Van der Valk Amsterdam: The Penthouse Suite I Keep Booking for Its River-View Bathtub
Van der Valk Hotel Amsterdam Amstel has become my default Amsterdam accommodation. Five stays over the past two years, always the Penthouse Suite, always worth booking. This isn't the most innovative hotel review—I'm recommending a chain hotel in a business district rather than a boutique property in the canal ring. But sometimes the best choice is the one that consistently delivers exactly what you need without complications.
The Penthouse Suite offers a spacious bathtub positioned to overlook the Amstel River, a room with actual square footage and natural light, and access to a heated outdoor pool on the roof. The location puts you 10 minutes from Amsterdam Centraal by metro, close to both Schiphol Airport and the city center, with parking that actually works. Dutch efficiency applied to hospitality—everything functions as described, rates stay reasonable even for the top room category.
This is the hotel I book when I want Amsterdam accommodation that prioritizes space, working bathtub with views, and reliable service over trendy design or canal-side charm. After five stays, I've stopped comparing it to other Amsterdam properties. It works.
Amsterdam Location: Overamstel and Practical Access
Van der Valk Amsterdam Amstel sits in the Overamstel area, south of Amsterdam's historic center. This location trades canal views and tourist proximity for space, parking, and metro efficiency. Overamstel station is a 5-minute walk, connecting directly to Centraal Station (10 minutes), Schiphol Airport (15 minutes), and the business district around Amsterdam Zuid and RAI.
The neighborhood functions as residential Amsterdam rather than tourist Amsterdam. Supermarkets, bakeries, actual Dutch people conducting normal errands. The Amstel River runs past the hotel, providing water views without the crowds that make canal-side neighborhoods difficult during peak season.
Central Amsterdam accessibility via metro means you can reach Museumplein, Jordaan, or De Pijp within 20 minutes. The A2 and A10 highways provide car access if driving, with the hotel's parking garage eliminating the street parking nightmare that defines central Amsterdam accommodation.
This setup works particularly well for trips mixing business and leisure, or when you want Amsterdam access without living in the tourist density of Centrum. The metro connection handles transportation efficiently, and you return to a hotel with parking and space rather than navigating narrow streets and stairs with luggage.
Van der Valk Hotel Amsterdam Amstel
Dutch Chain Reliability Done Well
Van der Valk operates as a Dutch hotel chain known for reliable quality and comprehensive facilities rather than design innovation or boutique character. Amsterdam Amstel exemplifies this approach: 206 rooms, multiple restaurants, wellness facilities with outdoor pool, parking garage with EV charging, and that functional Dutch aesthetic that prioritizes cleanliness and space over decorative elements. The property appeals to business travelers, families needing space, and anyone who values parking access and room size over proximity to tourist sites. The hotel delivers its services consistently—check-in efficient, rooms clean, facilities functional. This consistency across multiple visits makes it reliable rather than exciting, which suits certain travel styles perfectly. I've stayed here five times because it solves specific requirements: spacious room, good bathtub with views, heated outdoor pool, parking, reasonable rates. Other Amsterdam hotels excel at atmosphere or location. This one excels at space and facilities while maintaining accessibility to everything else.
Penthouse Suite: Space and Amstel River Views
Why I Book This Room Repeatedly
The Penthouse Suite occupies upper floors with expansive windows facing the Amstel River. The room measures significantly larger than standard Amsterdam hotel accommodations—actual space to unpack, move around, work at a proper desk rather than a cramped corner setup. Natural light throughout the day due to those floor-to-ceiling windows that most Amsterdam canal houses can't provide due to historic building constraints.
Design aesthetic follows Van der Valk's modern Dutch approach: clean lines, dark wood accents, contemporary furniture, marble in bathroom areas. Not trying to be canal house charming or design hotel cutting-edge. Just well-executed modern hotel room that emphasizes space and light over character.
The bed is comfortable—proper quality mattress, good pillows, effective blackout systems. After five stays I've never had issues with sleep quality, which matters when you're using the hotel as actual base rather than just sleeping between tourist activities.
Climate control responsive, soundproofing effective despite being near highways. The river-facing position means you look over water and greenery rather than roads, improving the view situation significantly.
The River-View Bathtub
The bathtub justified the Penthouse Suite booking the first time, and maintains that justification across subsequent stays. Large, deep, positioned facing those river-view windows. Not freestanding—built into marble surround—but properly sized for actual soaking rather than the cramped European standard that forces uncomfortable positioning.
Strong water pressure, consistent temperature control, efficient drainage. Quality fixtures, marble details that feel substantial rather than decorative. The positioning near windows means you soak while looking over the Amstel River—water views while bathing, natural light during day, evening lighting across the river at night.
This isn't the architectural bathtub of Venice's palace rooms or Athens' Acropolis views. It's a well-executed modern hotel bathtub in a space with proper room and sightlines. The combination of size, view, and reliable functionality creates a bathing experience that consistently works across multiple stays.
Bath products are standard Van der Valk supply—adequate quality, nothing remarkable. Extra towels provided without requesting, housekeeping understands that bathtub use requires more than standard allocation.
