INTERCONTINENTAL AMSTEL in Amsterdam - Hotel Review with Photos

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Updated: May 27, 2022

Essentials
• Location: Professor Tulpplein, facing the Amstel canal.
• Hotel website: ihg.com
• Hotel phone: +31-(0)20-622-6060
• Check prices for InterContinental Amstel

Review of InterContinental Amstel Amsterdam Hotel.

InterContinental Amstel is a grand historic hotel on the Amstel canal with spacious and opulent rooms, a beautiful indoor pool, waterfront terrace, and fine dining.

InterContinental Amstel – One of Amsterdam’s grand dames, overlooking the Amstel River.

In east Amsterdam, a short stroll across the Amstel from attractions in the Southern Canal Ring and the street market, bars and cafes of De Pijp, InterContinental Amstel Amsterdam is one of the city’s grandest five-star hotels. Past guests have included everyone from Queen Elizabeth II to the Rolling Stones, and its white marble and stucco interior exudes old-world grandeur. Rooms are spacious, with high ceilings and classic French-style interiors, antique-style furniture, smatterings of Delftware, mod cons such as Nespresso machines, and generous bathrooms with separate showers and tubs. Service is warm and professional without being stuffy, and there’s excellent onsite dining coupled with river views.

InterContinental Amstel – Location

Area: Centrally located, overlooking the Amstel River, within easy walking distance from Nieuwmarkt, and its cafes and bars; De Pijp with its bars, cafes and boutiques; Waterlooplein; and Hermitage Amsterdam. Walkable to the attractions of the Southern Canal Ring, and the nightlife around Rembrandtplein.
Address: Professor Tulpplein 1.
Nearest Transport: Bus, Metro, & Tram – Weesperplein (200m).
How to Get There: Take the train from Schiphol Airport to Centraal Station, then metro #51, #53, or #54 to Weesperplein. InterContinental Amstel Amsterdam is a 3-minute walk (200m) away.
Private Transfer: We use and recommend Welcome Pickups car service. Booking through a private car service will cost only a bit more than a taxi – about €50 from Schiphol Airport – but can be worth it to avoid the long taxi queue and for the convenience of paying ahead.
Handy to: Hermitage Amsterdam, Jewish Historical Museum, Albert Cuyp Market.

InterContinental Amstel – The Basics

Ages: Guests tend to be a mix of couples on a romantic break, honeymooners, the odd celebrity, and business travelers. Families with older children are welcome, though there are no family-friendly facilities as such. Amstel Bar is 18+.
Views: Many rooms and suites have excellent views of the Amstel River and the Singelgracht canal. Front-facing rooms overlook the quiet, leafy Prof. Tilpplein street.
Private Pools/Jacuzzis: No private pools/jacuzzis.
Laundry: In-room laundry service.
Parking: Parking costs €65 per day.
Extras: Turn-down service; concierge; exclusive tickets booked for the opera, theater, etc.; bicycle rental.
When to Book: Reserve 3 or 4 months in advance for the mid-March to mid-May tulip season, the July and August high season, and the Christmas-New Year period.
How to Book: Booking.com will have the best rates.
Phone: +31-(0)20-622-6060
Email: amstel@ihg.com
Website: ihg.com

InterContinental Amstel – Amenities

Pool: The large, heated indoor pool looks out over the river. Water aerobics classes available.
Spa: No spa, but a wellness center with hot tub, sauna, and steam room. Massages available.
Fitness Center: The compact fitness center has river views. Personal trainers available on request.
For Disabled Guests: Not suitable for disabled guests.
For Families: No specific family-friendly amenities.
Activities: Walking and bicycle tours organized at extra cost. Private boat tours in the hotel’s three 100-year-old classic saloon boats arranged, with or without catering. La Rive restaurant offers gourmet cooking classes.

InterContinental Amstel – Food and Drink

Restaurant: With river views, La Rive (6.30pm-10pm) offers seasonal, French-Mediterranean fine dining, both a la carte, and as a 7-course tasting menu with expertly paired wines. Elegant decor; business casual dress code; reservations essential. $$$$. • Amstel Restaurant (noon-midnight) is La Rive’s informal sister restaurant, with a crowd-pleasing menu of gourmet burgers, Caesar salad, grilled Dover sole, and steaks, and a daily changing 3-course menu for €45. $$. • Overlooking the Amstel River, Amstel Bar (8am-6pm) serves teas and coffees throughout the day, and Royal Afternoon Tea between 3pm and 5pm. $$.
Lounge/Bar: Open daily until 1am, Amstel Bar specializes in unique cocktails made from local liqueurs and in-house ingredients. There’s a popular waterfront terrace, too.
Breakfast: Not complimentary. One of the most extensive breakfast buffet spreads in town, plus waffles, pancakes, and eggs cooked to order, is served in the breakfast hall from 7.30am to 10.30am; €36 per person.
Room Service: 24-hour room service available from the Amstel Restaurant.

