I reserved the Renaissance through Priceline and was a bit concerned when I'd read the TripAdvisor reviews; however, my first step out of the cab made me wonder what hotel the negative reviewers were staying at! It obviously wasn't the Renaissance I was at -- I couldn't have asked for more -- and I usually ask for a LOT!!!

Because the hotel was still under renovation, we were met at the rear of the hotel by a bellman who was more than happy to assist us with our numerous bags and guide us to reception. The current entrance does cause one to wonder, but one step through the door and my worries were gone. We couldn't have asked for a speedier, friendlier, or earlier check-in! We were greeted with "biscuits" (cookies), green apples, and ice water... a weird combination, I agree but very nice in the long run.

The room was a pleasant surprise -- very large by European standards! A very modern bathroom (though the lighting above the mirror did cast odd shadows) with standard Renaissance shampoo, conditioner, etc. One thing I truly enjoyed was the instantly warm/hot shower!

We initially had trouble programming the television, but a call to the front desk had an engineer in our room in less than 10 minutes and the problem was resolved!

The bed is, undoubtedly, the most comfortable bed I have ever slept in! I have back/neck problems and am seldom (if ever)comfortable in a hotel bed -- If I could have figured out a way to pack it and get it on the plane, I would have taken it home with me!

In the morning, we were again greeted in the lobby with complimentary coffee, hot tea, ice water, and the now highly-anticipated ice-cold green apples! They proved to be a great snack while waiting for our flight home.

I like to travel comfortably -- the Renaissance Amsterdam far exceeded any expectations I may have had and left me snickering at my concerns over negative comments read on this board. I couldn't have asked for anything more!

What can I say, the hotel is undoubtedly in a great location - close to the station, close to the light district, close to the centre - BUT the service is appalling and the staff tend to tell the occasional untruth!
Don't waste you money, there are so many better hotels in the area and I am sure the service and staff cannot be so poor in all of them

We arrived at the Renaissance on Friday still expecting work and renovations to be taking place and they were......

The hotel was certainly not 5 star, walking around the corridors was like being in a college or hospital, the overall feel was not one I would feel relaxed in and certainly not up to European 5 star hotels.

Our purpose however was to use the hotel as a base for the city, we did not use the restaurant facilities so cannot comment on those.

The hotel lobby had a rather pungent, sewer smell to it on occasions, again not the sort of thing you would expect from a 5 star hotel.

This leads me on to Expedia, whom we booked through and booked on the phone with one of their agents at a call centre.

We expressly asked for twin beds and were told
the booking would be done on that basis.

On arrival at the hotel we were told it was a double bed only room and no other rooms were available. At 4pm in the afternoon we asked for a put-up bed to be installed in the room, reception said that would be done after chasing them many times.

We checked again later in the evening and on returning this was not done and we were told no more put-up beds were available.

We managed to change room to a twin on the following day.

So in summary, this sort of hotel is not and should not be 5 star, I also would not rate their service based on our experience. For the same money you could get a better deal in the City without doubt.

In addition to that, I would not book any hotel accommodation with Expedia ever again after being told one thing, then on arrival being given another.

The hotel did little to help us, so would never return to that chain again.

Hope this helps...

The Renaissance in Amsterdam was very nice despite the constuction that is going on. We did not have the opportunity to sleep in there so it was no problem for us. The room we were in was newly remodeled and tastefully decorated. It was small, but just fine for the two of us. The staff were very nice and accommodating and the location was great. The hotel is on a side street off the beaten path so it is fairly quiet, but still steps away from the action! We paid about $250 a night....not sure it is worth the $550 a night they are advertising now. But good overall.