Amsterdam Hotels

Amsterdam, Holland's premier commercial city, has long been seductive to tourists with its stunning setting around a 17th century ‘Golden Age’ ring of canals (the Grachtengordel), some of the world's finest art (in the Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh Museum) and its tolerant culture, evidenced by the Red Light District and liberal drug laws. It is a city full of charm and easy-going appeal, with so much to do and see and delight the eye. Hotels here, however, have always presented something of a problem, since the vast majority of buildings in the city’s historic centre and tall and narrow, giving little space for such amenities as restaurants, lounges, spas and so on. Many of our favourite hotels occupy the tall, narrow canal houses built for merchants and now restored, though a recent trend has seen the conversion of handsome public buildings into glossy new addresses such as the College.

We have divided our recommended Amsterdam hotels into ‘Hotels’ and ‘Guesthouses’ (by which we mean hotels that do not have restaurants). The list that follows is that of our preferred addresses with full facilities including restaurants, perfect for those who prefer to stay in larger, and perhaps grander, hotels. See Amsterdam Guesthouses if you prefer a more intimate address and inexpensive address. The order of hotels bears no reflection on our preference.


Written by  Leonie Glass, posted Friday, 12th February 2010
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