding was beige and cream and the furniture mahogany. The wardrobe was even well lit. The window was wide and lit up the room nicely with an okay view. I couldn’t fault the cleanliness as it was very up to par. It was a big enough room and I was happy to come home at nights and relax here.
In the mornings I had paid for breakfast so I made my way down to the restaurant. It was served in buffet style, all tables very nicely laid out. You were asked if you wanted tea or coffee and left to your own devices. They served a selection of cold meats, cereals, yoghurts and pastries then they had their usual sausage, eggs, tomatoes and toast. They also had a wide range of fruit juices and spreads and a fruit range. At first I was disappointed but I then released that there was quite a good choice here for everyone. Staff quickly attended to dirty plates so that you were not eating over leftovers and it was a very nice dining atmosphere.
The restaurant served food all day, daily and was never empty. It served food of reasonable prices for the very wealthy that chose to dine here. There was also a bar in the lounge which again was usually very busy and it seemed a very friendly atmosphere. I personally never used the bar but it was never rowdy and was well controlled.
The lift accessed all floors and was decorated in black and white marble. It was very spacious and I didn’t have to wait long to get it. It was never overcrowded and most times I got it I was the only person using it.
The hotel’s location seemed to be in quite a residential area. It was across from the Hilton but was in a quiet enough area so you could sleep well. It was literally a five minute walk to the nearest bank and about ten minutes to the supermarket and nearest tram line. It was near Beethovenstraat which had many shops and restaurants to kill time. The nearest tram line was called Apollolaan and the numbers 5 and 24 came here. I usually didn’t have to wait any longer than ten minutes for one to arrive. These particular trams went to most major tourist stops and were also very quick. The good thing was where this hotel is situated is out of the centre whereas most of the central trams were busier going into the attractions rather than my emptier trams going out.
I had a very pleasant stay in this hotel and got a great offer on Hotel Connect’s website. If you search on Google the hotel does have an official site but its rates are higher. I would definitely recommend this hotel to anyone wanting a pleasant stay in Amsterdam if you are not looking for a wild time. The only thing I will say is that they were lacking leaflets and offers on tourist attractions which disappointed me as all they offered was free access to the Holland Casino. Other than that it was a problem free four days and if ever returning to Amsterdam I would certainly come back.
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