We arrived at the Renaissance expecting a luxury 5 star hotel and found a building site. The overall feel of the hotel was like a dark dingy hospital. Old fashioned furnishings and a smell of damp. The hotel lobby had a rather strong smell of drainage/sewers and was very uncomfortable.

The bedroom we had been allocated was different to what we had booked. After getting to the bedroom and realising this, we telephoned reception to inform them. They said they were full that night and would have to stay where we were. There was no apology even though they accepted the mistake was theirs. We couldn't bear to eat in the hotel due to the smell/building works so cannot comment on the food.

The service and the accomodation provided was well below the 5 stars we expected and paid for. The staff did nothing to help us or make us feel welcome, more of a nuisance. I would certainly not reccomend to anyone looking for a luxury break.

My son and I just completed a very enjoyable five night stay at the Renaissance Amsterdam Hotel. We took the train from Schipohl Airport to Amsterdam Centraal. The cost was 3.80euro one way per person. You can purchase the train ticket by credit card at the machines, but you need to know your pin code to do so. If you travel lightly, this is an easy, quick and inexpensive way to get into town. On arrival Amsterdam Centraal, we walked to the hotel. Locating the hotel was a bit tricky, but once we did it proved to be a great home base for our stay. The entrance is currently on a side alley, and easily overlooked.

Our room was good size; very clean, crisp and beautiful. The beds were extremely comfortable. The towels were large and soft. The flat screen television had several english speaking channels.

Due to my Gold status, I had access to the Club Lounge. The Club Lounge is in a temporary location on the first floor which is small, but still nice with breakfast and evening appetizers and drinks, including alcohol. There is also a computer available with free internet access.

There are some "colorful" coffee shops and gift shops near the hotel, but the area was safe and I never felt threatened. Being so close to the train/tram station was very convenient and I think the perfect location. We purchased a Strippen Karte from a nearby tobacco shop and used this on our tram rides.

All of the hotel staff were friendly and helpful. The hotel conceirge's were always willing to provide good advice or help with tickets. You can purchase tickets at the concierge's desk for the Rijksmuseum and obtain discounts for other sights. You can prepurchase tickets for the Anne Frank Huis, the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum online through their websites before leaving home. I highly recommend this. It was a relief to walk past the very long line at the Anne Frank Huis and walk right in through the reservation door.

There is a warning on the Marriott website that rennovations are in progress, and this was absolutely true. They seemed to be everywhere except inside our room. If you want to sleep late, this may not be the place for you until the rennovations are completed. I think it is worth noting that I spoke with several people that were returning guests to this hotel. They felt that the value of the hotel was such that the rennovations were worth enduring.

We only encountered one slight inconvenience due to the construction. On our final morning, I awoke (by a scheduled wake up call) to discover we had no electricity in our room. I contacted guest service, and they immediately sent Maintenance up with a flashlight so I could use the restroom. They also located another room near mine that we could use to get ready, but by then the electricity was back on. Also, in our room was a cute little stuffed bear wearing a Renaissance Tshirt that said "Thank you for bearing with us". Guest services advised me that this was a gift - perfect for my 19 year old son to take home to his girlfriend!

Stayed here for 1 night for business. Had a new room that was very nice. The hotel's public areas were a zoo (as of May 08) because of construction. Hopefully it will improve when they are finished. The room I had was however very nice

I have just returned from a wonderful trip to Amsterdam. Everyone in the hotel was very friendly and helpful from the front desk to the room maids. This is my second visit to the Renaissance Amsterdam and I am glad to say that all rooms have been modernised since my last visit. They were very tired looking before. The bed was one of the most comfortable I had slept in and I just wanted to take those pillows home!!. Although the rooms are finished the reception area of the hotel is still " under construction" This made the entrance to the hotel rather uninviting. I was on the second floor and was woken early every morning with very loud drilling. This did not annoy us too much as we wanted to get up early to explore the city but you certainly could not have a long lie. I was on the second floor so a higher floor would probably have been much quieter. I am sure once the reception is completed it will be very impressive. There was some very small issues with the cleaning of the room i.e wine glasses not cleaned or bins emptied but other than than cleanliness so good.
Overall I would say this is good 4 star hotel and I will return once the renovation is complete.