It isn’t just the spectacular location, stunning architectural and interior design, Michelin-starred restaurant, sumptuous spa, or endearing amenities that make the Conservatorium more appealing than so many other 5-star luxury hotels in its class.
What my partner and I haven’t been able to stop talking about since our stay is the exceptional level of service we received as guests—before, during and even after our visit. We have both stayed at 5-star hotels before. But, our experience here was beyond any other experience anywhere else.
From the moment we booked our reservation, there was no shortage of grace, kindness or effort on their part to ensure everything about our stay went smoothly, inside and out.
We had many questions even as we were booking our room. Do they have a shuttle service from the airport? What if we arrive before check-in? Should we book the night before to guarantee a room where we can rest after a 7-hour flight and time change?
Although they don’t have an airport shuttle service, they were more than happy to arrange a car service to pick us up at the airport. What size Mercedes did we need based on our number of passengers and luggage? The driver met us as close to the gate as possible with a luggage cart in hand.
He loaded our bags and escorted us to the parking lot, also parked as close to the terminal as he could get. He called our hotel during the ride there to let them know we were on our way and would be arriving soon. There were water bottles in the car and he pointed out some of the sights we were passing along the way as well as those that would be near to our hotel.
Once at the hotel, valets in the parking lot were ready to open our doors and grab our bags, escorting us to the front desk. The front desk staff checked our reservation and apologized that our room was not yet ready (we were six hours early). Then they checked to see if there were any other rooms available that would be ready sooner.
They upgraded our room twice—at no additional cost—to get us into a room as quickly as possible. Then they offered us a complimentary breakfast in their café while we waited for the room to be completed. We could not have been more blown away by these actions. After all, it was our fault we were early, but you wouldn’t have known that from their accommodating service.
They held our luggage as they escorted us to the café for breakfast. We could have also opted for a spa appointment while we waited, but coffee and breakfast seemed like a good option at the time. The spa would be there after breakfast if we still had more time, or at a later time if we chose.
Breakfast was beyond expectations. We had the option of a buffet, à la carte breakfast, or both—all served in the beautiful glass-enclosed atrium space the Conservatorium is famous for.
I ordered the Eggs Benedict. My partner ordered an omelette. We both ordered capppuccinos. And we both took a look at the sumptuous buffet, which was hard to resist: two separate counters each filled with a delectable spread of perfectly presented fresh fruits, juices, artisanal breads, croissants, pastries, coffees and teas, butter, jams, charcuterie, bacon, eggs, French toast and more.
Waitstaff came around offering additional service, water, coffee refills, cappuccinos, teas… observant of what we ate and attentive without being overbearing.
The seating was upscale, comfortable, and stylish without being stuffy or overdone. The space was a fabulous blend of indoor comfort with the ambiance of feeling outdoors: a lovely combination of landscaping, architecture, art and light that felt inviting and relaxing. We felt right at home and well taken care of, without worrying about the room that we knew would be ready when we were.
Following breakfast, a concierge escorted us to our upgraded room. My partner noticed he wore a pin that distinguished him as one of an elite handful of concierges who received that recognition for outstanding service. He was pleased my partner noticed that distinction and knew what it meant.
Golden Keys Concierge refers to members of Les Clefs d’Or, an elite global association of professional hotel concierges identifiable by the crossed gold keys on their lapels, representing unmatched service, extensive local knowledge and worldwide connections to fulfill nearly any guest request—from rare tickets to unique experiences—ensuring memorable stays at 4- and 5-star hotels. It is both a testament to the concierge who is wearing the pin as well as to the hotel that has the good mind to hire that concierge.
Eton showed us to our room, commenting on some of the historical details we passed and pointing out the views from some of the windows along the way. He made sure the room was in order, confirmed the valet had delivered our bags and ensured we were pleased with our accommodations before he left. We couldn’t have been more pleased.
Eton was one of several concierges who were at the ready with appropriate restaurant recommendations, offering to make reservations if needed and printing out details and directions. All their recommendations were on point and thoughtfully selected to meet our needs at the time.
Ubers were called when requested. Bikes were available if we dared. Umbrellas were provided if needed. They even offered to open the umbrella for us as we ventured out into the rain.
When we asked about having dinner at the hotel, we were offered several options—and if we were still hungry, there would be additional options beyond those. The sun-drenched Atrium cafe magically transformed to a sultry dining room for evening dinner service. Just another example of the attention to every detail they so eloquently covered.
On our last night, when I asked for the rest of my dinner to be packed up to have as a bite the next morning, the waiter misunderstood the request. He felt badly that he had not done so, but when he understood that I wanted something to eat the next morning before breakfast service began, he responded with, We can do better than that. The next morning he hand-delivered a selection of fresh croissants and jam for our trip to the airport.
I should add that—with the exception of one mediocre waitress—the staff delivered these services with the best of all possible attitudes, as if they knew it was their job, their duty and their pleasure to serve their guests in the best possible manner. We felt like royalty every step of the way. When we tipped them for their exemplary service, they seemed taken aback and surprised by the gesture, as if they were just doing their jobs, not expecting (or vying for) a tip for doing so. We would soon learn that tipping in Amsterdam is not that customary. But it was customary to us, so we continued with that practice where it seemed appropriate.
We had most of our breakfasts in their café, yet we were never bored with the service, the selection or the ambiance. It was simply such a lovely, leisurely space to start our mornings, and the food could not have been fresher or more creatively presented than it was.
Maid service was provided every day. And very often they left us with a plate full of fresh fruit and cookies in our room for the evening.
The Conservatorium was a splurge for us, but in the end, our experience there set a new standard for what we will be looking for in future accommodations. And given the opportunity to return, we would gladly do so.
