Best Western Premier Amsterdam Hotel Couture is one of the better Best Western choices for an affordable upscale hotel stay in Amsterdam. While located about three kilometers outside the city tourist center of Amsterdam, the room is comparable to hotels like Marriott Amsterdam and Hilton Amsterdam, which are frequently three times the room rate.
The ‘Premier’ distinction is one introduced in 2011 when Best Western tiered their properties in three levels as Best Western, Best Western Plus and Best Western Premier. Many travelers have a view of Best Western as a lower market segment, cheap road side motel lodging. My experience is ‘Premier’ branded hotels are usually comparable to most upscale chain hotels and even many upper upscale hotels in terms of room design and lobby space with restaurant facilities. Best Western ‘Plus’ is more variable depending on location.
Best Western Hotels now even offer a higher tier with Best Western Premier Collection.
Last week I read this statement on TravelBloggerBuzz.com in reference to my article on a new top tier elite for Best Western Rewards:
The latest on Best Western Rewards. Mostly positive but, then again, it is Best Western. Club Carlson can rest easy, it has some ways to catch up to #ouch.
TravelBloggerBuzz.com (Jan 22, 2016)
My immediate thought was George probably has not stayed in one of the better Best Western Hotels around the world.
Best Western Premier Amsterdam Hotel Couture
The initial attraction for Best Western Premier Hotel Couture Amsterdam was its price at 54.90 EUR per night on weeknights in late January, plus 2.75 EUR city tax (57.65 EUR = $62.44 USD).
I have booked many hotel rooms in Amsterdam over the past 16 years and this one was absolutely the lowest price I have paid for a designated 4-star hotel. Most Amsterdam hotels have ‘Nederlandse Hotel Classificatie’ star ratings posted outside their doors.
‘Nederlandse Hotel Classificatie’ 4-star sign at Best Western Premier Hotel Couture, Amsterdam.
Getting to Best Western Premier Hotel Couture Amsterdam
The hotel location is outside Amsterdam city center’s main tourist area, about three kilometers west from Museumplein, location of the Van Gogh Museum and Rijksmuseum. One of the best features is the hotel is adjacent to a tram stop on #2 line. The tram takes about 10 to 15 minutes to reach Museumplein.
Google Maps: Best Western Premier Hotel Couture, West Amsterdam
From Amsterdam Centraal Station (upper right corner on map) to Best Western Premier Hotel Couture is around a 30 minute ride on Tram 2. Trams in Amsterdam are 2.90 EUR for a one hour ticket. Tourist tram tickets for 24, 48, 72 hours, up to 7 days are available for purchase. 24 hours = 7.50 EUR, 48 hours = 12.50 EUR and each successive day reduces the daily cost. Best Western Hotel Couture sells 24, 48 and 72 hour tram tickets.
Since the hotel is located in the direction of Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, taking the #197 Schiphol Airport Express bus for 5 EUR is another option to get you within 200 yards of the #2 tram, bypassing the need to travel all the way to Centraal Station and backtrack to the hotel. Exit the 197 bus at the Amstelveenseweg stop, the next stop after the 1928 Olympic Stadium stop. #2 trams run every 6 to 12 minutes during the day and reduce frequency in evening to every 15 to 20 minutes running to a little past midnight. I exited the 197 bus at 10:30pm and walked to the hotel, and I was only 200 meters from the hotel when the #2 tram passed me.
Delflandlaan Tram #2 stop beside Best Western Premier Hotel Couture Amsteram.
Hotel Self Service Check-In
This hotel is an example of self-service automated check-in and checkout. Like the National Car Rental commercial, you don’t even need to speak with anyone if you don’t want to greet people.
Self-Service kiosk at Best Western Premier Hotel Couture lets you pay for the room and create your own key at check-in and checkout. Ignore the error message on the screen. I put my key card back on the reader after I checked out of the hotel to take a photo and the kiosk registered an error.
Hotel Lobby
The hotel lobby seen here is the main lobby seating.
Two guest computers in the lobby are connected to a printer. The metal box in foreground is a shoe shiner.
Dolce restaurant and bar area take up most of the ground floor space of the hotel around the lobby. I did not snap photos of the area. Breakfast buffet is 15 EUR.
Room at Best Western Premier Hotel Couture Amsterdam
The hotel has 11 floors. My room was on Floor 4.
Four elevators for guests at Best Western Premier Hotel Couture.
The vibrant carpet colors brighten up the place on rainy winter days.
  
  
TV had many stations and several different language stations. CNN and BBC were available.
Bathroom
The bathroom often is the main feature that separates better hotels from just average hotels. This area of West Amsterdam is known for its fashion industry. Most upper upscale hotels have a vanity mirror, but I generally find the lighting is poor on mirrors in hotel bathrooms. The vanity mirror in the Best Western Premier Hotel Couture was the best lighted mirror I recall in any hotel room.
After our summer trip in London hotels, my wife would be overjoyed to see a blow dryer on the bathroom wall in front of a large mirror. Our running joke about tiny European hotel rooms was how long it would take her to locate the blow dryer hidden and attached by cord inside a drawer or closet somewhere in the room and often not in the bathroom.
  
Rainshower head with good working temperature control and water pressure.
The room had a Nespresso coffee maker.
The primary complaint I had about the room was no refrigerator. The mini-bar is basically a tiny vending machine with cold soda and beer. There was a small sliding tray on the bottom where cans are dispensed. I was able to fit small, thin items in the tray to stay cool, but very limited space.
Handy in room feature lights up Maid message outside the door.
Room View
There was not much to see outside the hotel room window from my southern facing room. The hotel is located just west of the Amsterdam Ring A10 highway and the buildings surrounding the hotel are mostly offices. The view is probably prettier from the opposite north facing rooms of the hotel where there is a small park and canal. The lobby faces north.
  
My room view and hotel exterior view of 11-story Best Western Premier Hotel Couture.
  
View from opposite (north) side of hotel seen from #2 tram stop shows a small park with sculpture and canal view to northwest.
Fitness Center and Game Rooms
The fitness center and game room is located between the ground floor and Floor 1 guest rooms, only accessible by stairs. Amsterdam is a tough place to visit for tourists who cannot walk stairs.
   
  
  
The gym has three electronic pieces with a jogging machine, stair stepper and cycle. Adjacent to the gym is a magazine room with seating. The game room includes a pool table, foosball table and air hockey machine. Games are free of charge. Pool cues must be checked out from desk.
One aspect of the self check-in that I disliked is not being greeted as a Best Western Rewards Diamond member. While my room was comfortable, I was surprised as a Diamond elite member to find myself on a low floor of the 11-floor hotel. In fact, my subsequent hotel stay at Best Western Leidse Square has me questioning whether BW Hotel Couture even knew I was a Best Western Rewards member? More details on that issue will be included in my review of Best Western Leidse Square Amsterdam. I will not be so kind on my review of that 3-star Best Western hotel in a central Amsterdam location, behind the Marriott Amsterdam.
Best Western Premier Hotel Couture is added to my list of fine Amsterdam hotels. The location outside the city center might be too far for some tourists, particularly if you plan to stay out at night past midnight when tram service stops.
For me, ten minutes by tram to Museumplein is perfectly acceptable for a hotel room close enough to be in city center in 15 minutes at 40% of the price of comparable and lower quality hotels in city center.
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