Bellevue
All the rooms here are newly renovated in a modern style and the location couldn’t be more convenient, two minutes from Centraal Station. Prices do not include breakfast. €225
Hotels
Despite a slew of new hotels, from chic designer places through to chain high-rises, hotel accommodation in Amsterdam can still be difficult to find and is often a major expense, especially at peak times of the year – July and August, Easter and Christmas. Such is the popularity of Amsterdam as a short-break destination that you’d be well advised to make an advance reservation at any time of the year. In spite of this, most hotels only charge the full quoted rates at the very busiest times, which means that you’ll often pay less than the peak-season prices for double rooms quoted in this content; it’s certainly always worth asking if there is any discount available, especially on week nights when a lot of hotels routinely charge less anyway.
The Old Centre
Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky
Located in a huge and striking mid-nineteenth-century building, this four-star hotel occupies virtually an entire side of Dam Square. Its rooms are nicely done, if unspectacular. Bargains are sometimes available. Breakfast not included. €200
Hotel des Arts
In a great location up near Muntplein, and very friendly. The more expensive rooms at the front are the ones to ask for in this moderately priced option. €168
Hotel de l’Europe
One of the city’s top hotels, and retaining a wonderful fin-de-siècle charm, with large, well-furnished rooms, an attractive riverside terrace and a great central location. A canal view will cost you another €50 or so, but this is about as luxurious as the city gets. Breakfast not included. €400
Le Coin
In a good location opposite the swanky Hotel de l’Europe, but a quarter of the price. All rooms have kitchenettes and are kitted out in contemporary fashion. €139
Misc
Excellent, very friendly budget hotel on the edge of the Red Light District, with six good-sized rooms each with a different theme. Breakfast included. €145
Nes
Pleasant and quiet hotel with helpful staff, and well positioned away from noise but close to shops and nightlife. It’s also recently been given a bit of a facelift so rooms and public areas are much more consistent than before. €150
NH City Centre
A chain hotel, but an appealing one, in a sympathetically renovated 1920s Art Deco former textile factory, and well situated for the cafés and bars of the Spui and around. Rooms vary in size, some have canal views, and all boast extremely comfy beds and good showers. Breakfast included. €150
Rho
Built as a theatre in 1908, the lovely high-ceilinged, fin-de-siècle lobby gives a slightly misleading impression: the rooms are on the small side and have been unimaginatively modernized. Still, it’s pleasant enough, and in a good central location just off Dam Square. Breakfast included. Daily bike rental available. €115
Sint Nicolaas
Quirkier than many of the other budget hotels in the area, the St Nicolaas’s cosy downstairs bar-reception gives way to around thirty rooms, all with baths. Conveniently located too, just five minutes’ walk from Centraal Station. €135
Victoria
This tall, elegant building opposite Centraal Station has been one of the city’s best hotels for years, although its decor is beginning to look fusty compared to the crop of sleek options that has arrived in recent years. Still, its location couldn’t be more convenient, and there are often bargains to be had in its well-kitted-out rooms; amenities include a fitness centre and pool. Breakfast not included. €200
Vijaya
Right in the heart of the Red Light District, next door but one to the Amstelkring, this is a warren of rooms spread over a couple of old canal houses. It’s rather threadbare but has a friendly charm that’s only enhanced by the Indian restaurant downstairs. No lift. Ten minutes’ walk from Centraal Station. €95
Winston
Part of the St Christopher’s Inns chain, this self-consciously young and cool hotel has funky rooms individually decorated with crazy art, and a busy ground-floor bar that has regular live music. It’s a formula that works a treat; the Winston is popular and often full – though this is probably also due to its low prices which include breakfast. Dorm beds available too, from around €30 a head during high season. Lift and full disabled access. Ten minutes’ walk from Centraal Station. €100
Prices and tax
The least expensive hotels charge around €100 for a double room, a little less if you share a bathroom, but don’t expect too much in the way of creature comforts at these sort of prices – you only really hit any sort of comfort zone at about €120-plus. Breakfast – bread, jam, eggs, ham and cheese – is often included in the price at the budget and moderately priced hotels, as is tax (five percent), but as ever the more expensive hotels slap both on top of quoted prices. One other thing to bear in mind: some of the cheaper hotels request full payment in advance or on arrival.
