Amsterdam (Rough Guide) - Martin Dunford [157]
Gala 020/412 4463, www.gala-amsterdam.nl. Organization co-responsible for Pink Point and the various Homomonument festivals, including those on Queen’s Day, Roze Wester and Amsterdam Pride, and themed parties at Club Church.
Pink Point Near the Homomonument, Westermarkt (Jordaan and Western docklands) 020/428 1070, www.pinkpoint.org. This free advice and information point run by a team of knowledgeable volunteers offers practical information about where to go and what to do in the city, and is stocked with flyers and brochures, as well as a range of souvenirs and T-shirts. Also publishes the excellent Bent Guide. Daily 11am–6pm.
Schorer Sarphatistraat 35 (Grachtengordel south) 020/573 9444, www.schorer.nl. Gay and lesbian counselling centre offering professional and politically conscious advice on identity, sexuality and lifestyle (Mon–Fri 9am–5pm; July & Aug noon–4pm). Its clinic, held at the Municipal Health Department, provides STD examinations and treatment.
Stichting Tijgertje www.tijgertje.nl. Website providing information on gay and lesbian sports clubs throughout Amsterdam.
Gay and lesbian Amsterdam |
Accommodation
The city’s gay-friendly hotels are reviewed here, and prices are for the cheapest double in high season (see "Accommodation prices"). There are no women-only hotels as such, but all the places listed below are lesbian-friendly. Note that it’s illegal for any hotel to refuse entry to anyone on the grounds of sexual orientation.
Gay and lesbian Amsterdam | Accommodation |
Old Centre
Anco Oudezijds Voorburgwal 55 020/624 1126, www.ancohotel.nl. Ten-minute walk from CS. Small and friendly hotel in the Red Light District, with a private bar catering exclusively to leather-wearing gay men. There are three- and four-person dorms (€43 per person) with shared facilities and a studio with private bathroom and kitchenette (€135). Booking advised. Doubles with shared facilities €90.
Gay and lesbian Amsterdam | Accommodation |
Grachtengordel south
Amistad Kerkstraat 42 020/624 8074, www.amistad.nl. Tram #1, #2 or #5 to Koningsplein. Stylish and cosy gay hotel, conveniently located for the Kerkstraat area. Each room is equipped with soft lighting, snug duvets, TV, fridge, minibar and safe. Standard rooms come without shower; deluxe room (€150) has a bathtub and stereo. Breakfast is served in a convivial communal room 9am–1pm, which later becomes a public internet lounge. From €94.
Golden Bear Kerkstraat 37 020/624 4785, www.goldenbear.nl. Tram #1, #2 or #5 to Prinsengracht. Amsterdam’s first gay hotel has recently been refurbished, its bright red walls adding some colour to this solid, well-managed option. The clean, comfortable rooms – some en suite – all come with sinks, fridges and DVD players. Booking essential. From €118.
Gay and lesbian Amsterdam | Accommodation |
The Museum Quarter and the Vondelpark
Sander Jacob Obrechtstraat 69 020/662 7574, www.hotel-sander.nl. Tram #16 to Jacob Obrechtstraat. Right behind the Concertgebouw, this spacious, pleasant hotel has twenty en-suite rooms; it is welcoming to gay men and women, and everyone else too. Triples and quads also available. Small bar open to guests only. From €100.
Gay and lesbian Amsterdam |
Nightlife and entertainment
The main nightlife areas in the Old Centre and the Grachtengordel are dotted with gay bars and clubs. Some venues have both gay-only and mixed gay/straight nights, as indicated. Pink Point, near the Homomonument, has flyers and can provide good, reliable advice on where to go in the city, as can Nighttours, www.nighttours.nl (in English), which features a guide to events, clubs and bars, as well as more general information on Amsterdam’s gay scene. Although there are currently no clubs exclusively for lesbians, lesbian-only nights are on the increase, and the gay bars and clubs which welcome women are indicated below. Further information for women on where to go in Amsterdam can be obtained from the Gay and Lesbian Switchboard (see "Resources and contacts") or from the Nighttours website (see "Nightlife and entertainment").