We got a great rate through Priceline. Stayed for 2 nights and then moved to the Marriott for two nights. The Hilton is in a very nice part of Amsterdam - quieter than the center of town. We enjoyed exploring this area and seeing how people lived in this upscale area. Getting into Amsterdam was a breeze with the tram or by taxi.
Hotel services were quite expensive as is most of Europe due to Euro. We opted to get coffee and breakfast outside of the hotel.

We were at the Amsterdam Hilton for 3 nights before a cruise. Booked through Priceline, which can be a crap shoot. But this time we hit the jackpot! Our perfectly appointed room was on the 5th floor, overlooking an idyllic canal. The staff was the best I've ever encountered - from the front desk, to the bellmen, to the housekeepers - everyone was top notch (and all spoke perfect English). We were treated like celebrities - and celebrities stay there! One night we went to a violin/piano concert at the famous Concertebeuw and the next morning talked to the violinist in the hotel lobby! The neighborhood is lovely and safe... near Beethovenstraat where we picked up fruit, muffins and yogurt every night, stored them in our fridge for breakfast the next day. Only possible downside was a semi-long walk to the tram - about 8 minutes. Front desk even lent us an adapter so we could charge our "stuff." This was without a doubt the nicest hotel experience we've had in years.

Stayed at the hotel for 2 nights over Easter 2008. We booked direct with the hotel. In hindsight perhaps we could have got a cheaper rate, although perhaps Easter is a premium time.

Got a bit lost trying to find the hotel as we got off at the wrong tram stop. Once you are there though the hotel is a close walk (maybe 5 mins max) to two different tram lines which makes getting into the main area easy, and in the day time we mostly walked anyway (took about 30 mins to Ann Frank's). The area around the hotel is mostly residential. It is a bit quiet at night, although I felt safe walking back with my husband, and the fact that it is residential means that there are several 'local' bars and cafes nearby which were nice to spend time in.

The reception is very airy and pleasant. As it was Easter there was loads of yummy mini easter eggs which were lovely! We were checked into our room efficiently. The corridors are a little bland. Our room was a twin so we telephoned reception and were upgraded to a junior suite as there were no other doubles left. The original room was clean but quite small and bland. The suite was larger with a lovely long couch. Both rooms overlooked one of the city's canals.

Positives about the room: Extremely clean. The room was cleaned twice daily with toiletries replenished in the evening too when a token nightime chocolate was left on the bed. Bed was huge and very comfortable. The room was quite dark but there was a few lamps scattered about for 'ambience'. The toiletries were lush! All Crabtree & Evelyne La Source products. Two dressing gowns and slippers were provided. Shower was powerful and the bath a decent size. As I mentioned already, it was spotlessly clean which is important to me. We weren't sure if there was complimentary mineral water provided - some seemed to be chargeable so we left that alone. The mini bar was the usual pricey drinks/snacks. The hotel had fantastic tea! Rituals teabags - they come in silk pouches of different flavours and are the best! Have since bought a couple of packs back in London!

The only negatives I can think of to mention about the room is the fact that it is a bit chain hotel bland, and the tv was in an odd position. You could watch it in bed, but it was facing away from the couch which rendered it a bit pointless....although Amsterdam is a great city with far better things to do than watch tv! The other negative about the hotel is the extortionate charge to use a gym adjacent to the building. Not worth it!

My credit card did not swipe properly on check in so the hotel left a note in our room to ask to have this re-swiped. This was not a problem.

The best thing, however, about the hotel was the fantastic buffet breakfast! It was by far the best range and quality of buffet food that we have had at a city hotel. The staff were lovely - think not many people order porridge as it seemed quite a surprise to them both days, but I would recommend! There was LOADS of fresh juices to help yourself to (kiwi juice anyone?!) and champagne on the sunday although we did not indulge. There was a large table full of fruit, cold meats, cheeses. An area full of breads and pastries. Lots of hot food: pancakes, sausages, eggs etc. A great omelette station where staff cooked infront of you. Suffice to say we were full for most of the day!

Would defnitely stay here again in Amsterdam. We knew beforehand that it wasn't that central, which is its only downfall, but if we enjoyed it during a freezing weekend of snow, then I think it's fine the rest of the year!

For the price of this hotel, I expected more. There's nothing terribly wrong with it, it's just a little faded and stuffy. Prices for food and amenities are fairly outrageous as it primarily caters to business travelers. For example 28 Euros for a club sandwich from room service is pretty steep.

If you want a quiet neighborhood in Amsterdam though, this is the place. It's a bit of a walk even to the Museumplein/Van Gogh museum (about 15 minutes) but its a nice place to explore Amsterdam from as its well away from the ridiculous tourist stuff, the coffee shops/red light district. There is not too much around the hotel in terms of cafes or bars, so if you don't want to pay the hotel prices for food you have to plan well.

From my standpoint though the quiet location is the hotel's primary advantage. The grounds are beautiful and the staff was courteous but overall, the hotel just didn't feel welcoming.

One other note, their ventilation system was really poor. We were on the non-smoking 5th floor but a smoking floor was directly under us. As a result we had a lot of smoke in our room every night.