InterContinental Amstel – Rooms

Room Types: Executive Room • Junior Suite • Executive Suite • Penthouse Suite • Champagne Suite • Presidential Suite • Rembrandt Suite • Royal Suite • List of all Rooms
Smoking Rooms: Rooms at the InterContinental Amstel Amsterdam are 100% smoke-free, but there’s a designated smoking area.
Best Room: Decorated in classic French style, the Royal Suite overlooks the Amstel river from 2 sides, and comes with a grand canopy bed, spacious dining area, French balcony overlooking the water, and a palatial bathroom with separate rain shower and soaking tub.
For Families: No family rooms per se, but there are several interconnecting rooms.

InterContinental Amstel – Local Transport

Walking: Hermitage Amsterdam is 8 minutes’ walk (750m) away, as is the Portuguese Synagogue, while the Rembrandt House, the Opera House, and Jewish Historical Museum are just over a 12-minute stroll (1 km) from the hotel. Walkable to the Dutch Resistance Museum, Artis Royal Zoo, Museum of Bags and Purses, Foam museum, and the bars, cafes, and boutiques of De Pijp.
Tram/Metro: From the nearby Weesperplein stop, Centraal Station is 3 stops away by metro #51, #5,3 and #54. Also from the eponymous tram stop, trams #7 and #19 run west through De Pijp and along the Southern Canal Ring to lively Leidseplein, and along the southern half of the Jordaan.
Taxis, Uber: Taxis and Uber charge around €35 from the airport to the hotel. Within the city, Uber rides cost around half of taxi fares. It’s often quicker to walk, cycle, or jump on a tram.

InterContinental Amstel – What’s Nearby?

Best Nearby Restaurants and Cafes

Bistro Baret – Bistro popular with theater-goers, showcasing a short, eclectic menu that includes steak and mussels in red curry. Reservations recommended. (300m).
De Magere Brug – Bar-café facing the famous Magere Brug bridge. Good for a coffee, bottled Belgian brew, grilled fish and pasta dishes; popular with theater-goers. (500m).
Ibis – Colorful Ethiopian restaurant, spicy meat and vegetarian dishes mopped up with injera (spongy rice pancake). (500m).
Bagels & Beans – Reliable all-day bagel and coffee chain, with an emphasis on organic ingredients. (600m).
Water en Brood – All-day, American-style brunch, including pancake stacks, plus homemade burgers, smoothies, and Dirty Bloody Marys. (700m).
Beter & Leuk – Small, friendly vegetarian café, organic ingredients, vegan options. (700m).
Marits Eeetkamer – Multi-course vegan tasting menus, locally, seasonally, and organically sourced. Stylish decor, organic wines, local beer. Reservations recommended. (750m).

Best Nearby Bars and Breweries

Bar Lempicka – American bistro specializing in French-American dishes such as steak frites. Large outdoor terrace, great for people-watching and afternoon beers. (100m).
Amstelhaven – Great location right on the river, good spot for a coffee or beer (but skip the food). Leisurely service. (150m).
De Ysbreeker – Terrific waterfront terrace, organic Gulpener beers on tap and by the bottle, quality bar snacks, and a crowd-pleasing menu of steaks, burgers, oysters, croquettes, and sandwiches. (300m).

Nearby Shopping and Cool Shops

MaisonNL Concept Store – Clothing, homeware, leather accessories, and more inside a hip gallery. (600m).
Look Out – Super-hip men’s and women’s fashion by the likes of Fogal, Zenggi, and Soho de Luxe. (750m).
Concerto Record Store – Huge music shop stocking CDs and vinyl in every imaginable genre. (800m).

Nearby Market or Grocery

Albert Cuyp Market – 3 blocks of street stalls, including numerous stalls selling fresh produce, and a few specializing in traditional Dutch edibles such as raw herring and stroopwafel. (700m).
Waterlooplein Flea Market – Vast flea market (Monday to Saturday) selling designer knockoffs, antiques, jewelry, and more. Street food stalls also. (1 km).

InterContinental Amstel – The Hotel

The grand interior feautres a white decor with marble, stucco, and chandeliers.

The interior of the 19th-century grand dame InterContinental Amstel is all white marble, stucco, and chandeliers.

The waterfront terrace is very popular on sunny days.

On sunny days, customers from the Amstel Bar and the Amstel Restaurant spill out onto the excellent waterfront terrace.

The heated indoor pool offers river views.

The heated indoor pool comes with river views, and is open from 7am to 11pm on weekdays and until 8pm on weekends.

The wellness center offers sauna, steam room, and a cold plunge pool.

The sauna, steam room, and cold plunge pool are part of the wellness center facilities, and have the same opening hours as the pool.

Amstel Lounge serves hot beverages and Royal High Tea.

The Amstel Lounge (8am-6pm) serves hot beverages throughout the day, and Royal High Tea between 3pm and 5pm.

The in-house La Rive restaurant serves elegant French-Mediterranean cuisine.

