Review: Sir Albert Amsterdam, Design Hotels by Marriott

Background + Booking:

I needed a hotel to stay in Amsterdam with a friend and saw that the Sir Albert Amsterdam part of Marriott’s Design Hotels was available for 37,000 Marriott Bonvoy Points. It’s in a very good location, in the hip De Pijp Neighborhood with plenty of bars and restaurants, so I thought it would be perfect for our visit. The hotel is also only a 10-minute walk to the museum quarter that features the Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh Museum. 

Originally, I had booked a two-night weekend stay. But then, award availability opened up at the Waldorf Astoria Amsterdam, so I decided to do one night at Sir Albert, and one night at the luxurious Waldorf Astoria Amsterdam (which was amazing).

I was able to change to a one-night stay at 37,000 Bonvoy Points per night. I used a 35k Free Night Award from my Marriott Bonvoy Credit Card and patched it with 2,000 points. Two days before arrival, I saw the room drop to 35,000 points, so I modified the reservation online and was able to easily recover the 2,000 points back. Cash rates were going for about EUR 290 so it was a solid use of a free night certificate.

Arrival and Check-In:

The Sir Albert Hotel Amsterdam used to be a Diamond factory and is a boutique hotel that contains just 90 rooms.

Once you enter the hotel, the lobby is on the left, and the Izakaya Restaurant and Bar is on the right.

It’s a cute cozy lobby with a seating area, then the reception in the back of the hall. The reception offers a sit-down check-in experience, and we arrived at 4pm on Friday and there was no line. So we were quickly checked in, and also offered champagne. It was a pretty great start.

The standard redemption books you into the basic room, “Sir Boutique, 1 Double”. I asked if we could have a room with two beds as they do have a “Deluxe Two Twin” room type, but was informed that they were sold out.

The agent thanked me for being a Marriott Bonvoy Gold Member and said he assigned us one of the best rooms. We didn’t receive an upgrade to the next “Deluxe” category, so he meant the best room within the “Boutique” category. I also inquired about a late check-out (Gold’s generally get 2PM) but the agent said they were too full. I ended up calling the next morning and the person I spoke with gave me an extra hour til 1pm.

Then we headed to the one elevator which whisked us to the second floor, where our room was at the end of a hall.

The Room:

Entry-level “Sir Boutique” Rooms are a small 215 square feet. Once you opened the door, it had a hallway, with a coat rack on the right side which was helpful.

Directly in front, was the shower door. The shower itself was quite large and had a nice rainfall shower + wand. The water pressure was good as well. Next to it was the water closet, and then there was an open sink with limited counter space. The bathroom design was quite interesting, and it was severely lacking privacy. Perhaps this would be fine for a couple, but quite awkward for two friends sharing the room. Toiletries were branded by Zenology in reusable bottles.

Across the sink was a desk, which we used for extra bathroom counter space.

There was a small closet equipped with an iron, a minibar, and a basket containing snacks for purchase. An Illy coffee maker was provided, as well as a hot water kettle. Unfortunately, the kettle was much past its prime with calcium buildup and the shell peeling off.

The bed area contained a bed that they described as “1 Double”. For those from the US, do not fret, it is much larger than a US double bed. I would say the bed is in between the size of a Queen Bed and King Bed in the US. It was perfectly comfortable to share with a friend. The bedding quality was actually very good and exceeded the average 4-star hotel bed. Quite frankly, the bed is the best attribute of the room in my opinion.

The walkway from the bed to the window was quite tight, but once you get to the window there is an ottoman to sit (or to put your bag on) and a desk with a speaker that didn’t really work.

Our room had a view of the canal which was nice. The way the hotel is designed, most rooms are not facing the canal. So, this is what I assume the front desk agent meant when he said he gave us a nice room, as there are only very few canal view rooms in the hotel. It was certainly an enjoyable view and made the experience more Amsterdam-esque.

Cleanliness was not great in our room, with desk areas dusty, and fixtures stained or encasing an oily feel. That was the major issue of the room.

Amenities + Food:

As a boutique hotel, there isn’t much, but there is a fitness center located a short walk outside of the hotel. I didn’t have time to visit the center during my stay, but it is open from 7am to 10pm. You just have to ask for a key at the front desk.

The main restaurant IZAKAYA Asian Kitchen & Bar serves the buffet breakfast. Additionally, it serves lunch and dinner. The restaurant is quite hip and contains a bar. It seems pretty bustling during dinner, and at 10pm for drinks it was quite crowded. I kind of wish I tried it out as it looked quite good.

The Verdict:

Overall, the Sir Albert Hotel Amsterdam excels with its location in the trendy De Pijp neighborhood. The boutique room type is quite tight, and the design offers no bathroom privacy which makes it hard to share with friends. Perhaps couples would find the room design less of an issue. Other areas of improvement include the cleanliness of the room, which detracted from comfort.

 

Have you stayed at the Sir Albert Hotel Amsterdam before? How was your experience? Comment below!

 

Cheers,

Ty

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Have any questions? Comment below or email me at takeofftotravel@gmail.com. I’ve also started working with a travel agency, Fora Travel, and can assist in booking hotel stays or planning trips. You can also view all my other posts here! Thanks for stopping by!