Aviation geeks: You can now book a private night in a 737 suite with Marriott points
If you've always wanted to have a 737 all to yourself, there's good news for you.
The Corendon Amsterdam New-West, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel, has a newly relaunched Cockpit Suite (room 737) that contains the entire fuselage — cockpit and the front seating section — of a real 737. Even better, the hotel became part of Marriott's Tribute Collection this year, so you can book the suite with Marriott Bonvoy points. Extra icing on the cool suite: Prices for the unique space start at less than $300 dollars a night.
I checked out the suite in person last week, and it was like Christmas Day for AvGeeks. Ready to check in and come on board? Here's what you need to know.
Overview of the 737 suite
To call this suite unique would be an understatement.
Push open the door to room 737, marked "Cockpit Suite," and you'll see a short set of three steps leading directly into the rear of the fuselage area. There are three rows of blue leather seats, then the small galley and, most excitingly, the full cockpit.
Here you can touch, move and play with every knob, switch, lever and wheel. (Yes, I admit, I tried them all out.)
The cockpit's windows align with the room's floor-to-ceiling windows (the nose of the plan actually sticks out of the wall). They face southwest toward Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS), so it's possible to also do some planespotting from the cockpit.
Once you leave the plane, you'll find a king bed on the port side as well as a sprawling bathroom with a deep soaking tub and an ultraviolet light shower. (There's a second bathroom in the suite as well.) On the starboard side is a stylish seating area with a white velvet couch and red slipper chairs. Another room to the right of the living area has a round dining table with chairs and wet bar.
Here's how a 737 got here
The plane was originally part of KLM's fleet. It was repainted with Corendon's logo before a crane positioned it into its current home on the top (seventh) floor of the New-West Hotel in 2015. The room was then used for conferences and meetings, with a king bed on the port side, a massive conference table on the starboard side and conference room-style amenities.
How to book
Surprisingly, you don't need to call the hotel or reserve the 737 Suite through a special number. Simply go to the New West or Marriott reservations page and type in your preferred date. If the room is available, it will show up in the reservation options. If it's not, you won't see it at all as an option.
As you can see from the booking page, it's actually not very well advertised. In fact, right now, the room isn't promoted at all on the hotel's web page. This is good news if you want to stay since it's an under-the-radar option and is relatively easy to book.
For one night in mid-November, I was able to find a single night for $278. The hotel assured me that you can use Marriott Bonvoy points to book, but I wasn't able to use this option on the website. You will have to reach out to Marriott for that option.
Related: Marriott Bonvoy Boundless vs. Bonvoy Brilliant: Is mid-tier or premium best for you?
Other details
The hotel is planning to add movies for guests to watch in the 737, but honestly, I think sitting in the captain's chair and planespotting is even better entertainment. There aren't any plans for airplane-style meals, but you can order room service and then spread out anywhere you like.
If you can tear yourself away from this unique space, one of the largest spas in Amsterdam (complete with pool and hammam) awaits downstairs, as does the fun Caribbean-Dutch restaurant Mondi.
For more plane fun
Make it a total Amsterdam aviation-themed getaway by visiting the hotel's sister property, Corendon Amsterdam Schiphol Airport. The hotel has a decommissioned 747 in the garden (yes, the entire plane). Simply walking around the behemoth is pretty awesome, and you can tour the inside of the plane daily at 11 a.m.
There are future plans to possibly turn it into a pancake restaurant or a bar. For the time being, though, you can enjoy a cocktail with views of the plane (and Schiphol right across the highway) at the 747 Sky Bar. You can also book a hotel room with plane views. The hotel is part of the Tribute Collection, and rates start from $136 a night or 36,000 Marriott Bonvoy points.
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