There’s a Marriott hotel that has intrigued me for quite some time. Now that I have the chance to actually stay at it, though, I’m not actually sure I want to pick this property? So I’m curious what y’all think…
In this post:
Marriott’s Corendon Amsterdam Schiphol Airport
In the near future I have an overnight planned at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport (I’ll let you guys guess which airline product I’m planning to review), and I’m trying to decide where to stay.
For quite some time, I’ve been intrigued by the Corendon Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, which is part of Marriott’s Tribute Portfolio. There’s one simple reason I’m intrigued by this 207-room hotel, and that’s the fact that there’s a Boeing 747 just outside the hotel.
For those not familiar, Corendon is a leisure vacation group, with low cost carriers based in both Turkey and the Netherlands. The company acquired a former KLM Boeing 747 and painted it in its own livery, and it’s now on display at the hotel.
The Dutch version of the airline currently operates a single long haul route using an Airbus A350 leased from World2Fly, and that plane flies from Amsterdam to Curaçao. The airline created a hilarious, raunchy safety video exclusively for this route, and I believe it was even filmed inside this Boeing 747.
The hotel is quite affordable, and seems to have a fairly cool design, though the rooms look pretty simple.
Why I’m not sold on staying at this property
As an aviation geek, I of course find the Boeing 747 at this hotel to be very cool. The only catch is that best I can tell, there’s not actually an aviation theme to the property beyond that. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t believe you can actually enter the aircraft either.
So it is it worth staying at a hotel just to be able to look at a 747, cool as it may be, when I’ve seen pictures of it online? This isn’t like the TWA Hotel, where there’s an aviation theme throughout the property (though that hotel is sort of a nickel-and-diming mess).
If there weren’t any other great airport hotel options I’d probably stay there anyway, but there’s also the Sheraton Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, which seems pretty great for an airport hotel:
- The hotel is connected directly to the airport, so doesn’t require taking a shuttle, which is something I hugely value at an airport hotel, given what a time consuming pain shuttles can be
- The hotel has a club lounge, which is an amenity I appreciate, especially when I’m trying to work from somewhere other than my room while traveling, to avoid falling asleep due to jet lag
- The Sheraton has some rooms that have airport views, which is always quite a selling point as an aviation geek, because who doesn’t like seeing airplanes from their room?
- The Sheraton was recently renovated, and actually looks really nice
Bottom line
I’m trying to decide where to stay for an upcoming overnight at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport. I’m intrigued by the Corendon, which has a Boeing 747 parked outside, but isn’t otherwise connected to the airport. As much as the hotel has been on my radar, I can’t help but actually think that a stay at the Sheraton would be better, between it being connected directly to the terminal, the club lounge, and the airport views.
Where should I stay (and review) — the Corendon or Sheraton?
The Corendon hotel has a good buffet. Else there is a citizenM which has direct airport views
You're not missing much with the 747 as it doesn't probably doesn't have individual air nozzles above the business class seats!
Try and get a corner suite on the 7th or 8th floor at the Sheraton. The AVgeek experience will be so much better with the tarmac views from there
Prepandemic 2020 still had tours being offered to kids: https://go-kids.nl/t-gooi/agenda/voorjaarsvakantie-meet-me-in-the-corendon-boeing-747-experience#:~:text=Het%20vliegtuig%20is%20dagelijks%20te,een%20dagje%20uit%20in%20Amsterdam.
As Simone has said in the comments, they still offer daily tours .... reach out to the hotel and you can join one.... note that you won't have a problem with instructions being given in Dutch ... Or reach out to their PR as a OMAAT, mention you like their safety video, you know Judeska (JanDino's alter ego) and would like to view the 747...
Prepandemic 2020 still had tours being offered to kids: https://go-kids.nl/t-gooi/agenda/voorjaarsvakantie-meet-me-in-the-corendon-boeing-747-experience#:~:text=Het%20vliegtuig%20is%20dagelijks%20te,een%20dagje%20uit%20in%20Amsterdam.
As Simone has said in the comments, they still offer daily tours .... reach out to the hotel and you can join one.... note that you won't have a problem with instructions being given in Dutch ... Or reach out to their PR as a OMAAT, mention you like their safety video, you know Judeska (JanDino's alter ego) and would like to view the 747 interiors to show your audience .... they are most accommodating to show the inside, provided you give them at least 2 weeks in advance request (staff deployment + preparation) Enjoy ..... it really is a blast from the past .... and to Simone : thanks for sharing : altijd leuk om te lezen dat mensen een fijne vakantie hebben :)
PS: complete video tour of Corendon 747:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wInmDCBCZpY
Ben, maybe it is better to try the Corendon Amsterdam New-West and review their 737 Cockpit Suite?
https://www.corendonhotels.com/corendon-amsterdam-new-west/room/737-cockpit-suite/
This should be aviation themed enough for you, I believe it even includes a simulator!
