"I stayed at Inntel Hotels Amsterdam Landmark from Thursday to Monday, booking a room with a city view, a private hot tub and a sauna. Whilst the facilities themselves were lovely and the room had the potential to make for a fantastic stay, the overall experience was incredibly disappointing. Unfortunately, the quality of the room was the highlight of our stay, and everything else fell short of what I would expect from a four-star hotel.
My experience left me questioning what exactly justifies the hotel’s four-star rating when so many basic aspects of the service were lacking. A hotel can invest in beautiful rooms and attractive facilities, but without adequate staffing, proper housekeeping and reasonable service, the overall experience is significantly diminished.
PROS
1. The Room and Facilities
The room itself was lovely. Having a private hot tub and sauna was a real highlight and made the stay feel special. The facilities were undoubtedly the strongest aspect of the hotel, and the room had the potential to provide a luxurious experience.
However, this is where the positives largely end. A beautiful room can only carry a hotel so far, and unfortunately, the service we received did not match the standard suggested by the facilities.
CONS
1. Inadequate Staffing and the Lack of Room Service
From Thursday until approximately Saturday, the hotel apparently did not have sufficient staff to provide room service in the usual way. As a result, whenever we ordered food, we had to go downstairs and collect it ourselves.
Let that sink in: we had paid to stay in a four-star hotel, yet for a significant portion of our stay, we were effectively expected to provide our own food delivery service.
Room service is a basic convenience that guests reasonably expect from a hotel of this category. If staffing shortages mean that a service cannot be provided, that raises questions about how the hotel is managing its operations and whether it is adequately prepared to accommodate its guests.
Staffing issues may arise, but guests should not have to bear the inconvenience of them, particularly when they are paying for a premium experience.
2. €12.50 to Bring Food to Your Room Is Excessive
What made the situation even more frustrating was the €12.50 charge associated with having food brought up to the room.
I appreciate that hotel prices are generally higher than those outside the hotel. I understand that guests pay a premium for convenience, location and facilities, and I do not expect everything to be inexpensive simply because I am staying in a four-star establishment.
However, there is a difference between charging premium prices for a premium experience and charging excessive amounts for basic conveniences that guests would reasonably expect to be available.
A €12.50 charge simply to have food brought up to your room is difficult to justify, particularly when the hotel was already unable to provide normal room service for much of our stay. The combination of inadequate staffing and an additional charge for the convenience of having food delivered felt completely disproportionate.
At what point does charging for convenience become charging guests excessively for something that should be a straightforward part of their hotel experience?
3. Extortionate Prices for Basic Items
The vending machine was another example of the hotel’s excessive pricing. A bottle of water cost €4, and, unbelievably, it was more expensive than a bottle of Coca-Cola.
Again, I understand that hotel prices are not going to be comparable to supermarket prices. I am not expecting bargain prices at a four-star hotel. But there is a difference between accepting that things cost more and feeling that guests are being taken advantage of.
Water is a basic necessity, not a luxury product. Charging €4 for a bottle of water, particularly alongside the other additional costs we encountered, contributed to an overall impression that the hotel was more interested in extracting money from guests than ensuring they had a comfortable and enjoyable stay.
Premium pricing should come with premium service. Unfortunately, that was not our experience.
4. The Housekeeping Was Not Up to Standard
One of my biggest disappointments was the housekeeping.
Although our room was cleaned during our stay, our bedsheets were not changed once. Not once throughout our stay from Thursday to Monday did we receive fresh sheets.
For a hotel advertising itself as a four-star establishment, this was unacceptable. There is a difference between simply entering a room to carry out basic cleaning and providing proper housekeeping to a standard that guests should reasonably expect.
Clean bedding is fundamental to comfort and hygiene. It should not feel like an unreasonable expectation when staying in a hotel of this category.
The fact that the room was cleaned but the bedsheets were never changed left me questioning the thoroughness of the housekeeping service. It felt like the bare minimum was being done rather than the room being properly maintained for guests throughout their stay.
A luxurious hot tub and sauna are wonderful, but they do not compensate for shortcomings in basic cleanliness and housekeeping.
5. Poorly Lit Hotel Rooms
The room was very dimly lit, making tasks such as applying makeup, styling hair and getting ready more difficult than they needed to be. Whilst softer lighting may create atmosphere, it should not come at the expense of functionality. This was a significant design flaw that detracted from the overall experience.
