Stay Over in A Hotel Near Amsterdam Airport Next Time You Visit

Whether you have a late arrival or an early departure, picking a hotel near the airport is ideal. After my exciting trip to Amsterdam recently, I decided to choose a hotel near Amsterdam airport prior to leaving the country.

Around the time of my holiday, it was quite busy, which was understandable, especially if you’re planning on staying as close to the airport as I did. I appreciate the hotel staff and hotels as a business. They meet so many new people everyday and have to find so many ways to cater to everyone’s needs. I know of someone who works within a successful hotel chain, where they have stepped up the hotel property management side of their business to see how much more accommodating they can be towards their customers and help grow their company even more. No one should take hotels and their staff for granted, as they do they best and even more to look after people like us on our holidays.

Since I had stayed at hotel ibis Amsterdam Centre, it seemed kind of obvious to pick another ibis property. My hotel of choice? ibis Schiphol Amsterdam Airport, of course. ibis is a brand from the Accor group of hotels and they always make budget look really good.

Taking the Shuttle Bus to My Hotel Near Amsterdam Airport

After exiting Schiphol Airport, I had to locate the shuttle stop for the shuttle to the hotel. I didn’t have to go far as there were many others also in search of this shuttle to take them to their hotel near Amsterdam airport.

TSG Tip: Look for the shuttle bus with Accor Hotels on the side as well as the bright red ibis red logo.

Always worried I might be in the wrong spot, I verified with the signage at the shuttle stop that I, indeed, was in the right place. Talking about being in the right place at the right time, a friend recommended the convenience and ideally located Best Hotel Near SAP Center that sits next to the famous SAP Centre in Downtown San Jose. Another convenient and well-located hotel that a friend emphasized eased her travel and planning around her visit to Silicon Valley, one she highly recommends.

TSG Tip: There are shuttle bus timetables posted right at the bus stop and the ibis Schiphol Amsterdam Airport shuttle is scheduled to arrive every 20 minutes. However, it can be late so don’t panic if it is. Learn to kind of roll with these things as I fully expect airport shuttles to never be on time. Rest assured, they do eventually show up.

I climbed aboard the nearly full shuttle bus and sat in back. The ride was all of 10 minutes to my hotel near Amsterdam airport, the ibis Schiphol Amsterdam Airport.

The shuttle drops off guests at this airport hotel first before heading to the other nearby hotels. This includes ibis Budget and Dorint Airport-Hotel Amsterdam and then circles back to the airport.

TSG Tip: According to the hotel, the shuttle bus arrives every 20 minutes at the airport and hotel. After it drops everyone off, it then starts the process in reverse by picking up hotel passengers to take to the airport. The shuttle operates from 5 am – 1 am daily.

Hotel Reception

Upon arrival, guests can check in at the reception area opposite the front entrance from where you entered.

TSG Tip: Save time waiting in a queue and check into your room in advance online. You’ll get an email from ibis showing you how to do this a day or two before your arrival. With 644 rooms in this hotel and during busy times, the lines can form quickly. Checking in online will most definitely save you time and help you avoid long lines.

Sweet Wing

My Superior Room was located in the “Sweet Wing” of the hotel. You can’t pass through here without scanning your room key making this area extra safe and secure for a solo traveler.

Then on cue, it’s as if the bunnies were told to appear outside. Well, maybe not, but c’mon — there are bunnies outside and lots of them. Who can resist bunnies?

Inside the Sweet Wing you’ll find the Sweet Lounge. Here you can enjoy a complimentary beverage and a few different places to sit and relax. Choose from the flavored water, tea, or coffee available all day, every day, for free.

I took the elevator up to the fourth floor and went in search of my room. The hallways are tastefully decorated in a cool, funky modern decor.

My Room

A quick left off the elevator and I arrived at my Superior room in the Sweet Wing.

Inside a Superior room you’ll find all the necessities you’ll need for an overnight stay before a flight.

Each Superior room includes a large double Sweet bed by ibis, air-cooling system, free access to the Sweet Lounge, free premium WiFi, USB charging hub, and a flat screen TV.

The Sweet Bed is appropriately named because it’s super comfortable. Climb in and you’ll fall right to sleep on it in no time flat.

There’s a desk area adjacent to a small wardrobe to the right and a bench on the left. Inside the wardrobe is also a small room safe, if needed.

While the window may not offer the most spectacular views, it does open. This was helpful because on an unusually hot September day in the Netherlands, the air conditioning wasn’t working (hopefully they managed to get someone like this jacksonville ac service out to sort the problem the next day). It was on in the hallways and public spaces, but for some reason it wasn’t on in my room. So I had to open the window up and then I went down to reception to see what I could do. Thank goodness they offer great service because they immediately provided me with a fan. My stay was definitely better because it was so hot that night.

TSG Tip: Full disclosure: I had a restless night’s sleep during my stay because of the heat and a strange smell in my room. I told the staff at reception who were very apologetic although I’m still not sure what the cause of the smell in my room was.

The bathroom was compact, but had everything I could possibly need during my stay.

