For my long weekend trip to Belgium, I needed one hotel night in Amsterdam. With an a fairly early (9:20 am) departure, I wanted an airport hotel, rather than staying the city. I chose the Hilton Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, as I’m a sorta Hilton fanboy, and they offered good rates. Though I usually avoid prepaid rates, this hotel offered a 20% discount for the “Honors Discount Advance Purchase” rate. €141.75 felt like a great rate for a “Deluxe Room with Airport View”, so I booked it.
Note: this post is part of my trip report series about my quick weekend trip to Belgium. Click here for the trip report index and introductory post.
Hilton Amsterdam Airport Schiphol
- Schiphol Boulevard 701, Schiphol, 1118 BN, Netherlands
- Website: https://www3.hilton.com/en/hotels/netherlands/hilton-amsterdam-airport-schiphol-AMSAPHI/index.html
- Amenities: executive lounge, pool, fitness center, meeting rooms, parking (€49/day), restaurant, bar, business center
Location: attached to the Schiphol Airport complex. There are several airport hotels at Schiphol, but the Hilton is the farthest from the terminals. Even so, it’s only about a 10-minute walk. After clearing passport control, first look for this sign directing you to “Hotels”.
Once you pass the Schiphol train station, look for this sign to continue towards the airport hotels.
Soon, you’ll pass the other hotels; continuing following the signs to the Hilton.
Eventually, you’ll reach the doors to the Hilton lobby.
As mentioned, though it’s the farthest of Schiphol’s airport hotels, the walk took only 10 minutes at a moderate pace. To reach the Amsterdam city center, simply walk back to the signs for the trains. Local trains take you to Amsterdam Centraal in 15-20 minutes; tickets cost €4.80 per person.
Hilton Amsterdam Airport Schiphol – Check-In and Common Areas
I checked in via the Hilton Honors app, and selected an airport view room on the 5th floor. The check-in agent, however, had a very pleasant surprise in store. She advised me that I’d been upgraded to an Executive Floor airport view room on the 11th floor. Woot! I must say, after a couple of nice upgrades this year, I’m rethinking the value of Honors Gold status.
Anyway, the hotel lobby feature a large atrium with some modern art and furniture. It does have a definite IKEA vibe, but then again, I suppose that’s appropriate given the location. Also notice the small kids’ play area tucked behind the escalator.
There is also a pretty nice bar at the back of the lobby.
From the 11th floor, you can appreciate the hotel’s circular design, and the spacious central atrium. You can also see here that some rooms face the atrium, with no exterior windows.
You can also relax in the hotel’s indoor pool. Or get in a workout in the fairly small fitness center.
Hilton Amsterdam Airport Schiphol – Guest Rooms
As mentioned earlier, the hotel upgraded me to an Executive Floor room on the 11th floor. The “King Executive Room” measures a modest 290 square feet, with one king size bed. The room definitely feels a bit small, though still comfortable. Helpfully, both nightstands contain a plug (Euro-standard, so bring an adapter).
These rooms also feature a mural of Amsterdam above the headboard.
In the center of the room is a flat-screen TV and a chaise-lounge. I’m not sure I get the placement of the lounge; you can’t watch TV from there, or look out the window.
Between the sitting area and bathroom is a coffee maker and minibar.
To the left is a small closet with a safe. Should you need more storage space, you can actually shove quite a few small bags underneath the bed.
In the corner is a proper desk and chair, though I found the chair a bit uncomfortable. The desk includes a multi-plug power strip by the wall. I do like the desk’s placement by the window. Natural daylight is always preferable to a lamp while working. Though the view out the window can get…distracting, as I’ll get to later.
The bathroom is reasonably sized compared to the relatively small room. It contains a spacious sink area, along with a walk-in shower with hand-held shower head. Amenities include Hilton’s standard Peter Thomas Roth products.
I’ve saved the best part of the room for last. Remember my mentioning the distraction of the view outside the window by the desk? That’s right – check out that view of the airport out the window.
The great thing about this view? You get a panorama of the terminal buildings, apron, and runways. And at Schiphol, there’s never a shortage of airplane porn to gawk at.
So yeah, if you’re even a minor league avgeek, good luck getting any work done from that desk!
Like most Hiltons, this property offers free WiFi for Honors members booking direct. Speeds seemed pretty good; I made it through a half hour Vonage call with no issues. Also, unlike most Hiltons, the network doesn’t boot you off when your phone goes into sleep mode.
Hilton Amsterdam Airport Schiphol – Executive Lounge
My upgraded room included access to the Executive Lounge on the 10th floor. The club occupies a decent sized space, with seating for perhaps 25 or so. From the entrance, the lounge opens up into a central dining area. A handful of tables lines the windows, providing good airport views.
Just past the dining area is a larger central seating area, with an assortment of loungers and bar stools facing the atrium. At the back of this section is a small business center, with a workstation and a printer.
This area also contains a couple of couches if you want more space to relax with a view.
A small library rounds out the very back of the lounge.
I made it to the lounge a few minutes before 8, just before the attendant picked up the evening snack selection. It’s nothing spectacular; just some hummus and assorted breads, cold cuts, and cheese and fruit. Frankly it made me glad I went into the city for pancakes. But if you’re just looking for something to munch on while sipping a drink and planespotting, it’s fine. Note that liquor is kept out only when snacks are out until 8 pm. After that time, it’s beer and wine only.
Speaking of beer, it’s in the drinks refrigerator at the end of the buffet line, along with a coffee machine.
Honors Gold guests upgraded to Executive Level rooms receive their breakfast benefit either in the lounge or in the main restaurant. However, as I had an early flight, I skipped breakfast at the hotel.
Final Thoughts
I thought the Hilton Amsterdam Airport Schiphol was quite good for an airport hotel. Small rooms are a minus, and the Executive Lounge snack situation looked subpar. But I found the rooms and public areas well-appointed, the upgrade was great, and you can’t beat the airport views. And of course, the short walk to the terminals and easy access to the city center works well. It’s a good choice if you need an airport hotel in Amsterdam.
