It may rank high on the list of destinations for stag and hen dos, but Amsterdam has so much more to offer than an inebriated weekend browsing its (in)famous coffee shops.
The last few years have seen a wave of new hotels arriving in the city, seriously expanding the range of interesting options to stay within – and, most encouragingly, beyond – the well-trodden cobbled streets of its immediate historic core. Even existing properties have been dealt a much needed jolt and upped their game.
The Dutch capital packs a lot in for a city with under a million inhabitants. Best explored on foot or bicycle, its narrow streets, slender canal houses and vertiginous staircases are reminders that space has always come at a premium. Its human scale perfectly suits smaller, boutique hotels – here are the best options if you’re looking for something more intimate.
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Hotel Seven One Seven
There are just nine rooms and suites inside Seven One Seven, once the home of a wealthy sugar trader. All come with unique features and different colour schemes, with the two largest suites – Schubert and Picasso – given five side-by-side windows along the width of the building’s facade overlooking Prinsengracht canal.
The public spaces, including a library and a garden patio, add to the feel of staying in a private home. Its location puts you about midway between Museumplein and Dam Square, with easy access to Vondelpark.
Doubles from €300, room only
717hotel.nl
SWEETS Hotel Amsterdam
Water is at the heart of Amsterdam and in many ways has always been the city’s lifeline. With water comes bridges, and with bridges come bridge houses – you’ll see them all over the city, in various architectural styles with many designed by well-known architects.
With centralised bridge control, the little houses became redundant, but now this brilliant concept hotel is turning 28 of them into individual hotel suites (SWEETS is a play on the word suites and the notion of the bridge houses being little sweets dotted around the city). Eleven are available now, with another 17 coming online over the next few years.
Decide on a style you like, or a neighbourhood to be based in: from the Kattenslootbrug, designed in 1950s Amsterdam School style, to the Amstelschutsluis, on a lock only accessible by boat and dating back to 1673, no two houses are the same. Breakfast can be brought to your door, or you can consult the in-bridge iPad for local suggestions.
Doubles from €160, room only
sweetshotel.amsterdam
Sir Albert Amsterdam
Now with sibling Sir Adam just across the water from Centraal station, this is where it started for Sir Hotels in Amsterdam, inside what was once a diamond factory. You’re a short stroll from Museumplein and high-end shopping on PC Hooftstraat in one direction, and the famous Albert Cuyp street market in the other.
The 90 rooms come in four categories, dressed in a calming mix of dark wood, white walls and creams and browns. Suites are still a cosy 30 sq m (323 sq ft), while the residence has a sofa bed in the living room and the added advantage of two bathrooms. IZAKAYA is a well-known local restaurant serving Japanese food with South American influences.
Doubles from €172, B&B
sirhotels.com
Canal House
Sister hotel to Cowley Manor in the Cotswolds and L’Hôtel in Paris, Canal House is in a prime location on Keizersgracht, around the corner from Anne Frank Huis. Its 23 rooms are categorised Good, Better, Great, Exceptional, Outstanding, and Best. All come in a moody mix of purple, copper and black – the two highest categories give you canal views.
The ground floor features The Bar and The Great Room; the latter overlooks a triple-width garden with casual seating to enjoy a sunny afternoon. A small Garden House offers a meeting space or cosy dinner setting for up to 10 people.
Doubles from €195, B&B
canalhouse.nl
The Dylan Amsterdam
The stone entrance gate you walk through when entering The Dylan dates back to 1632, when a theatre could be found here (Antonio Vivaldi conducted the orchestra for its 100th anniversary). Everything else is only marginally younger, but inside you’ll find the historic surroundings contrast with very contemporary interiors.
Rooms, of which there are 40 in total, come in four styles: Loxura, inspired by the copper-coloured Loxura butterfly; Serendipity, with minimalist design in greys and browns; Loft, done up in whites with traditional exposed beams; and Amber, bringing in warmer gemstone colours.
Vinkeles is the hotel’s Michelin-star restaurant, but there’s also Brasserie OCCO and you can hire a private 19th-century saloon boat for lunch or dinner on the canals.
Doubles from €223, B&B
dylanamsterdam.com
Soho House Amsterdam
One of the latest additions to the Amsterdam hotel scene, Soho House opened at the end of July, part of the brand’s rapid expansion around the globe.
Situated in the 1930s Bungehuis building, built as a trading office and previously part of the University of Amsterdam, Soho House has 79 rooms ranging from Tiny to Extra Large. Those on the first floor come with original wall panelling, mosaic-tiled floors and restored art deco lighting.
Beyond the rooms, there is everything you’d expect from a Soho House outpost: a Cecconi’s restaurant, a Cowshed spa, gym, screening room, members’ club – even a rooftop pool with bar. Fittingly, there is space to park 75 bikes and a small workshop for repairs onsite.
Doubles from €145, B&B
sohohouseamsterdam.com
Hotel V Nesplein
Less than five minutes’ walk from Dam Square, you’ll find Hotel V Nesplein tucked down a narrow street filled with restaurants, bars and a theatre. First thing you’ll notice as you walk in is a massive chandelier dropped to about waist height. Most of the ground floor is taken up by The Lobby restaurant and bar, which is usually packed with a good mix of locals and visitors.