Since you can't go inside, you're essentially just looking at the exterior of an 747, which you can do at airports...
I'd rather go to the McDonalds in New Zealand where you can actually enter inside a Douglas DC-3.
I would choose the Sheraton because of the convenience to the airport and the club lounge. So what there is a plane parked outside the other hotel.
We stayed at the Sheraton a little under a year ago. Very convenient, decent breakfast, lounge food not bad. Staff very nice. Can't beat the location - short walk from the (somewhat confusing) trains into the city and security.
Stayed at the Sheraton last week, very nice, updated rooms - breakfast was in the restaurant and evening was in the lounge. I would get there- ten minutes from immigration touring your room.
You can not enter the 747. The hotel did not get permission to use it as hotel rooms and it is configured for meetings I believe.
If you get a room at the Sheraton facing the control tower remember to close your curtains. We can look in to those rooms with binoculars, makes the night shift interesting.
The Sheraton also offers day passes (or used to) for its lovely spa , pool, and gym which had tranquility room to just lay down and chill. I used this option years ago when I had a long layover in Amsterdam.
The rooftop bar has a great view over the airport. Bars and restaurants are reasonably priced and service is friendly. Surprise Surprise, there is a movie theater as well in the basement... All things considered, sure it is not as luxurious as the Sheraton but surprisingly good value! Been there on quite a few occasions though I never stayed there: mostly to use the Tesla supercharger on-site.
Zeker doen! Boek een (gerenoveerde) view kamer, dan heb je uitzicht op de Boeing en op Schiphol. Elke ochtend om 11 uur is er een tour door de boeing. Past dit niet in je schema, vraag dan bij de receptie naar iemand van Guest Relations. Voor alles is een oplossing. 's Morgens heerlijk ontbijten en dan met de gratis shuttle naar Schiphol. Al mijn vakanties starten bij Corendon!
My guess is that the hotel is primarily there to cater to Corendon's package holidaymakers who might need a night before or after their holiday due to flight schedules. Consequently, the ambience is probably such that the place is best avoided.
Seems rather extraordinary to put that next to a hotel and not have access.
Even if only a bar in the nose section?
Remember to close the door behind you when getting into your KLM business class seat :)
Yes yes yes yes yes
My guess, and hope, for the flight you're taking: Surinam Airways to Paramaribo!
Believe their flight departs around 8.30 am so that seems to fit at least.
You can definitely tour the plane. I was there last year. It is not a bad experience - fully fitted with KLM Seats though …
I would stay at the hotel with a concierge lounge that you can ACCESS. Tribune is not a Marriott brand that provides guaranteed lounge access. I would call first.
Otherwise I would stay at the Sheraton - a regular Marriott brand.
The Corendon safety video is hilarious, especially if you understand Dutch.
For those with a true desire to stay in a 747, try the JumboStay at Arlanda airport outside Stockholm, Sweden. It is a 747 that is converted into a hotel (more like a hostel, I think.) My wife stayed there once and found it unusual rather than good. But I think unusual is good too! Google the name of the hotel if interested.
I stayed solo at the Jumbo Hotel at Arlanda several times before the pandemic, once in the cockpit and once in an engine pod. It was a fun change up, although I don't know that my lady would have been thrilled with the bathroom down the aisle.
My first recommendation is to avoid Schiphol full stop unless you are actually visiting the Netherlands. Terrible airport and the worst major European hub in my view.
Having stayed at both Sheraton and Hilton a couple of years ago I would recommend the Hilton which I much preferred.
Schiphol makes a great base for visiting the Netherlands due to the station and the great rail links (if only they'd clean the trains once in a...
My first recommendation is to avoid Schiphol full stop unless you are actually visiting the Netherlands. Terrible airport and the worst major European hub in my view.
Having stayed at both Sheraton and Hilton a couple of years ago I would recommend the Hilton which I much preferred.
Schiphol makes a great base for visiting the Netherlands due to the station and the great rail links (if only they'd clean the trains once in a while).
