Before flying to Amsterdam, I spent a lot of time researching the most beautiful places to go. I wanted to find a place, where we could spend some time just relaxing and enjoying ourselves to recharge our batteries. And during that research, I kept bumping into that one hotel: Hotel Sofitel Legend The Grand.
I was really excited to visit Amsterdam for the second time in my life. The first time we went there, that city absolutely broke all of my stereotypes and stayed in my mind as a picturesque place with kind people and the most beautiful architecture. The fact that we are coming back to this place and will stay at one of the most luxurious hotels in the city made me really excited.
When we arrived at The Grand, I was absolutely astonished by the contrast between such a traditional and landmark building (previously, it was a city hall) and such a modern decor. This hotel is situated in close proximity to Dam square and in the Red Light district, however, all the chaos and craziness seems to slip away when you enter through into the courtyard.
We have opted for a Junior Suite, so after our check in we were introduced to our butler Dominique, who has shown us our room and told us a bit more about the history of the hotel. We immediately fell in love with our Junior Suite (45 sq m), the interior and colour scheme made us feel at home and comfortable straight away. The bedroom zone has a very traditional interior, but the bath is very modern and features a tropical shower and TV. Our room had a view on the inner garden, and we never heard any disturbing noises from outside or from the other rooms, which made us sleep like the babies in the most comfortable King Size bed.
The breakfast at The Grand takes a place in a well-known restaurant called ‘Bridges’ that has a Michelin star. As always, there was intercontinental buffet with a self service, but we were also given a menu in case we wanted to order something from the chief specials. Two days in the row we were ordering Norwegian Eggs (which are the same as Eggs Benedict) and it was the best breakfast I ever had. The smoked salmon was absolutely delicious!
Every day we were finding new surprises from the room service, from desserts to cheese and champagne, which was really adding another positive note to our overall experience.
We’ve been informed that there is a SPA at the hotel with a steam room, sauna and beautiful swimming pool, so we couldn’t miss the opportunity to recharge our batteries. The SPA is located on the first floor and the main door won’t let you in without a room card, the swimming pool is not really big, but it seems to be fine for the amount of people attending the SPA and staying at the hotel. When we came, there was only one couple in SPA, so it’s surely rarely is overcrowded.
We felt so comfortable at The Grand that we really didn’t want to check out. In my mind, this hotel is surely Top-1 in my list for now and I can’t wait to come back and enjoy that perfect atmosphere and amazing service again.
Location: Oudezijds Voorburgwal 197, 1012 EX Amsterdam, Netherlands
Hotel website: Sofitel Legend The Grand Amsterdam