NH Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky, Amsterdam | Luxury Hotels

By James Martin
August 22, 2010

Amsterdam, NL — Starting in 1866 as a coffee house, the Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky has grown into a sprawling complex of hotel rooms, apartments, suites, and restaurants on Dam Square in the heart of Amsterdam. Whiffs of old world luxury drift through the hotels common areas like expensive cigar smoke. A piano player plays to old money in the lobby. If you can ignore the cackling groups of tee-shirt clad Americans who've gotten great deals on rooms through the internet, you'll know you've finally arrived.

Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky - The Rooms

My room at the Krasnapolsky was in the Royal Wing. That meant going outside and crossing the street to an elevator. But once I turned the key to the room my chagrin turned to a smile. I stepped into a small outer room with a glass-topped desk upon which was sitting a bottle of red wine and a box of chocolates. To the right was a comfortable reading chair and table, as well as a storage area with a television. To the left was my bedroom, a rather large space with a huge bed, another televsion, and a whole wall of storage space. A very fluffy robe was draped over the bed. The bathroom was a wonder--kept at a higher temperature than the room, it featured a towel warmer and one of those showers with 7 heads that hits everywhere at once. You could also turn the shower into your own intimate steam room. The Krasnapolski was a place I could live comfortably in for a few weeks.

The room was at the back of the hotel and had a view through its double-paned windows of a canal and the hotel's docking area. The neighborhood on that side of the hotel represents quintessential Amsterdam -- coffee houses, gin joints, herring stands and a bit of red light district. Perfect.

Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky - The Amenities

There are plenty of places you can eat without leaving the hotel. There's the "Belle Époque" Restaurant Reflet, the Bedouin Restaurant Shibli, and the Japanese Restaurant Edo/Kyo. But it's the monumental Winter Garden that is impressive. You can have breakfast there. The price is a steep 21 Euros, but don't complain until you've eaten the food. The buffet is endless, and contains pretty much all the regional foods you'd want to eat at breakfast (or brunch) and a few that you might have qualms about. Yes, the herring are quite good before noon.
As you might expect, the Krasnapolski has internet connections for modems in every room, and a business center where you can use computers connected to the internet. They'll also help you with train and plane reservations. But all that's so 90's. There is also wireless, which should be free but at least it's a reasonable 10 Euros for 24 hours--and it works quite well.

You can take your libations at the Golden Palm Bar--there's a happy hour between 5 and 6 which will knock 50% off the price of a drink. There are many wines by the glass offered.

Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky - The Bottom Line

I really enjoyed my two nights at the Krasnapolsky. It was quiet, despite being in the heart of raucous Amsterdam. A newspaper in English arrived at my door in the morning. I felt far richer than I am, which is the point of grand hotels I suppose.

Downstairs, almost wedged between the main hotel and the Royal Wing, was the Wynand Fockink, a place where you could enjoy a beer or some young gin (in many flavors). It provided a lively contrast to the more sedate Krasnapolsky, especially when you pushed through the crowd, ordered your gin, then bent to slurp from the overfilled glass--an ancient custom I'm told. Nothing will introduce you better to a room full of strangers than bumping against them with your backside while you slurp your gin noisily.

My experience at the Hotel Krasnapolsky was entirely positive. I would save my rising Euros to stay there again. Others report less positive experiences. Read on.

The Other Bottom Line on the Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky

A small percentage of the online reviews for the Krasnapolsky mention tiny rooms with small bathrooms. I got to look in several rooms, and non fit this description. Since informal reviews seldom mention the room number or designation--or the exact date of arrival, it's hard to check these out with the hotels current configuration.

For the record, then, I stayed at an "executive" room in the Royal Wing. The price ont he back of the door was 450 Euros, but internet prices are usually far lower. You can get a very small apartment by the week at quite reasonable prices at the Krasnapolsky.

And if you're unsure, you can always inspect a room before commiting to it.

Dam 9 Amsterdam Netherlands 1012 JS: Rates from 131 USD.

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Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky, Amsterdam

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