Upstairs there are 43 rooms across three categories; they offer a good amount of space and have a vintage feel with deep yellow walls and a few pieces of retro furniture. Breakfast is complimentary if you book directly through the hotel’s website. A small family-run brand, Hotel V has two additional properties in the city, one near the Albert Cuyp street market and one further southeast on Fizeaustraat.
Doubles from €159, B&B
hotelvnesplein.nl
Pillows Anna Van den Vondel
You’ll struggle to stay closer to Amsterdam’s Vondelpark than here: just stroll down the street and you’ll be surrounded by its greenery. Pillows is a small group with hotels in Zwolle (a historic trading city about an hour east of Amsterdam), as well as Brussels and Ghent in Belgium.
Taking its name from the street its on – Anna was the daughter of 17th-century poet, writer, and playwright Joost van den Vondel – there are 31 rooms and suites inside, furnished in white and pale green. Opt for a Deluxe Room to get a private terrace; The Living is the hotel’s lounge and all-day dining venue.
Pillows Hotels also has plans for another, larger property in Amsterdam with 98 rooms close to Oosterpark.
Doubles from €280, B&B
pillowshotels.com/amsterdam-vondel
Hotel TwentySeven
Hotel TwentySeven isn’t just near Dam Square – it’s on Dam Square itself. The 16 suites can be found between the third and seventh floor of the Industria Building on the square’s southeast corner.
If minimalism isn’t for you, TwentySeven has you covered: rich golds, reds, and browns dominate, and every surface, including the walls and ceilings, adds a pattern, texture, or print to the mix. The Rooftop Stage Suite comes with a pitched roof and both a circular bed and huge circular window overlooking the city; several suites can be combined if you need more space. Restaurant Bougainville is on the third floor, plus there’s also a bar.
Doubles from €350, B&B
hoteltwentyseven.com
NH Collection Doelen
Many a hotel in Amsterdam can lay claim to a long history, but NH Collection Doelen has been around the longest. Its origins trace all the way back to 1482 and the construction of a defence wall to ward off attacks from Utrecht, a city about an hour’s drive southeast.
Both Queen Victoria and Empress Sissi have stayed, as have the Beatles. Rembrandt’s Night Watch, displayed today in the city’s Rijksmuseum, was intended for a hall in this building, and a copy can be seen in the exact same spot where the original hung for many years. There are 83 rooms and suites in light colours and featuring white Carrara marble bathrooms; the suite favoured by Empress Sissi comes with an original tile-framed fireplace. Restaurant Bumbu Kitchen serves Indonesian-inspired cuisine.
Doubles from €257, B&B
nh-hotels.com/hotel/nh-collection-amsterdam-doelen
The Hoxton, Amsterdam
Bringing Shoreditch’s hip vibe to the upscale Herengracht canal, The Hoxton occupies five monumental buildings but retains a relaxed, homely feel. In the lobby, wooden floors and exposed brickwork create a backdrop for vintage accessories and mismatched armchairs scattered with ethnic cushions. Here locals mingle with guests, with the dress code as cool and laid-back as the decor. Upstairs in the bedrooms, the Art Deco-influenced styling continues. Each room is different, but many have canal views, and some have period features such as marble fireplaces, wood panelling or moulded ceilings. In such tranquil surroundings, it’s hard to believe that Dam Square is just a five-minute walk.
Doubles from €189, including a small breakfast brought to your room. Lotti’s, The Hoxton’s all-day restaurant, serves an à la carte breakfast at an additional cost
thehoxton.com/holland/amsterdam
The Highlander
This rebranded, newly opened hotel – formerly the Citadel Hotel – gets its Scottish-sounding name from its Dutch owners, the Hooglands, but nevertheless features tartan decor in abundance. With the pretty canal district to the hotel’s rear, and the red light district a few streets in front, guests are well placed to see both sides of Amsterdam’s split personality. This duality is reflected in the interior design, with smart velvet furnishings sitting alongside quirky urban art. The 31 rooms come in six colour themes to suit a variety of tastes. The red rooms are perhaps the most romantic, but the white rooms on the top floor have a fresh, bright feel and afford the best views.
Doubles from €159, including a buffet breakfast
thehighlanderhotel.com
Misc Eatdrinksleep
Flamboyant wallpaper, colourful frescos and flea-market finds make up the eye-popping, but cosy, interior of this quirky hotel located in a 17th century property on one of Amsterdam’s oldest canals. A steep staircase takes you to six themed rooms which vary wildly in style – from the opulent Baroque room with its jacquard drapes and chandelier, to the starker Design room, inspired by the Dutch De Stijl movement. There’s a Rembrandt room too – unsurprising since this area was once his main stomping ground, and many key historical landmarks, such as the Rembrandt House Museum, are within a five-minute walk. At night, cocktail connoisseurs gather at the hotel’s intimate bar, where a mysterious drinks menu of taste ‘experiences’ is served to seated guests only. When hunger bites, Chinatown is so close you can smell it.
Doubles from €135, including breakfast
misceatdrinksleep.com
