70 Reviews
Hotel Okura Amsterdam – the Leading Hotels of the World
Amsterdam Oud Zuid Amsterdam|0.66km from Sarphatipark
We decided to splurge on this 5 star hotel for a long anticipated family reunion. Unfortunately the experience was marred by a series of disappointments caused by utterly incompetent hotel staff. When I called ahead on the day of our arrival to request an early check-in the hotel rep. sternly informed me that I would have to pay a 120 Euro charge for the privilege! We are experienced travelers and never have we encountered such a demand. We took our chances regardless and decided to show up 2 hours early. Sure enough, our room was already ready and we were allowed to occupy it at no extra charge. Things really started to go south when a limousine that I had arranged for separate airport pickup of my daughter’s family through the concierge showed up at the airport unequipped with a baby car seat. I had expressly requested this when I booked the service. This was also specified in the booking confirmation sent by email to me by the concierge. The reaction I later got when I complained to the concierge was that I was not charged extra for the baby seat - as if this was the main issue! Furthermore, this was the first time that I was informed of such a charge, as no mention of this had been made in the email confirmation of the limo reservation which I originally received from the concierge. More importantly, what is more concerning is the utter indifference he showed for the safety of a guest’s infant grandchild. All that concerned him was the money angle to the failure. Things soon got worse. When we checked into our room we lifted the bed cover to discover several hairs and multiple red and yellow stains. Unbelievably, the chambermaid had neglected to change the bedsheets. This, in a 5 star hotel! After we called reception, staff was quickly sent to our room to change them. We never heard further from management about this. We later had dinner at Serre restaurant onsite and left the place hungry. The chef seems to focus on presentation and less on the reasonableness of the portions. My wife had a fish main course which was equivalent to 3 forkfuls. The minuscule dessert was pretty to look at but was grossly inadequate even for one person. The restaurant style is a throwback to the old Nouvelle Cuisine school. For the icing on the cake: a voucher for a round of drinks on the house at the rooftop bar that the guest services manager had kindly given me was bungled by the bar staff. When I arrived home I discovered a mysterious charge of 66 Euros by the Twenty-Third Floor Bar. The bar staff set new standards of incompetence in taking my voucher and charging me anyway.I had to call the hotel for credit but I am losing money anyway from the spread in exchange rates used by credit card companies. To be fair, the Superior View room was extremely spacious and comfortable with a magnificent view. The large pool and ample spa facilities were enjoyable and a significant convenience . Also the reception desk personnel were very professional and welco
59 Reviews