The Best Hotels In Amsterdam If You're All About The Cobbles And Canals
When the cool city is calling, here's where to stay in Amsterdam.
If you’re planning a trip to the Dutch capital this year, you’ll be in search of the best hotels in Amsterdam. Our favourites include Pulitzer, which took several canalside merchants’ houses and created a beautiful hotel. We’re also keen on The Dylan, officially one of the Leading Hotels of the World, with the stellar service to match.
Copenhagen may be famous for its Scandi vibe and happy locals and Lisbon may be loved for its sunny weather and pasteis de nata, but Amsterdam will always be the cool city we return to time after time.
In this dream mini-break destination, you'll want to hire a bike to explore the canals (officially ‘grachts’ around here) – don’t miss the Nine Streets neighbourhood (De Negen Straatjes in Dutch) and its vintage boutiques, cosy cafés and bun-dispensing bakeries.
Or take your holiday high-brow by marvelling at the Museum Quarter’s many masterpieces, from Van Gogh’s Sunflowers at his namesake gallery to Rembrandt’s The Night Watch, on show at the Rijksmuseum.
Fans of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland will enjoy a stay at the Andaz Amsterdam, which takes its style cues from Lewis Carroll’s surreal story.
And at the Hoxton outpost on Herengracht, restaurant Lotti’s has a retractable roof ready for when the sun comes out.
Here’s the ELLE UK edit of the best hotels in Amsterdam:
The Dylan
A leading hotel in Amsterdam (and officially a Leading Hotel of the World), the Dylan is in the heart of the Nine Streets on Keizersgracht. The canalside hotel has a relaxed brasserie and a more formal restaurant offering in an 18th-century bakery: the Michelin-starred Vinkeles.
The rooms are stylish and modern, with Aesop bath products, a Bluetooth sound system and an Illy coffee machine. When it's cold, there’s no cosier spot in the city than beside the fireplace in the bar, warming up with some cocktails.
Pulitzer
Why stay in one canalside merchants’ house when you can have 25? Pulitzer Amsterdam is formed from several 17th- and 18th-century houses, built during the city’s prosperous Golden Age. One of the main canals is right outside (Prinsengracht), as are the charming Nine Streets of the Jordaan neighbourhood.
At the hotel, stay in a grand suite with a view of the water – the decor features parquet floors, bath tubs in bedrooms, and statement sofas and headboards.
Andaz Amsterdam
All is not as it seems at this merchants’ mansion on Prinsengracht… Step behind the façade and you’ll basically be going down the rabbit hole, à la Alice during her adventures in Wonderland. Surreal style notes such as giant ceramic lampshades and fish above the beds are nothing out of the ordinary at the Andaz.
Elemis treatments at the spa can bring you back down to Earth, or you can stick around in Wonderland courtesy of the stiff cocktails at the bar.
Sir Adam
Just behind Centraal Station and overlooking the river, Sir Adam shares its A’Dam Tower HQ with companies such as Sony. Unsurprisingly, impressive views await up on the rooftop.
The Hub is as sociable as it sounds, plus there’s a music library where you can pick your own soundtracks and turntables with records in the rooms. When you’re ready to venture out, the hotel can arrange insider art tours, sound-bowl meditations and nights out with a local legend.
Canal House
In a prime Jordaan location, Canal House is set within three 17th-century merchants’ houses on Keizersgracht, with a private garden that’s open year-round. Its summer house – a secluded spot for up to two guests to enjoy a glass of wine or an afternoon of reading – can be hired during the spring and summer.
Inside, the garden-facing Great Room offers a dramatic backdrop for breakfast or a game of Scrabble. There’s no restaurant, but the bar serves light bites.
Conservatorium Hotel
The grand red-brick building that Conservatorium Hotel calls home was once a bank. Inside the 19th-century building, glass and iron have been added to create a striking indoor courtyard with double-height ceilings.
The landmark is on Museumplein, so it’s the ideal base for anyone hoping to see the city’s major museums, since they’re just steps away. Reward yourself afterwards with an Asian-influenced treatment (such as a Watsu massage) at the Akasha spa or a sublime Japanese dinner at Taiko.
Hotel TwentySeven
Close to the Royal Palace and overlooking Dam Square, Hotel TwentySeven brings back Amsterdam’s Golden Age with its rich, atmospheric decor: new masters on the walls, parquet floors, brocade curtains, satin cushions and velvet sofas.
The Michelin-starred Bougainville takes even the breakfasts to new levels and its dinners (which can be seven courses-long) are not to be missed. For the perfect night, start your evening with some creative cocktails at Bar TwentySeven.
