WHAT’S IT LIKE?
The 402-room Renaissance is popular with both business and leisure travellers thanks to its central location and impressive meeting facilities.
Fully refurbished in 2009, it’s modern and smart, with a bright reception that leads down to a seating area with a fire feature, and onto the food and drink venues.
The three check-in desks were busy when I arrived, being checkout time for the previous night’s guests, but I was seen to after a few minutes by a friendly member of staff.
WHERE IS IT?
On Kattengat, just off the Singel canal and a few minutes’ walk from Amsterdam Central station for quick links to Schiphol airport.
ROOM FACILITIES
Rooms start from 22 sqm and come in Guest, Family, Club, Superior and suite categories.
Standard facilities include wifi (standard access is €7 per 24 hours, high speed is €20 per 24 hours), 32-inch Philips flatscreen TVs, safes, robes, desks with UK and EU plug sockets, iron/ironing boards, air conditioning, minibars, tea and coffee facilities and 24-hour room service.
Marriott Rewards Platinum Premier, Platinum and Gold members and guests of Club and Superior rooms and suites can access the first floor Club lounge, which offers free breakfast, all-day “sips and bites”, high tea and evening drinks.
Renaissance Amsterdam Guest room
My Club room was clean and comfortable, and overlooked the Koepelkerk, a 17th-century former Lutheran church that now houses some of the hotel’s meeting space.
The room had pale walls, a striped carpet and curtains, a king-size bed, two blue armchairs and a coffee table, and a framed picture of the Singel and Koepelkerk. The white tiled bathroom had a shower over the bath and Tokyo Milk toiletries by Margot Elena.
I had a decent night’s rest, although I did notice a fair bit of noise from the street and corridors.
RESTAURANTS AND BARS
Scossa is a spacious and airy Mediterranean restaurant that serves a good buffet breakfast and is also open for dinner and group lunches.
The streetside Koepelcafé is a traditional “brown café” offering food and drink all day, with a conservatory and outdoor terrace. The 2B lounge and bar is trendier in design and serves cocktails and light bites in the evening.
BUSINESS AND MEETING FACILITIES
With 16 meeting spaces totalling more than 1,500 sqm, the Renaissance has some of the city’s largest hotel conference facilities.
Koepelkerk meeting space
The standout venue is the Koepelkerk, located over the road from the main property and connected by underground walkway. The soaring domed space, which still has its original 1830 Batz wooden organ, accommodates 400 people theatre-style or 500 guests for a reception, with more capacity available in the balcony and semi-circular meeting area upstairs. The church courtyard can be used for outdoor events.
The rest of the meeting rooms are in a dedicated area on the ground floor of the hotel, with the largest theatre-style capacity being 70 delegates.
LEISURE FACILITIES
There is a good-sized 24-hour gym on the ground floor.
VERDICT
A quality hotel, well-located for doing business in Amsterdam, with a great event venue in the Koepelkerk, and points-earning for Marriott Rewards members.
FACT FILE
- PRICE Internet rates for a flexible midweek stay in July started from €189 for a Guest room
- CONTACT Renaissance Amsterdam, Kattengat 1; tel +31 20 621 2223; renaissanceamsterdam.com
Michelle Harbi