Grachtengordel
Ambassade
Elegant canalside hotel made up of ten seventeenth-century houses with smartly furnished lounges, a well-stocked library and comfortable en-suite rooms. Free 24hr internet access. Breakfast is an extra €16, but well worth it. €195
Amsterdam American
Landmark Art Deco hotel just off Leidseplein that dates from 1902, though the bedrooms themselves are mostly kitted out in standard modern style. Large, double-glazed doubles; breakfast not included. €140
Backstage Hotel
This hotel is aimed at musicians playing at the nearby Melkweg and Paradiso, and furnishings like theatre mirrors, spotlights and flight cases in the 22 rooms are designed to make them feel at home. Everyone can enjoy the free internet, 24hr bar and pool table. €130
Chic & Basic
Dutch branch of this spunky Spanish concept, with 26 basic but cool rooms, some overlooking the canal. The changeable lighting allows you to adjust the colour of your room according to your mood – a cheapo gimmick, but an effective one. Breakfast not included. €125
Clemens
Well-run budget hotel in a good location close to the Anne Frank Huis, and one of the better options along this busy main road. Breakfast is extra. All rooms offer free internet, and you can rent laptops for just a few euros. Doubles with shower are more expensive. €60
Dikker & Thijs Fenice
Small and stylish hotel not far from Leidesplein. Rooms vary in decor but all include a minibar, telephone and TV. Those on the top floor have good views of the city. Includes breakfast. €125
Dylan
This stylish hotel is housed in a seventeenth-century building that centres on a beautiful courtyard and terrace. Its 41 sumptuous rooms range in style from opulent reds or greens to minimal white decor, and have flat-screen TVs and stereos. The restaurant combines French and African cuisine and the bar is open to non-guests. Luxury suites overlooking the Keizersgracht canal will set you back €1500. Breakfast is €24 extra. €420
Estherea
Comfortable four-star converted from a couple of sympathetically modernized canal houses. There’s no hankering after minimalism here, with thick, plush carpets and beds that you literally sink into. Excludes breakfast. €260
Hegra
This family-run hotel has a welcoming atmosphere and is pretty good value considering the location, on a handsome stretch of canal near the Spui. Rooms are small but comfortable, whether en suite or with shared facilities. Breakfast included. €95
’T Hotel
Appealing hotel located in an old high-gabled house along a quiet stretch of canal. The eight spacious rooms are decorated in bright, modern style with large beds and either bath or shower. No groups. Minimum three-night stay at the weekend; includes breakfast. €125
Hotel 717
Very exclusive canal house hotel with just eight suites, all individually designed. Great, large spaces, beautifully conceived, and perhaps the most luxurious small hotel in the city. €400
De Leydsche Hof
Just seven rooms in this handsome canal house in a great location on the Leidsegracht between Herengracht and Keizersgracht. Simple but comfy, and very welcoming. €120
Marcel’s Creative Exchange
Popular B&B run by an English-speaking graphic designer and artist who attracts like-minded people to this stylishly restored house with four en-suite doubles available for two, three or four people sharing. Decor is chic and comfortable. Relaxing and peaceful amid the buzz of the city. You’ll need to book well in advance in high season. Breakfast isn’t included, but there are tea- and coffee-making facilities. €120
Op de Gracht
This B&B, run by the very pleasant Jolanda Schipper, is in a good-looking old house on one of the main canals. The two rooms are tastefully decorated, both with en-suite bathrooms. Minimum stay two nights. €90
Prinsenhof
Tastefully decorated, this is one of the city’s top budget options. Booking essential. Tram #4 from Centraal Station to Prinsengracht. Cheaper rooms without shower. €85
Rembrandt Square Hotel
Cheerful one-star hotel with an urban feel, located just off the busy Rembrandtplein. Rooms are all well equipped and tastefully decorated in various colourful shades. Tram #4 or #9 to Rembrandtplein. €70
Seven Bridges
Very charming place – and excellent value for money. It takes its name from its canalside location, which affords a view of seven dinky little bridges. Beautifully decorated in an antique style, its spotless rooms are regularly revamped. Small and popular, so reservations are pretty much essential. Breakfast is included in the price and served in your room. Trams #16, #24 or #25 from Centraal Station to Keizersgracht. €110
The Times Hotel
Colourful designer hotel with a wink to the old Dutch masters – it’s decked out with reproductions of paintings by Rembrandt, Vermeer et al. in every room. Good location, and free wi-fi. Excludes breakfast. €159
Toren
Retro-chic boutique hotel, converted from two elegant canal houses. All rooms have been renovated, some have large jacuzzis and there’s also an annexe. There’s a breakfast room downstairs and they offer an adapted menu from nearby Christophe restaurant if you want to eat in the evening. €200
Wiechmann
Family-run for over fifty years, this hotel occupies an attractively restored canal house close to the Anne Frank Huis, with dark wooden beams and restrained style throughout. Large, bright rooms are in perfect condition with TV and shower. €140
Booking hotels
You can obviously book direct online or by phone, or you can compare prices and availability through the usual accommodation booking engines; one specific to Amsterdam is that of the Amsterdam Tourism Board – www.amsterdamtourist.nl Once you’ve arrived, the city’s tourist offices (see Tourist information) will make on-the-spot hotel reservations on your behalf for a small fee, but during peak periods and weekends they get extremely busy with long and time-consuming queues. The good news is that the city’s compactness means that you’ll almost inevitably end up somewhere central.
