Location

The Sofitel The Grand is located in the heart of old Amsterdam. The closest metro station is Rokin, which is about five minutes away on foot. The closest railway station is Amsterdam Central Station.

The Hotel

Parts of the hotel date back to the 16th century, when the original building was constructed as a monastery.

The Grand is one of Amsterdam’s leading hotels, and prides itself with the fact that it was the venue of the wedding reception for Queen Beatrix many moons ago.

The lobby is located in the original building, which likely explains the surprisingly low vaulted ceiling.

Off to one side is the library, where you can also get a drink.

The Junior Suite

Very generously, I’ve been upgraded to one of the junior suites on the fourth floor. The room is spacious and looks well maintained. The front door opens to a small foyer. Off to my right is the walk in wardrobe. To my left is the bathroom.

The bed is a good size, and I must say, it’s incredibly comfortable. I manage to sleep like the dead, which doesn’t happen often with me.

The room’s best feature, though, is the lovely rooftop balcony from where I can also see the canal.

Amenities

The hotel provides bathrobes, slippers, and umbrellas. There’s also a tea kettle and a Nespresso machine. The selection of coffees and teas is good. When I return to my room late in the evening, the turn down service has replenished both.

The Bathroom

The bathroom is quite large and features a separate bath and shower. There are also two wash basins. The cosmetics are by Diptyque and have a lovely flowery scent.

Service

The Sofitel The Grand provides a butler service to guests staying in the suites. Carlos picks me up after reception completes check-in and shows me to my room. He explains all the features of the room and tells me to contact him anytime until 22h00 in the evening in case I need anything.

Before he leaves, he tells me that complimentary water is available on request, although the tap water is good to drink. Which is actually true. Amsterdam must be one of the few big cities in Europe where the water is not only safe to drink, but also tastes good.

Dining

There are two restaurants in the hotel. Breakfast is served in The Bridge. For diamond members, breakfast is complimentary on weekends, irrespective of whether I have it in the restaurant or order room service. I’m tempted to try the room service, but eventually decide against it as it’s still a bit too fresh in the mornings to sit outside on my private balcony.

I may have been a bit overly eager for breakfast (I usually am about food), which is why I forget to take photos. The Bridge has a nice atmosphere and the breakfast buffet is lovely and quite extensive. Additional hot items can be ordered from the menu. On tripadvisor there are several reviews from guests complaining that it took their ordered dishes a long time to arrive. However, that is certainly not the case during my stay, and there’s a constant stream of food being brought out of the kitchen.

Conclusion

The Sofitel The Grand Amsterdam is another excellent ALL Accor property in a unique setting. A room upgrade is always appreciated, of course, and in this case, you can hardly beat the rooftop balcony overlooking the city! I also found the staff at the hotel very friendly, engaging, and attentive.