The Hoxton, Amsterdam
The Hoxton has imported a little bit of London to Amsterdam, creating a spiritual home for fellow Dutch hipsters on Herengracht.
The Nine Streets setting means lots of the city’s best restaurants, bars and boutiques are just outside. You don’t have to leave the hotel for a good time, though: at Lotti’s, the roof is ready to come off as soon as the sun comes out (or the party kicks off). There’s also private dining for up to nine guests and the group’s signature cosy workspace with several squashy leather sofas.
Pillows Maurits at the Park
If you’re hoping to spend a significant amount of time on a bicycle during your trip to Amsterdam, Oosterpark is the urban green space for you. It’s just east of the centre and still within strolling distance of many of the major sights.
Once you’ve looked for parakeets and herons in the park, retreat to Pillows Maurits at the Park for masterful mixology at Fitz’s Bar, Italian and French food at the brasserie, or the blow-out option: fine-dining under 15-metre-high ceilings at VanOost.
Hotel 717
For an Amsterdam hotel that’s both intimate and upscale, look no further than 717, which has been setting the bar for small-scale hotel heaven for a quarter of a century now. The location is impeccable, too: it’s in a 17th-century canal house overlooking Prinsengracht.
A butler is on hand 24/7 to ensure your every whim is met, there’s an art collection on show right here in the hotel and guests can enjoy everything from a coffee to fine-dining in the living room.
De L'Europe
One of the grandest hotels on the Continent, De L’Europe is the Amsterdam hotel for you if you’re a fan of five-star frills (hello, Diptyque bath products). The hotel was once a humble inn, but you’d never know it today.
For an especially interesting room choice, book one of the themed suites, which include one that has been designed by a Dutch gallery. Fittingly for such a refined establishment, there’s an elevated dining scene, which includes the twice-Michelin-stared Flore, a brasserie and an Italian trattoria.
Sir Albert
In fashionable De Pijp, Sir Albert is the ideal Amsterdam hotel for hipsters. It’s within walking distance of the Museum Quarter and its namesake, the Albert Cuyp Market. The airy rooms have high ceilings and big windows; some have a view of the hip neighbourhood below, others overlook the courtyard.
When you’re feeling sociable, head to the study for a drink by the fireplace, before dinner at Izakaya, the hotel’s Japanese-with-a-South-American-twist restaurant.
Sofitel Legend the Grand
Amsterdam has no shortage of historic architecture, but Sofitel Legend the Grand’s heritage is especially impressive – the building, set between two canals in the heart of the city, has been a convent, city hall, palace and a base for the Dutch admiralty.
There may be a busy city outside, but for respite, all you have to do is locate the hotel’s inner garden. Further relief can be found over multiple courses at Bridges or in the Mediterranean bistro, or in the heated pool at the spa.
Suitehotel Posthoorn
Suitehotel Posthoorn is 12 kilometres outside of the city, which makes it the perfect Amsterdam hotel for lovers of town and country. You’ll be able to reach the bright lights within a quarter of an hour, but spend your mornings and nights leisurely by the lakes in the sleepy town of Monnickendam.
The hotel is set in two adjoining 17th-century buildings, with just 12 cosy, comfortable rooms. You won’t have to venture into the city for fancy fine-dining, since the hotel’s restaurant has a Michelin star.
Jan Luyken
Jan Luyken is a 62-bedroom hotel, set within a townhouse in Amsterdam’s Museum Quarter, which means easy access to the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum and more for its guests. It’s technically formed from three houses, which were built in 1899, and is as homely as ever, with plenty of spaces for guests to relax or work from, including a garden and a kitchen.
Design details include vintage and contemporary pieces, sourced here in the Netherlands, but also from Italy and Belgium. In case you’re wondering who Jan is, he was a poet and etcher in 17th-century Amsterdam.
Caroline Lewis has been a travel journalist for more than a decade, reviewing luxury hotels and covering destinations all over the world, but with a soft spot for Greek islands and absolutely anywhere in Italy.
Among her most memorable trips are a month spent subsisting almost solely on guacamole in Mexico, sleeping in a room made of ice in Swedish Lapland and a rather lengthy but thankfully bear-free drive across America's wild west.
She was previously deputy chief sub-editor on the print team at Harper’s Bazaar and is a long-time contributor and editor at Mr & Mrs Smith. She writes about travel for Hearst Digital titles such as Harper’s Bazaar, ELLE, Red, Esquire and more. She read English and Philosophy at Durham, before doing a master's degree in magazine journalism in her hometown of Bournemouth.
When she's not testing out the buzziest new hotels, she's at home in London, probably baking.
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