The Jordaan and the Western docklands
Acacia
Small hotel situated in the heart of the Jordaan, right on a corner, so some of the rooms have wide views of the canal and its adjoining streets. Rooms, which sleep two to four people, are rather nondescript with small beds and a shower room. There are also self-catering studios (€90). Includes breakfast. €80
Van Onna
A quiet, well-maintained place on a tranquil canal. The building dates back over three hundred years and still retains some of its original fixtures, though the rooms themselves are rather modest, with basic furniture and blankets on beds. Simple setup – no TV, no smoking and cash payment only. Booking advised. Includes breakfast. €90
The Old Jewish Quarter and the Eastern docklands
Adolesce
Popular and welcoming no-frills hotel in an old canal house not far from Waterlooplein. There are ten neat and trim modern rooms and a large dining room. No breakfast. Triples are also available. €95
Lloyd Hotel
Situated in the up-and-coming Oosterdok district, this ex-prison and migrant workers’ hostel has been renovated to become Amsterdam’s coolest hotel. Rather pretentiously subtitled a “cultural embassy”, it has an arts centre too, with regular exhibitions, readings and performances, an art library, and a nice, bustling feel that revolves around its airy central restaurant and lobby area on the ground floor. Uniquely it serves all kinds of travellers, with rooms ranging from one-star affairs to five-star offerings. Some rooms are great, others not so – don’t be afraid to ask to change. The location is better than you might think – just five minutes’ by tram #26 from Centraal Station but at these prices you still might prefer to be in the centre. One-star €100, five-star, €320
The Museum Quarter and the Vondelpark
Acro
This hotel has small and functional rooms, but the friendly welcome and nice bar on the ground floor mean that it gets booked up a long way in advance. Wi-fi and bicycle rent available. Breakfast included. €100
Bilderberg Hotel Jan Luyken
Good-sized, nicely refurbished rooms mark out this decent stab at a mini four-star, full-service hotel. There’s wi-fi in rooms, 24hr room service and a nice lounge and bar too. €130
College
Converted from an old schoolhouse, the College is one of the most elegant and original additions to Amsterdam’s hotel scene. Original because it’s largely run by students from the city’s catering school; elegant because of the sheer class of the refurbishment. €200
Filosoof
A lovely small hotel, with each room decorated according a different philosophical theme. It’s all beautifully kept, nothing is too much trouble, and the garden outside is a rare Amsterdam treat. A bit of the way but handy for the Vondelpark. Breakfast included. €160
Owl Hotel
The reasonably priced doubles are relatively blandly furnished, but its location is nice and quiet, with a downstairs lounge opening onto a lovely garden, and – run by the same family for nearly forty years – the staff are a welcoming bunch. €130
Piet Hein
Five minutes’ walk from Leidesplein, this sleek three-star has large rooms with views over the entrance to the Vondelpark and slightly more expensive rooms in the modern annexe overlooking its peaceful back garden. There’s also a comfy bar that’s open till 1am. Lift access. €135
Roemer
Sister hotel of the excellent Vondel and just as slick and stylish, this boutique hotel has a very pleasant garden out the back. Decor is funky and fun, with colourful paintings on the walls, sleek bathrooms and comfortable beds. €200
Toro
In a grand old villa overlooking the Vondelpark’s westerly reaches, this hotel is like a small country house, with a comfy downstairs sitting room and attractive rooms, some of which overlook the park. A nice choice if you don’t mind being slightly out of the action. €150
Vondel
Part of a small chain of design-conscious boutique hotels that is beginning to dominate this part of the city, this place is as cool as its cousins, with has black paint and light natural wood characterizing the lovely rooms, which have flatscreen TVs. There’s a pleasant bar and breakfast room and modern art decorates the walls of the common areas. Doubles vary in size. €160
The Outer Districts
Hotel Arena
A little way east of the centre, in a renovated old convent on the edge of the Oosterpark, this place has been thoroughly revamped, transforming a popular hostel into a hip three-star hotel complete with split-level rooms and minimalist decor. Despite the odd pretentious flourish, it manages to retain a relaxed vibe attracting both businesspeople and travellers alike. Lively bar, intimate restaurant, and late-night club (Fri & Sat) located within the former chapel. €110
Hotel Okura
Don’t be fooled by the concrete, purpose-built facade: this deluxe five-star hotel comes equipped with all the luxuries you would expect, such as a health club and sauna, and even a shopping arcade with a Japanese food store. Rooms have huge marble bathrooms, and, in the suites, mood lighting and control units for the curtains. Two of its four restaurants (see Hotel Okura) have Michelin stars. If you’re feeling flush you could book “The Suite”, set over two floors with a suspended glass staircase, private butler and cinema; a night here will set you back €10,000. €315
Van Ostade
Friendly place down a quiet residential street, not far from Albert Cuyp market in De Pijp. It bills itself as the “bicycle hotel”, renting bikes for €7.50 per day and giving advice on routes and suchlike. Garage parking for two cars (€20), though you’ll need to book in advance. Basic but clean two-, three- and four-bed rooms come with shared facilities, and rates include breakfast. Tram #25 from Centraal Station to 1e van de Helststraat. €75
Xaviera Hollander B&B
A bit out of the way in the chi-chi New South, but this B&B, run by ex-prostitute Xaviera Hollander, is a real Amsterdam experience, with a couple of kitschy rooms kitted out with semi-clad photos of the owner and lots of well-thumbed sex manuals. Both rooms have shared facilities, but it’s still very comfortable and welcoming. €110