Of the places I have visited around the world, Amsterdam was not on my radar until recently. I was aware of its place in European history, but it had never called to me like other destinations close to me, such as London and Munich. This would change during my most recent trip, when I was invited by KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and The Pulitzer Amsterdam to be their guest in City of Canals.
My host was originally not a hotel at all, but a collection of 25 canal houses just outside De Wallen, or the central part of the city. Each canal house is connected through a series of glass hallways, complimenting the original building architecture. In addition, each house had a story of the original owners and the building’s purpose. I stayed in The Golden Eagle, with a rich history dating back to 1640.
In addition to the individual rooms among the canal houses were five unique suites, giving guests a glimpse into the lives of the people who originally called these locations home. The Pulitzer Suite is among the largest of them, featuring plenty of natural light and bathtub in the middle of the room.
Photo courtesy: The Pulitzer Amsterdam
However, my favorite of the extraordinary suites were the Book Collector’s Suite: a 742-square foot suite with a private entrance on the canal. Complete with a library wall, the signature feature of the suite is an archway of books that leads directly into the bedroom.
My new friends at KLM Royal Dutch Airlines also had a tie to the hotel as well. One of the meeting rooms was used extensively by the airline to host important executive meetings – and was decorated with their needs in mind.
The ceiling was painted specifically for the airline, depicting a sky with what appeared to be an aircraft darting through them. According to legend, a diamond was placed in the ceiling to depict the airframe – and if the diamond should fall, the person who caught it would be allowed to keep it.
Although I wasn’t lucky enough to stay in the Book Collector’s Suite, my room felt very comfortable, with a king-size bed occupying much of the floorspace. A television stood on top of a cabinet hosting the mini-bar, disguised cleverly among the decorations. Every room came with two complimentary bottles of water (one still, one sparkling), along with a package of the Danish treat stroopwafel.
In each room were two curiosities that I have not seen anywhere else. First, the hotel offered all the bar amenities that one might find at home. Our hosts explained it was to make every room feel like a home, allowing guests to stay in and appreciate the finer things in life.
Second, among the room’s amenities were a bicycle tire repair kit – something I didn’t know I wanted until I visited Amsterdam. It was explained that the mending tin was something unique to the local culture: because everyone in Amsterdam rode bikes throughout the year, it was an item that served as a very home-style reminder of our time in the city.
In regards to activities, there were no shortage of entertainment options on site. For those who wanted to live like a local, the hotel offered a fleet of bicycles for guests to travel across Amsterdam in the preferred mode of transportation. The hotel also offers private canal cruises on their 100-year-old boat every evening starting at 5 p.m. While the tour costs 39 Euros (in addition to purchases made on the ship), it was an hour well spent on the historic canals of the city.
Photo courtesy: The Pulitzer Amsterdam
As an iPrefer Hotel Rewards Elite, the hotel gave me a very kind welcome gift upon my arrival. After my hotel tour, flowers alongside a Cuban dark chocolate bar, macarons from their bakery and a notebook were left in my room, along with a note of thanks from the hotel management.
Breakfast was also included with my room, consisting everyday of a warm item and their complimentary breakfast and charcuterie buffet. While the French Toast and Scrambled Egg Brioche were delightful, equally delightful was my view of the canal at breakfast each morning from my windowside table.
Overall, my experience at The Pulitzer was nothing short of amazing. Moreover, my return stay can be booked through either iPrefer Hotel Rewards or Choice Hotels’ Privileges points. Rooms at this independent Preferred Hotel and Resort start at 45,000 Choice Privileges points per night. Between the sign up bonuses from the Premier Rewards Gold Card from American Express (transferred to Choice Privileges) and the Choice Privileges Visa, I could easily earn at least one free night at this hotel.
With frugal options available, I could easily recommend this hotel to other frugal travelers who want to treat themselves to luxury. This independent, boutique location gave me plenty of great memories and left me wanting to return once more to the Venice of the North.
Disclaimer: As is common in the travel industry, the writer was provided some services for free in exchange for review purposes. While it has not influenced this review, FrugalTravelGuy believes in full disclosure of all potential conflicts of interest.
Written by Frugal Travel Guy @ http://www.frugaltravelguy.com
Written by Frugal Travel Guy @ http://www.frugaltravelguy.com