Final Thoughts on My Room

Overall, the room was more than ample in size for an overnight stay. While I was staying alone, it would’ve easily fit two people comfortably without having anyone tripping over their things or each other. I’ve stayed in both budget and luxury hotels where the rooms were way smaller. In the end, I was definitely pleased with the size, cleanliness, and overall look and feel of my room despite a few minor bumps along the way.

Public Spaces

Whether you’re flying in and out of Schiphol airport for business or leisure and you’ve decided on a hotel near Amsterdam airport, you probably don’t want to spend all of your time in your room.

I was worried that there wouldn’t be anywhere to eat or anything to do at this hotel since it was an airport hotel, but I was wrong. You can always grab a seat in the lobby of ibis Schiphol Amsterdam Airport to work, chat, or look out the window and daydream.

There’s even a business center near reception if you need to go online or print something off during your stay.

Bars

Perhaps before heading to dinner or your room you’re thinking you might like a drink. If that’s the case, then head over to the Grand Cafe where you can choose from a variety of cocktails like a Mojito or a Margarita and stretch out in one of the many seats available. As a frequent traveler, I like that there’s a dedicated bar area inside this hotel and not just a place to purchase alcohol in the lobby.

Toastie Bar

Looking for a quick meal instead of a sit down dinner? Stop in at the Toastie Bar on the second floor of the hotel. Choose from soup, toasties, pie of the day, or a beverage. The Toastie Bar is open daily from 12:00 until 17:00.

Take Away

I checked out the Restaurant L’Estaminet, but decided I only wanted to grab something and take it back to my room. The 24-hour Take Away area in the lobby near reception was absolutely perfect for what I needed.

TSG Tip: The restaurant did have one vegan option of Veggie Curry, but I wasn’t in the mood for it. That’s why I opted for something take away vs. sit down.

From sandwiches to salads, fresh fruit, beverages (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic), and snacks, you can find pretty much everything you could possibly need or want at Take Away.

My dinner was a simple one of a hummus and peppadew wrap with barbecue paprika Crack Jacks rice cakes. YUM! I didn’t have a lot of hopes for a prepared sandwich, but it was so good and vegan. I had to pull up Google Translate to search the ingredients before eating, but yes — it’s all vegan.

Breakfast Buffet

I guarantee there's absolutely no way you can leave ibis Schiphol Amsterdam Airport hungry after their breakfast buffet. Click To Tweet

On your way to and from your room via the elevator, you’ll probably notice the elevator decal displaying the ibis breakfast buffet. When you book your room, consider paying a little extra for the buffet breakfast because it’s definitely worth the added expense.

The morning of my departure I headed up to the ibis Kitchen Buffet for my buffet breakfast. All you have to do is give the staff member your room number, grab a tray, and choose your breakfast items. The full buffet is available from 6:30 am until 10 am.

There’s a massive variety of food available from cold items like crackers and biscuits as well as croissants and other breads and fruit. Not enough? How about yogurt, colds meats, cheeses, and fruit juice, too?

But if hot food is your idea of breakfast, then dig into the eggs, beans, sausages, and the like for a rich and hearty breakfast. I guarantee there’s absolutely no way you can leave ibis Schiphol Amsterdam Airport hungry after their breakfast buffet. Don’t forget to grab a coffee, cappuccino, or latte, too.

TSG Tip: The hotel’s restaurants are located near reception and are accessed via escalators. Check the board in reception for hours of operation before you head upstairs.

Shuttle Back to Airport

Since the shuttle back to the airport is supposed to circle around from the airport to the hotel every 20 minutes, I knew when to go outside. I saw one leave from the window in my room and I used that to time when to go downstairs. I checked out, grabbed my bags, and took a seat in front of the hotel looking toward the little water area out front.

ibis Schiphol Amsterdam Airport was the first stop from the airport on the shuttle bus. However, on the way back to the airport, this hotel is the last stop so there were zero seats available. I had to rearrange some luggage to get my bag in the corral and then I stood for the duration of the 10-minute ride back to the airport. Since I use public transportation at home, this wasn’t a big deal, but expect the shuttle bus to be full at busy times like in the morning.

Although I only stayed overnight, ibis Schiphol Amsterdam Airport hotel was a perfectly sized airport hotel option. It had more hotel options and amenities than I expected, which is great when you’re traveling either for business or leisure.

Final Thoughts

It would’ve been easy to just stay in Amsterdam and take the train to the airport in the morning. But I wanted to be near the airport before my flight to cut down on my travel time. That meant finding a convenient, affordable, and safe hotel near Amsterdam airport. ibis Schiphol Amsterdam Airport was definitely the right choice for me. I loved the many options for food and beverages, the large public spaces, and my room in the Sweet Wing that was accessible only to those with key cards. Having a safe and secure room is so important anywhere I travel to, including a hotel near Amsterdam airport. For an affordable option the next time you’re looking for a hotel near Amsterdam airport, consider ibis Schiphol Amsterdam Airport.

ibis Schiphol Amsterdam Airport
Schipholweg 181,
1171 PK Badhoevedorp, Netherlands

Have you stayed at a hotel near Amsterdam airport? Pros? Cons? Leave your comments below and don’t forget to visit the rest of the Travel Shop Girl website while you’re here.

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While I was generously provided accommodations from ibis Schiphol Amsterdam Airport, as always all opinions and photographs, unless otherwise noted, are my own.