6. The Balcony Design Was Disappointing
The balcony’s metal railing and large gaps felt more functional than luxurious and did not match the polished appearance I would expect from a four-star hotel. This was particularly disappointing in a room advertised with a city view, as the design made taking photographs or enjoying the balcony in heels impractical and uncomfortable.
7. Basic Amenities Were Missing Upon Arrival
Upon arriving in our room, we discovered that there was no sugar or milk provided, and there were no mugs for hot drinks.
These are small items, but they are also basic amenities that guests commonly expect to find when tea and coffee facilities are available. Instead, we were made to collect the mugs ourselves from the bar, which felt extremely lazy and demonstrated a lack of attention to detail. We also had to contact the hotel to request the sugar and milk rather than finding everything ready for us upon arrival. After asking for slippers, they provided them, but there were no bathrobes in the room either.
Individually, this might seem like a minor oversight. However, when considered alongside the other issues we experienced, it became another example of the lack of attention to detail.
A hotel should ensure that rooms are properly stocked and prepared before guests arrive. Having to collect basic items from the bar or request amenities that should already be available does not create the impression of a well-managed, high-quality establishment.
8. Lack of Acknowledgement for My Sister’s Birthday
We arrived at the hotel on the day of my sister’s birthday, but there was no acknowledgement of it at all. For a four-star hotel, this reflected a lack of care and personal attention. I have travelled abroad to 3.5- and four-star hotels for my birthday and for other special occasions, and they have always made an effort to help the guest feel special, even if it was something as simple as providing a fruit bowl.
9. The Menu Offered Limited Food Options
The menu had a disappointing lack of variety, with very few food options available. For a four-star hotel charging premium prices, I expected a broader selection, particularly given the lack of normal room service during part of our stay. This made the overall dining experience feel even more limited and underwhelming.
10. The Ridiculous Toilet Roll Situation
There were two people staying in the room, yet we were only provided with one toilet roll per day. Toilet paper is an essential bathroom item, and guests should not have to monitor supplies or request more during their stay.
For a hotel charging premium rates, this was another small but telling example of basic expectations not being met.
11. A Four-Star Rating Should Mean More Than Attractive Facilities
Ultimately, this is the biggest issue I have with the hotel.
The room was lovely, and the private hot tub and sauna were excellent features. However, the overall experience did not reflect the level of service I would associate with a four-star hotel.
The lack of adequate room service, the additional delivery charge, the excessive prices for basic items, the failure to change the bedsheets, the limited menu, the missing amenities, the lack of acknowledgement for a special occasion and the impractical lighting all contributed to a stay that felt far less luxurious than it should have been.
A hotel’s star rating should create an expectation of a certain standard of facilities and service. Whilst individual expectations can vary, guests should reasonably expect competent housekeeping, adequately stocked rooms and services that are managed to an appropriate standard.
Instead, we repeatedly encountered shortcomings in areas that should have been straightforward to get right.
FINAL VERDICT
Would I recommend this hotel? Not if quality service is important to you.
If your priority is simply to book a visually appealing room with a hot tub and sauna, you may appreciate the facilities. The room itself was genuinely lovely, and I cannot take that away from the hotel.
However, if you are looking for a genuinely luxurious experience, where the service matches the price and the four-star rating, I would strongly advise you to consider your options carefully.
What frustrated me most was not that every single aspect of the hotel was terrible. It was that the hotel had so much potential. The facilities were there, the room was attractive, and the experience could have been excellent. Yet the shortcomings in service and basic guest care undermined what should have been a special stay.
I am not expecting everything to be free, nor am I expecting a luxury hotel to charge supermarket prices. I am expecting value for money, reasonable convenience, proper housekeeping and attention to the basic needs of paying guests.
There is a substantial difference between a hotel that charges premium prices because it delivers a premium experience and one where the facilities look impressive but the service does not live up to the expectation.
Inntel Hotels Amsterdam Landmark had the facilities, but the service fell short. For a four-star hotel, that is a significant disappointment. Beautiful rooms are not enough to make up for an experience that repeatedly falls below expectations, and I would not choose to stay here again based on our experience."
