Amsterdam was a city that I always wanted to visit, but I always thought wheelchair access around the city would be tricky. The more research I did, the more I began to realise it was more accessible than I originally thought. So we booked our flights and headed off for a long weekend city break. Here is my review after having stayed at the Corendon Vitality Hotel Amsterdam in a wheelchair accessible room.
Booking an Accessible Room
When we decided to visit Amsterdam, I began researching accessible hotels. I wasn’t sure what area to base ourselves in, so I decided to contact Accessible Travel Netherlands for some help. The lovely Veroniek from Accessible Travel Netherlands was fantastic and so helpful, providing lots of suggestions and advice.
I’ve never booked a holiday or hotel through an accessible travel agency, but it made sense to book the hotel through Accessible Travel Netherlands as Veroniek was a great resource and help to us. Veroniek also dealt with any questions and requests I had, such as organising a shower chair for me.
Once the booking was finalised, I then received an invoice from Accessible Travel Netherlands.
Location & Parking
It was late when we finally landed at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport so we were glad we had pre-booked a wheelchair accessible taxi (Salders) to take us to our hotel. We didn’t want any stress or hassle of having to figure out public transport late at night.
The taxi driver was patiently waiting for us even though we were 2.5 hours later than expected. He was very understanding. The taxi journey to Corendon Vitality was only 10 minutes so it was perfect.
Corendon Vitality is located in Nieuw-West (New West), just outside the city centre on Aletta Jacobslaan. Don’t let the fact that it’s not in the heart of the city centre put you off. It has great public transportation links and, as I just mentioned, is super close to the airport.
There is a tram stop (line 2) only 400 meters from the hotel, which provides an easy, accessible and efficient journey into the city centre.
In fact, National Geographic Traveler has voted tram line 2 one of the most beautiful lines because of the many sights you see along the way. We used the tram stop Johan Huizingalaan and Louwesweg during our trip.
If you are arriving in your own car, then you will be able to park in the hotel car park as well.
The hotel is situated in a fairly quiet area with a lovely canal across the street, which we enjoyed walking along each day to get to the tram stop. You can see in the photo above that the Corendon Vitality Hotel is in the background, behind the trees.
Entrance & Reception
We checked in at 1 a.m., but even though it was dark and we were tired, we could tell it was a lovely hotel. The entrance has a revolving door and a wheelchair accessible door on the right, which is activated by a button.
When we arrived, a member of staff saw us approaching and opened the door for us. This made it easy for us as Allan was juggling the suitcase and a few other bags at the time.
The reception staff helped us right away and got us checked into our accessible room within minutes. The desk was a little too high for me to see over, so I was expecting Allan to check us in.
However, I thought it was lovely that the woman at the front desk immediately lowered her computer screen to greet me so that I could see and speak to her directly.
Self-check in and out computers are available in the lobby if you prefer to do this yourself. There was also a nice area for relaxing in the lobby.
Wheelchair Accessible Room #428
I don’t think I’ve been as excited about getting to a hotel room and getting into bed as I was that night. I was exhausted, so I was beyond relieved when I got into bed and discovered it was a freaking awesome bed.
The dreamiest, comfiest and most cloud-like mattress I’ve ever lain on. Thank you, Corendon!
The travel mat that I always travel with remained in the suitcase the entire trip as there was no need for it and I wasn’t sore or uncomfortable at all in bed. Why can’t all hotel beds be like this?
The bed was made up of two twin beds joined together. To my surprise both beds were adjustable, so it was just like our bed at home.
Did I mention how amazing the mattress was?
I’ll try not to go on about it too much, but it is amazing when a bed is actually comfortable for me. There was plenty of space underneath the bed for a portable hoist if required.
The headboard had built-in lighting and an overhead shelf, which could come in handy if you needed a place to keep items close at hand. I loved the windmill print above the bed.
I found the height of the bed to be pretty good and we didn’t have any trouble transferring me to/from the bed and my wheelchair.
In terms of transferring from my wheelchair to the bed, we found there was only enough space on one side of the bed, closest to the bathroom.
The other side of the bed was close to the desk and although my wheelchair could fit alongside it, it was slightly tighter than the other side of the bed.
There was minimal furniture in the room, which was good because it gave me fewer obstacles to manoeuvre around. Apart from the bed, there was only an armchair, a desk, and a desk chair.
Despite its minimalism, I did feel that our accessible room was slightly on the small side. I was able to move around in my wheelchair but certain turns were tight or I had to reverse.
The desk was positioned in front of the large windows, which would have provided the best light for doing my makeup. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to manoeuvre into the desk as the space wasn’t big enough.
Instead, I did my makeup at the bathroom sink.