The hotel’s fine dining restaurant, La Rive (6.30-11pm) serves elegant French-Mediterranean dishes. Reservations essential.

Executive Rooms are very spacious, and some feature river views.

Executive rooms are among the largest in their price category in Amsterdam; they come either with city or river views, and it’s worth paying a little extra for the latter.

All bathrooms feature bathtubs and rain showers.

All bathrooms come with separate tubs and rain showers.

Spacious Junior suites have a comfortable sitting area.

Junior suites come with particularly spacious sitting areas; pay extra for river views.

Executive Suites feature bedrooms with sliding doors.

Sliding doors separate the bedroom from the spacious living area in the Executive suites; all overlook the river.

The Champagne Suite comes with its own private bar as well as river views.

The Royal Suite features a dining room, French balcony, and river views.

The Royal Suite is a spacious apartment with a private dining room, French balcony overlooking the river, and grand bedroom with river views.

Bagels & Beans serves good coffee and bagels.

En route to the Dutch Resistance Museum, this branch of Bagels & Beans is a reliable spot for good coffee and filled bagels.

Concerto is Amsterdam's largest music shop selling rare vinyls and CDs.

Also along Utrechtsestraat, Concerto Record Store is one of Amsterdam’s largest music shops. Whatever the genre, you’re likely to find it here on vinyl or CD.

Look Out sells designer men's and women's clothes.

Look Out is also located along Utrechtsestraat, with hip men’s and women’s threads by the likes of Fogal and Zenggi.

MaisonNL is a concept store and hip gallery.

Further north along Utrechtsestraat, the MaisonNL Concept Store is a hip gallery showcasing homeware, fashion, and more.

Bistro Baret offers an eclectic global menu.

One of several nearby restaurants popular with theater-goers, Bistro Baret has an eclectic global menu, and is open for early dinner.

Hermitage Amsterdam is one of Amsterdam's top art museums.

Along the Amstel waterfront, Hermitage Amsterdam is one of the city’s top art museums. Superb art exhibitions on a 6-month rotation, with loans from the original Hermitage in St Petersburg.

For opera and ballet enthusiasts, the Stopera is a must-visit.

The Stopera is the home of the Dutch Opera & Ballet, with visiting performances from world-renowned ballet companies.

Beter & Leuk is popular for its vegetarian breakfasts and brunches.

Beter & Leuk is a small vegetarian café popular with local office workers for its organic breakfasts and lunches; service can be slow.

Jewish Historical Museum consists of 4 beautifully resorted Ashkenazi synagogues.

Near Waterlooplein, the superb Jewish Historical Museum is spread across 4 beautifully restored Ashkenazi synagogues, and covers Jewish history in the Netherlands from 1600 to the present day.

Waterlooplein Flea Market features lots of stalls.

Waterlooplein Flea Market takes place every day but Sunday; lots of bric-a-brac, plus food stalls.

Amstelhaven is known for its riverside location and beer.

Amstelhaven has a good riverside location and popular outdoor terrace for a beer or coffee, but skip the mediocre food.

De Ysbreeker is a popular bar with a geat outdoor terrace.

De Ysbreeker is another popular bar overlooking the Amstel; the organic Gulpener beers go well with the croquettes, oysters, and homemade burgers. Great outdoor terrace.

Bar Lempicka serves delicious French-American dishes.

Bar Lempicka is equally popular for its French-American dishes and its riverside terrace, good for people-watching and beers.

Marits Eetkamer is one of the city's best vegan restaurants.

One of the best vegan restaurants in the city, Marits Eetkamer specializes in imaginative multi-course tasting menus, paired with organic wines.

De Magere Brug is popular for beer, coffee, and dinner.

De Magere Brug overlooks the eponymous bridge. Good for Belgian beers, coffee, or pre-theater dinners.

The historic Magere Brug connects East Amsterdam to the canal ring.

One of Amsterdam’s most famous bridges, the 17th century Magere Brug links east Amsterdam to the historic canal ring. It also appeared in the Bond movie Diamonds Are Forever.

Water en Brood is popular for its American-style breakfasts and brunches.

Water en Brood is an excellent breakfast/brunch spot; American-style pancake stacks are a specialty.

Albert Cuyp Market is Amsterdam's largest outdoor market spanning 3 city blocks.

In the De Pijp neighbourhood, across the Amstel and the Singelgracht canal from the hotel, Albert Cuyp Market is the city’s largest outdoor market, with food, clothing, and bric-a-brac stalls spread along 3 blocks.

Ibis is popular for its spicy meat and vegetarian stews.

One of the best Ethiopian restaurants in town, Ibis is popular with Amsterdammers for its spicy meat and vegetarian stews.

Ethiopian food consists of a rick pancake (injera) to mop up the stews and sauces.

Ethiopian dishes typically come with plenty of injera (spongy rice pancakes) to mop up the stews and sauces. Check rates and availability: InterContinental Amstel.

InterContinental Amstel Hotel in Amsterdam

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