Lovely country, fabulous people, terrible airport
Hahaha. Not a single argument why Schiphol is a bad airport. Clown.
Probably you have never flown to LHR, compared to that hell hole Amsterdam is heaven.
The Corendon isn’t a very nice hotel and I’d recommend against staying there. The Sheraton is way better and the suites have great views of the airport. They are also pretty good about upgrading Bonvoy members with status.
sorry to correct you on this: ‘The company used to fly Boeing 747s, and rather than scrapping all the jets, one of them is now on display outside the airport hotel.’
Corendon only flied narrowbodies. This 747 used to fly for KLM.
Either in this or the nearby Corendon Hotel, there’s a suite with a 737 cockpit!
Ben - I stayed 2 nights with family at the Sheraton in Dec. Got paid access to the club lounge as they had a very good offer going on for Gold. Breakfast at the main restaurant is not that great. And managed to get an apron view room which was very nice. Kids and me had a great time plane watching Overall the convenience of the location within the terminal (especially after a long haul...
Ben - I stayed 2 nights with family at the Sheraton in Dec. Got paid access to the club lounge as they had a very good offer going on for Gold. Breakfast at the main restaurant is not that great. And managed to get an apron view room which was very nice. Kids and me had a great time plane watching Overall the convenience of the location within the terminal (especially after a long haul and the long lines at Amsterdam passport control) and easy access to the train station to get into Amsterdam city centre was great - will definitely consider staying again if there is a need.
Don't bother. This hotel was supposed to replace all-inclusive trips to antalya during covid.
If you want a 747, go to Stockholm arlanda.
Exactly. That you should do. Go to Arlanda and sleep in a 747. Great fun!
Came to clap ARH JumboStay, I almost had an overnight there but had to bail last second, hope to do it in the future.
Probably flying KLM's new B77W product.
So why does he need to overnight in Amsterdam? If flying from the states he should arrive in the morning and be able to make the 1020am to Africa, unless he Is doing it on the return?
Flying Garuda Indonesia?
Was at this property on summer 2019 for one night before cruise to Norway, hotel is huge with different buildings and big parking lot, our quadruple room was nice and really worth for price paid, abt 10 minutes from Schipol and 25/30 minutes from Amsterdam center by car, confirm can't enter 747 but just roaming around and under it and in sunny day was quite interesting experience for avgeek guessing also all logistic challenges for its position.
I have stayed in this hotel once for a couple of days, out of curiosity. The rooftop bar is nice, but in general, except for the Queen in the backyard, I wasnt too impressed, its in the middle of nowhere, so I wont repeat.
The Hilton Amsterdam Schiphol is nice
Agree. They also have rooms with nice runway views and are equally well connected to the airport.
I stay at the Sheraton whenever I have an overnight/early morning flight in AMS. The location and convenience of being a 5 minute walk from arrivals/departures without having to step outside makes this vastly superior to any other hotel in the area. The rooms were recently renovated and the tarmac views are great
If you really need to stay at a Marriott, why not the Element? It is like a 10-15 minute walk from Zuid station, which is like a 5 minute train ride from Schiphol. Shouldn't be more difficult to get to than the Corendon and it is a quite decent hotel with a good breakfast. I mean, if you aren't staying at the Sheraton or Hilton or CitizenM on the airport, there is not any reason...
If you really need to stay at a Marriott, why not the Element? It is like a 10-15 minute walk from Zuid station, which is like a 5 minute train ride from Schiphol. Shouldn't be more difficult to get to than the Corendon and it is a quite decent hotel with a good breakfast. I mean, if you aren't staying at the Sheraton or Hilton or CitizenM on the airport, there is not any reason to stay at any other hotel that calls itself an airport hotel. The city centre is about 10 minutes by train and the business centre, Zuid is about 5 minutes.
I stay at the Sheraton once a month, nice rooms and the burger at GATE bar is fantastic (a little expensive). I can recommend it
Fwiw Corendon never operated their own 747s. The one at this hotel is a former KLM airframe (‘City of Bangkok’ - PH-BFB), which was only painted into the Corendon livery when it retired to be placed at this hotel
Seems insensitive to have a 747 in that location since a 747 flew into a large public housing block nearby several years ago.
That location is nowhere near, it’s in a completely different part of the city. It is however very close to the crash site of the Turkish Airlines narrow body.
They never actually flew this aircraft, it was acquired from KLM for the very purpose of displaying it here: https://www.corendon.nl/boeing747-klm-corendon
The heart wants what it wants :D