The Amsterdam Sofitel is in a great location, right behind the Damrak and all the noise that accompanies it, and it’s just a short walk from Centraal Station, but that's about it.
I was charged the rate of 179€ ($220!) for 1 night, including breakfast. Because I’m familiar with Sofitel, I assumed I was staying at a four-star property, but I got not at all what I expected.
My room was very small and badly needed a makeover. But then again, you don’t go to Amsterdam to stay in your room. I’ve read in other reviews that it’s a little noisy due to the traffic on that street, but our room faced a courtyard, so it was VERY quiet, except for the maids slamming all the doors on my floor. The thing I found slightly odd was there were no washcloths in the bathroom, only towels… strange.
We had a cocktail in the lounge and encountered THE rudest bartender in the world. I didn’t catch his name, but he was an East Indian fellow. When we sat down, there was no one else in the bar. He walked right by us and started clearing off another table. No, "Hi" or "I’ll be right with you;" he just walked by and ignored us. We were in a great mood, so we just sat and waited.
When he finally came to our table, we ordered our drinks and waited - and waited (good mood). After we got our drinks, he never asked us if we needed anything else or even stopped by to ask if we wanted another. Anyway, when I complained about it at the front desk the morning when we checked out, the response I got was, "Oh yeah, he’s like that." Hmmm… strange response.
I noticed I was charged for two breakfast buffets at 20€ a piece, even though my rate included breakfast. When I brought it to his attention, he tried to tell me that their rates don’t include breakfast. Luckily, I had my printout from the reservation I made on their website. I was right, and he reprinted my receipt and took the breakfasts off.
This is a good hotel for the location, as it’s literally a 2- minute walk to Dam Square and not far from the Anne Frank house. It’s not as noisy as the hotels on the Dam, and the tram stops right in front of the hotel to go to the train station or into the city. There are several restaurants within a 5-minute walk, a small grocery store across the street, and two souvenir shops where the merchandise is less expensive.
I stay in Sofitels all over the place, and this didn’t have the quality or service I’ve come to expect. I would probably give it another try when I return to Amsterdam because I REALLY like the location.