Amsterdam (Rough Guide) - Martin Dunford [99]
Pulitzer Prinsengracht 315 020/523 5235, www.starwood.com. Tram #13 or #17 to Westermarkt. An entire row of seventeenth-century canal houses creatively converted into a prestigious, five-star hotel. The recently renovated rooms are all done up in soft tones, some overlooking the inner courtyard, others with canal views. Very popular with visiting business folk. Luxury doesn’t come cheap though, with doubles starting at €300.
Singel Hotel Singel 13 020/626 3108, www.singelhotel.nl. Five-minute walk from CS. Pleasant hotel located in three charming canal houses right next to the old Lutheran church. The rooms are rather small, but well equipped, some overlooking the Singel. Rates from €139, breakfast included.
The Times Hotel Herengracht 135 020/330 6030, www.thetimeshotel.nl. Tram #1, #2 or #5 from CS to Spui. Colourful design hotel with a wink to old Dutch masters – each room contains gigantic paintings of Vermeer, Rembrandt or Van Gogh. Doubles around €159, excluding breakfast (an extra €10).
Toren Keizersgracht 164 020/622 6033, www.hoteltoren.nl. Tram #13 or #17 from CS to Westermarkt. Cosy, retro-chic boutique hotel, converted from two elegant canal houses (one of which was once the home of the Dutch prime minister), where the emphasis is on intimacy and comfort. All rooms have been recently renovated, and there’s an annex if the main building is full. There’s also a nice bar/breakfast room downstairs and they offer a specially adapted menu from nearby Christophe if you want to eat in the evening. Very attentive and friendly staff too. Doubles €160–260, depending on season and canal views.
Toren
Wiechmann Prinsengracht 328–332 020/626 3321, www.hotelwiechmann.nl. Tram #13 or #17 to Westermarkt. Family-run for over fifty years, this medium-sized 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 – be it a bit old-fashioned – with TV and shower, and cost €140, €20 more for a canal view. Prices stay the same throughout the year.
Accommodation | Hotels and B&Bs |
Grachtengordel south
Backstage Hotel Leidsegracht 114 020/624 4044, www.backstagehotel.com. Tram #1, #2 or #5 to Prinsengracht. Hotel aimed to accommodate musicians playing at the nearby Melkweg or Paradiso. Furnishings such as theatre mirrors, PA spotlights and flight cases in the 22 newly decorated rooms are bound to make them feel at home, but non-musicians are also welcome. Facilities include free internet, a 24-hour bar and pool table. Rooms from €100.
Carlton Amsterdam Vijzelstraat 4 020/622 2266, www.nh-hotels.com. Tram #4, #9, #16, #24 or #25 to the Muntplein. Next door to the flower market, this large, four-star chain hotel has over two hundred well-appointed bedrooms equipped with standard modern fittings and furnishings. Some of the “deluxe” rooms on the top floor have balconies and grand views over the city centre. Prices vary enormously, but you can reckon on paying between €150 and €250 for a double.
Dikker & Thijs Fenice Prinsengracht 444 020/620 1212, www.dtfh.nl. Tram #1, #2 or #5 to the corner of Prinsengracht and Leidsestraat. Small and stylish hotel not far from Leidseplein. The modern rooms vary in decor but all include minibars, telephones and TVs; those on the top floor offer a good view of the city. Standard doubles from €160, breakfast excluded.
Eden Amsterdam American Leidsekade 97 020/556 3000, www.amsterdamamerican.com. Tram #1, #2 or #5 to Leidseplein. This landmark Art Deco hotel, dating from 1902, was once the height of chic; the high rollers have since moved on, and the bedrooms are now standard-issue modern affairs, but they are large and comfortable, with double-glazed windows (a useful addition, since the hotel is just off Leidseplein). Doubles from as little as €150 if booked well in advance.
Marcel van Woerkom Leidsestraat 87 020/622 9834, www.marcelamsterdam.com. Tram #1, #2 or #5 to