Wellness de Tropen and Rooftop Pool
The rooftop pool provides the second significant reason for repeat bookings. Heated outdoor pool (28°C) with views over the Amstel River and Amsterdam skyline. The pool isn't large—this isn't a resort—but it's heated year-round and positioned to maximize views from water level.
Swimming in heated water while looking over Amsterdam creates that specific experience that justifies hotel stays: access to facilities you wouldn't have otherwise. The rooftop position means open sky, city views, and that sense of being above the urban environment while still in it.
Pool area includes loungers, towels provided, basic amenities. Service minimal but sufficient. The pool operates as hotel facility rather than day spa destination—focused on hotel guests, manageable crowds, reliable access.
I've used the rooftop pool during all five stays, usually early morning or evening when crowds thin. Amsterdam skyline at sunset from heated water became enough of a ritual that I schedule arrival timing around it.
Wellness de Tropen occupies the hotel's spa level, offering Finnish sauna, Turkish steam bath, infrared cabins, Rasul room, and massage services. Standard hotel spa menu executed competently without remarkable innovation.
The sauna operates properly—consistent temperature, good ventilation, adequate space. Steam bath similarly functional. The facilities serve their purpose: post-walking recovery, evening relaxation, morning preparation for cold Amsterdam weather.
I've used the spa facilities during three of five stays. They function as expected amenity rather than destination experience. Massage services available by reservation, pricing standard for Amsterdam hotel spas.
The spa connects to the rooftop pool via elevator, making the transition from heated indoor facilities to heated outdoor pool practical during cold months. This integration works better than properties where pool and spa operate as separate entities.
Why This Hotel Works: Location and Value
Van der Valk Amsterdam Amstel functions as practical Amsterdam accommodation rather than experiential stay. The value proposition: spacious rooms, working facilities, parking access, metro connection, reasonable rates even for top room category.
The Penthouse Suite typically books at rates comparable to standard rooms in canal-side boutique properties. You trade historic building charm and tourist proximity for space, parking, pool access, and that bathtub with river views. This trade makes sense for certain trip types: business visits, extended stays, car travel, or when you want Amsterdam access without tourist density immersion.
Metro efficiency from Overamstel station means 20-minute access to anywhere in central Amsterdam. The A2 highway positioning puts Schiphol Airport 15 minutes away by car. The parking garage with EV charging eliminates the vehicle complications that make driving to central Amsterdam impractical.
Restaurant facilities work adequately—breakfast buffet comprehensive, dinner at Restaurant Amstelle competent Dutch-international cuisine. I've used the hotel restaurant twice across five stays, preferring neighborhood or city dining. But having functional on-site options matters for late arrivals or early departures.
The hotel operates with Dutch efficiency: everything functions as specified, service remains professional without being obsequious, problems get resolved systematically. After five stays, this reliability has proven more valuable than character or novelty.
Booking the Penthouse Suite
**Direct Booking:** Van der Valk's website typically offers best rates. Valk Loyal program (free) provides €5 discount per night and arrival drink.
**Room Selection:** Request higher floors for optimal river views. Penthouse Suite worth the premium over standard rooms—price difference modest, space and bathtub difference significant.
**Parking:** Garage has 131 spaces and 6 EV charging points. Reserve parking when booking if arriving by car.
**Pool Access:** Included for hotel guests. Quietest early morning (7-9am) or evening (8-10pm). Bring own swimwear or purchase at reception.
**Transportation:** Overamstel metro (5-minute walk) connects to Central Station (10 min), Schiphol Airport (15 min), Amsterdam Zuid (8 min). Metro more efficient than car for city center visits.
**Timing:** Amsterdam's September-October and April-May provide best combination of weather and manageable crowds. The outdoor pool operates year-round but winter usage requires tolerance for cold air despite heated water.
Five stays at Van der Valk Amsterdam Amstel, always the Penthouse Suite, always meeting expectations without surprises. This consistency might sound boring as review conclusion, but consistency becomes valuable when you've found accommodation that solves specific requirements reliably.
The combination of spacious room, river-view bathtub, heated rooftop pool, parking access, and metro efficiency creates a base that handles both business and leisure Amsterdam visits. The rates remain reasonable despite being the property's top room category—typically less than boutique hotel standard rooms in canal districts.
This isn't the most atmospheric Amsterdam accommodation. Canal house hotels deliver historic charm, boutique properties offer design innovation, and museum district locations put you in tourist center. Van der Valk Amsterdam Amstel delivers space, facilities, and functionality while maintaining Amsterdam accessibility.
I keep booking the Penthouse Suite because it works across different visit types: weekend leisure trips, week-long work stays, family visits requiring space. The bathtub with river views, rooftop pool routine, and reliable room quality make it worth the repeat bookings. Whether I'll continue indefinitely depends on Amsterdam travel frequency, but five stays established it as default choice. That's probably the most useful endorsement—when you stop shopping for alternatives.
Written by Sophie
Luxury travel enthusiast who values reliable accommodation that consistently delivers on space, bathtub quality, and practical facilities over trendy locations.
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