The most luxurious way to experience the European city we'll never stop loving
- 1/11
The most luxurious way to experience the European city we'll never stop loving
It’s one of Europe’s premier mini-break destinations and, luckily for lovers of luxury, there are lots of five-star hotels in Amsterdam for a well-heeled weekend by the canals.
Like Porto, Barcelona and Rome, it's one of the best places to visit in Europe, especially when you have just a few days to spare for an escape.
Many of the grand merchants’ houses that line the waterways are now luxury hotels – but some of Amsterdam’s finest five-star retreats have repurposed other buildings (such as banks, in the case of the Conservatorium).
There are plenty of picturesque corners of Amsterdam, but few are as photogenic as the Nine Streets neighbourhood (De Negen Straatjes in Dutch), full of canalside boutiques and cute, cosy cafés.
The Museum Quarter is home to heavy hitters such as an homage to Van Gogh and the Rijksmuseum, where you can marvel at masterpieces such as The Night Watch by Rembrandt. Hiring a bicycle to get around Amsterdam is practically compulsory.
Two of the grandest five-star hotels in the city are the Waldorf Astoria and the iconic De L’Europe, a landmark for more than a century and counting. For something a little more intimate, but no less luxurious, try boutique hotel The Dylan on Keizersgracht.
These are our favourite five-star hotels in Amsterdam…
Waldorf Astoria Amsterdam - 2/11
1) Pulitzer Amsterdam
This five-star Amsterdam hotel is formed from several Golden Age houses on Prinsengracht, one of the centre’s main canals. Design details include panelled walls, parquet floors and beamed ceilings; some of the rooms have bath tubs in the bedrooms and windows overlooking the historic waterway outside.
The hotel also has a courtyard and an elegant restaurant with a canalside terrace – plus the Nine Streets and the rest of the Jordaan neighbourhood are on your doorstep.Courtesy of the hotel - 3/11
2) Hotel 717
It may be small, but that doesn’t mean that this boutique hotel skimps on luxury. In fact, Hotel 717 has had a quarter of a century to perfect the art of hospitality. As with many of the finest hotels in Amsterdam, it’s set in a historic house, dating back to the 17th century and overlooking Prinsengracht.
Guests are guaranteed to feel right at home, thanks to the all-day menu served in the living room, supremely comfortable beds and around-the-clock butler service to ensure you have everything you could possibly need. The hotel has its own art collection, too.
Booking.com - 4/11
3) Waldorf Astoria Amsterdam
Amsterdam’s Waldorf Astoria is in the UNESCO-protected part of town, beside Herengracht. The hotel has been formed from six canalside palaces, which date back to the 17th and 18th centuries. You’ll be within walking distance of the Museum Quarter, but there’s a Guerlain spa and two-Michelin-starred restaurant to enjoy at the hotel first.
It’s home to Peacock Alley, for everything from afternoon tea to cocktails – the latter can also be imbibed at the Vault Bar.Courtesy of the hotel - 5/11
4) Hotel TwentySeven
Hotel TwentySeven is part of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World collective, and it lives up to expectations with its Michelin-approved restaurant Bougainville, where even the breakfasts are gourmet. The service is superb; to make it even better, the team can arrange butlers, personal shoppers and trainers, and private tour guides.
The hotel is on Dam Square and close to the Royal Palace. The decor is pure Golden Age Amsterdam: brocade curtains, velvet sofas and parquet floors.Courtesy of the hotel - 6/11
5) The Dylan
The Dylan has long been one of the best hotels in Amsterdam – it’s the canalside stay for lovers of discreet luxury, with superb service, fine-dining and stylishly contemporary suites.
It’s in the heart of the Nine Streets, on Keizersgracht, making it the dream base for exploring Amsterdam by bicycle. In winter, guests can sit by the fireplace for pre-dinner drinks. The Dylan has two restaurants: the relaxed brasserie Occo, and the more formal Vinkeles, set in an 18th-century bakery and now the proud owner of a Michelin star.Courtesy of the hotel - 7/11
6) Andaz Amsterdam Prinsengracht
For a five-star Amsterdam hotel with added Alice in Wonderland factor, the city’s Andaz outpost is calling. Weird and wonderful details include oversize ceramic lampshades hanging from the ceilings, headboards with fish suspended above them and chairs that could be the Red Queen’s throne. Sign up for an Elemis treatment at the spa or stick to the ‘Drink Me’ cocktails at the bar.
From the outside, it just looks like a regular merchants’ mansion, but that’s all the more reason to go down the rabbit hole…Courtesy of the hotel - 8/11
7) Sofitel Legend the Grand
Between two canals in the centre of the city, the Sofitel Legend the Grand has had an illustrious past, with turns as a convent in the 15th century, headquarters of the Dutch admiralty, the city hall and royal lodgings.
Guests can retreat from the busy city in the hotel’s inner garden, which has a terrace dispensing refreshments. There’s also a classic Mediterranean bistro and several-course menus at Bridges. Further recharging can occur at the spa, which has a heated pool, sauna, hammam and gym.Courtesy of the hotel - 9/11
8) De L’Europe
De L’Europe may have started life as a low-key inn but it’s now one of the grandest five-star hotels on the Continent, especially since its recent renovations. The facelift also added a new wing with themed suites. These include one curated by a leading Dutch gallery, another designed in tribute to a renowned stylist and one paying homage to the jewellery designer Bibi van der Velden.
Each room has a Coco-Mat mattress, Diptyque bath products and heated bathroom floors.Courtesy of the hotel - 10/11
9) Pillows Maurits at the Park
At this five-star Amsterdam hotel, guests get the best of both worlds: the bustle of the city centre and the greenery of Oosterpark. The walk west to Museumplein shouldn’t take much more than half an hour, or it’s a 10-minute tram ride to Centraal Station.
Back at the hotel, enjoy fine-dining beneath the 15-metre-high ceilings and wooden beams at Van Oost; Italian and French meals at Spring Cafe Brasserie, which has a terrace that leads on to Oosterpark; and cocktails at Fitz’s Bar.Courtesy of the hotel - 11/11
10) Conservatorium Hotel
Housed in an imposing red-brick building that was once a bank, Conservatorium Hotel is as grand as it sounds. Glass and iron has been added to the 19th-century architecture to dazzling effect, especially in the indoor courtyard, with its lofty ceilings.
Best of all, it’s right on Museumplein, which means you’ll be close to all of the major sights – and you’ll be sleeping in another landmark as an added bonus. There’s an underground spa for Watsu massages; and more Asian inspo was taken for the hotel’s stand-out Japanese restaurant.Courtesy of the hotel
