Mandarin Oriental Conservatorium, Amsterdam

Liked: Beautiful historic building in a great location near museums

Disliked: Nothing. Loved it.

Liked: Everything good

Liked: Everything

Disliked: We had an excellent stay at the Mandarin Oriental Amsterdam. The hotel is beautiful, the service was generally outstanding, and almost every aspect of our experience met the high standards one would expect from Mandarin Oriental. Unfortunately, one incident at the end of our stay left me extremely disappointed and concerned. I had fully prepaid our stay through Booking.com before arrival. At check-in, I was asked to provide a credit card for a €200 security deposit. I specifically and clearly confirmed that no additional amount should be charged to my card, since the accommodation had already been paid in full. However, approximately 24 hours later, I happened to notice that the entire cost of our stay had been charged to my credit card again, without my authorization — effectively charging me twice for the accommodation. When I brought this to the hotel’s attention, the transaction was reversed, but what concerned me even more was the response. I was simply told, “It was a mistake.” When I asked what would have happened if I had not noticed the charge myself, the answer was again essentially, “It was a mistake.” Mistakes can happen, of course, but an unauthorized charge of the full cost of a stay — particularly after a guest has explicitly confirmed that the stay is already fully paid — is not a minor error. It raises an important question about the hotel’s payment controls and whether the duplicate charge would have been identified and corrected had I not discovered it myself. The hotel did reverse the transaction promptly once I raised the issue, and I appreciate that. Nevertheless, at this level of hospitality, guests should be able to trust that their credit cards will be handled with absolute care and that charges will only be made with proper authorization. It is unfortunate because, aside from this incident, our stay was genuinely excellent.

Liked: The location was the only thing I really liked about the hotel.

Disliked: Unfortunately, I was disappointed with several aspects of my stay. * Street noise could clearly be heard inside the room. * There were no water bottles available next to the bed, and even when I called reception to request water for the room, it was never delivered. * The bathroom doors were very difficult to push open. When opened, they block the hallway leading to the room. The bathroom itself is quite small, with too many doors, making the space inconvenient and difficult to use. * Reception service was very slow. When calling from the room, the phone could ring for around five minutes before someone answered. * The room-cleaning light was not working. I reported the issue, but it was never fixed. * The payment situation at check-out was particularly concerning. The room charge had already been taken from my account two days before my arrival. However, at check-out, the receptionist asked me to pay the room charge again. I explained that the amount had already been charged before my arrival, and she told me that she would check the previous transactions. Overall, apart from the location, I did not feel that the service and room experience matched the standard I expected from a Mandarin Oriental hotel.

Liked: Location

Disliked: Bathrooms smelled bad. The A/C was not cold enough. Early morning staff on Sunday was not very qualified.

Liked: The rooms and staff were awesome.

Liked: Greta location friendly front desk great breakfast.

Disliked: Some things to be not working properly Like the shower and bathrooms and the AC system in the room..

Disliked: I booked this hotel to celebrate a special occasion and, unfortunately, it ended up being one of the most disappointing hotel experiences I have had. There were some positives. The room was spacious and comfortable, and the breakfast buffet was of very good quality. However, the room also felt noticeably dated, and it was still possible to feel that some parts of the transition to Mandarin Oriental had not yet been fully completed. Surprisingly, the à la carte breakfast dishes were below average and did not match the quality of the buffet. The biggest disappointment was the service and attention to detail. Before arrival, I was invited to share the purpose of my visit and whether the hotel could prepare something special. I informed the hotel that I was celebrating a special occasion. This was completely ignored, with no acknowledgment, note or amenity in the room. It genuinely made me wonder why guests are asked these questions if the information is ignored. I also requested an invoice and received no response. What should have been a routine invoice request then turned into FOUR WEEKS of emails after my stay. It took six emails before anyone offered even a simple apology! I was charged twice, was given incorrect information at check-out, received incorrect invoices, and had to repeatedly follow up to get the matter resolved. At one point, I even received an email intended for another guest with their details. Mistakes happen in every hotel. What disappointed me was the lack of ownership, professionalism and attention to detail in resolving them. For a stay costing over EUR 1,100 per night, I expected a level of service that matched the reputation of the Mandarin Oriental brand. In the end, what should have been a memorable celebration became memorable for all the wrong reasons. M.O. never again.