A kettle, telephone, lamp and fridge were all at the desk area.
A 42″ flatscreen TV was mounted on the wall and had lots of cool features, including YouTube, games, information on spa treatments available, food and drink, and Netflix. I loved relaxing in bed each night and watching Netflix.
Another great feature in our accessible room was the automatic door entry system. The large button on the wall was easy to push and placed at a good height for wheelchair users. The curtains were also operated automatically.
Wheelchair Accessible Bathroom
The bathroom was accessed through a sliding door. The turn into the bathroom was a little tight for my wheelchair, but it was manageable. Once inside the bathroom, I found there was enough space for what I needed.
The toilet was set at a good height with a pull-down grab bar on one side and the toilet roll holder positioned at a lower height, within reach.
Next to the toilet was the roll-in shower. During the booking process, I requested a shower chair, and Accessible Travel Netherlands made sure to arrange it.
If booking directly with the hotel, I’d recommend you request the shower chair, as from my understanding, it doesn’t automatically come with the accessible room.
I also believe there is only one shower chair available so I advise you to request this straightaway at the time of booking. There wasn’t a shower curtain so keep this in mind and take care if water is on the floor.
The bathroom sink was positioned at the right height to allow my wheelchair to roll underneath, but due to my weaker arms and poor upper body strength, I found it a little difficult to reach the taps fully without help.
The sink was a good size, with a large wall-mounted mirror as well as a small magnifying mirror, which was great when getting ready.
A hairdryer was also located next to the sink, wall-mounted soap dispenser, box of tissues and towel rail.
If you don’t want to leave your room and head down to the spa, then you can turn on the infrared light in the bathroom. It is lovely and warm, and it is installed in the bathroom ceiling.
A speaker system means you can listen to music or keep up with what’s happening on the TV while in the bathroom.
Amenities & Features
In the Room
- Temperature control
- Minibar
- Hairdryer
- Working desk
- Complimentary tea and coffee facilities
- Blackout curtains
- Complimentary WiFi
- Fairtrade toiletries
- 42” Flatscreen TV
- Laptop safe
In the hotel
- 24/7 Bazar (lobby shop)
- Complimentary access to the fitness centre
- Cor & Don’s Restaurant and Bar
- Car park
- Vitality Spa
Food
As breakfast was included in our reservation, we made full use of the international buffet breakfast each morning served in Cor & Don’s Restaurant. There was a wide range of options on offer, and they seemed to be going over well with the other guests. We filled ourselves up with toast, pain au chocolat, and lots of fruit.
Cor & Don’s Restaurant also served a ‘Burgers & more’ lunch menu and Mediterranean cuisine from lunchtime onwards. Drinks are served in the bar and there is an outdoor terrace to relax in with your meal and drink.
If you’re looking for a quick snack then The Bazar is ideal. The Bazar is a 24hr shop in the hotel lobby selling lots of goodies and useful items. Order at The Bazar or from the comfort of your room via the menu on the TV.
You can even buy some last-minute souvenirs for your family before heading to the airport. We bought our GVB travel cards from the Bazar which provided us with unlimited travel on the bus, tram, and metro. You can buy a GVB card for 24, 48, or 72 hours.
Final Thoughts
Corendon Vitality Hotel Amsterdam is one of the city’s accessible hotels, offering great accessible rooms and features. The thing I loved the most about this hotel, other than the look and feel, was the building’s accessibility. The heavenly bed and accessible technology in the room, such as the automatic door system, automatic curtains, and ordering food to the room via the TV.
The tram stop was incredibly close to the hotel which made it easy to travel to and from the city centre. My only negative regarding our accessible room was that it was slightly small in size, but it didn’t affect our overall experience or comfort at Corendon Vitality Hotel Amsterdam.
A great wheelchair accessible hotel in Amsterdam and I would definitely consider staying at Corendon Vitality hotel again.
3 Days In Amsterdam: A Wheelchair Users Travel Guide to Amsterdam
10 Wheelchair-Friendly Things To Do In Amsterdam
Amsterdam Airport Schiphol Special Assistance
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3 Responses
Do you know if there are any hotels with ceiling tracking hoists or portable hoists to stay in Amsterdam?
Thanks.
Hello Graham. Unfortunately, I don’t know of any hotels with ceiling track or portable hoists in Amsterdam. I will take a look and let you know if I find any. Best wishes, Emma
Thank you for your reply. I am so shocked that there are no hotels in any city without hoists, so that disabled travellers who require them cannot stay anywhere. It’s so frustrating & disappointing Amsterdam & the Dutch Tourist Board cannot push for such facilities. London isn’t great, but at least there are a handful of hotels with hoists. Who should be lobbied to provide such facilities?