Some of Europe's most charming and opulent hotels may be found nestled among Amsterdam's bustling canals and ancient streets. Amsterdam, the Netherlands' capital city, has an extensive mix of culture, art, and history, attracting millions of visitors each year to iconic buildings like the Anne Frank House and the Van Gogh Museum.

Aside from its famous attractions, Amsterdam is home to a multitude of excellent hotels, each with a distinct blend of Dutch warmth and modern facilities. From modest canal-side jewels to grand buildings steeped in history, Amsterdam's top hotels promise an exceptional stay against the gorgeous backdrop of this dynamic city.

Waldorf Astoria Amsterdam

Amsterdam's Best Hotels

Waldorf Astoria Amsterdam

The location could not be better. A magnificent canal out front, a spacious garden out back, and practically everything of interest in town within acceptable walking distance: the Rijksmuseum (15 minutes), the Dam/Royal Palace (15 minutes), Negen Straatjes shopping (12 minutes), the FOAM photography museum, and the Museum Van Loon.

Waldorf Astoria Amsterdam

A staircase rising through 60 metres of sparkling marble and stucco (designed by the architect of the Netherlands' greatest royal residence), Rococo licks and curls, and 17th-century ceiling paintings remain. Parts are museum-perfect, such as the Maurer Room, a private dining suite with 18th-century wall paintings and a totally preserved decor.

Then there's an attractive newer layer with a contemporary style but a timeless tone: modern Murano glass lights and chandeliers; blues and creams that add a quiet, subdued touch; and trendy staff uniforms designed by one of Holland's best designers.

Waldorf Astoria Amsterdam

The muted blue, cream, and grey tones continue throughout the rooms. Classic good taste prevails, with a Queen Anne table and a contemporary designer coffee table. Today's amenities are all present - espresso machines, laptop-sized room safes, free Wi-Fi - but it's the thoughtful, simple touches that make rooms an escape for stressed travellers: light switches that don't completely confuse you as to what's what; an entertainment system that doesn't require 20 minutes of manual reading first; and all-around lighting on the bathroom mirror.

Even at the standard level, the rooms and bathrooms are extremely spacious. The top-tier suites retain period architectural characteristics, while the rooms under the rafters are popular for their quirky, more distinctive charm.

Waldorf Astoria Amsterdam

Sidney Schutte, one of the country's top chefs, runs Librije's Zusje restaurant. He creates some sublimely delicious dishes, such as fish with green tea oil and a heady passion-fruit-and-dashi sauce. The Goldfinch Brasserie serves less elaborate evening dishes from the same kitchen (rib-eye steak with rosemary, garlic, artichoke, and mushrooms).

Hotel Pulitzer Amsterdam

Hotel Pulitzer Amsterdam

Fronting two of Amsterdam's most elegant canals, the Anne Frank House is only a five-minute walk away, and the Royal Palace on the Dam is only two or three more. It is located in the heart of the Negen Straatjes commercial district, about a 10-minute tram ride from Museumplein.

In the 1960s, local businessman Peter Pulitzer proposed integrating ten canal cottages into a hotel. He was one of the first to do this. Hotel Pulitzer now spans 25 buildings and is located between two main canals. It's a lovely maze of corridors, stairways, and unexpected open areas, with many historic features intact but with a fresh, contemporary feel.

Hotel Pulitzer Amsterdam

Prints and paintings from the hotel's significant modern art collection adorn the walls. Clean lines and muted colours predominate, with quirky design flourishes (many referencing Amsterdam and its history) that thrill at every step.

Staff are politely friendly without being gushy, and they are on top of things. There is a competent concierge crew with Amsterdam at their fingertips, as well as a good-sized gym and a series of tranquil garden courtyards where birdsong blends with the Westertoren's carillon. The Pulitzer features one of the most magnificent salon boats in town, a 1920s mahogany schooner on which you can take an afternoon canal trip.

Hotel Pulitzer Amsterdam

Rooms are in diverse forms and sizes, with some being on the 'cosy' side (as is typical of ancient Amsterdam buildings) and others marvellously vast. Many have beautiful canal views, and all come with a brief history of the canal house you're in. Modern art from the hotel's collection also makes its way into the rooms, and the colour schemes are subtle pastels and golden beige with lush hints of lime, yellow, and purple. The beds are incredibly comfortable, the bathrooms are generously large with wickedly flattering mirrors and Le Labo Santal 33 soaps, there's a minibar, coffee and tea making facilities, and a bicycle puncture repair kit in true Amsterdam style.

Hotel Pulitzer Amsterdam

Restaurant Jansz. is divided into rooms with simple design such as plain wood floors, grey wainscots, and bentwood seats. The cuisine ranges from top-class takes on everyday basics, such as juicy burgers and Caesar salad, to robust grub with big flavour, like rich lobster risotto or lamb with ratatouille, to subtle dishes with quiet surprises, that include roast cauliflower and wild mushrooms with hidden flavours of lemon and sweet pine nuts, or perfectly cooked salmon with black rice gently infused with dashi and a tang of lime leaf.

Breakfast here is a beautiful spread of locally sourced products, as well as classic egg dishes, inventive omelettes and pancakes, while the Pause lobby bar, which spills out into a garden courtyard in good weather, serves an all-day breakfast (acai and poke bowls, tiered plates of breads, meats and cheeses) and light meals. Pulitzer's Bar is a city institution, decorated in gentlemen's club style and serving fine wines and classic cocktails.

Soho House Amsterdam

Soho House Amsterdam

In the middle of town, a minute or two from the Dam and the Negen Straatjes shopping district, in a bustling neighbourhood with one side overlooking a canal. The main museums are a 20-minute walk away (13 minutes by tram) and the Anne Frank House is 10 minutes away. Centraal Station is roughly a 15-minute walk away (less than ten minutes by tram), and Rokin Metro Station is about five minutes.

The crème of Dutch creatives wander relaxedly through the hotel, all soaring ceilings, stained glass, Art Deco angles, and vividly coloured tiles. Hotel guests have access to the club lounge, restaurant, unparalleled roof terrace, and other amenities throughout their stay.

Soho House Amsterdam

In the lounge, restaurant and bar, a soft jumble of furniture (antique, painstakingly copied or comfortably contemporary) in warm tones and appealing fabrics claims the space so sweetly that it appears to have been there for decades. New Dutch artists' work is carefully picked and displayed around the structure. It's both hip and homely, with a somewhat laid-back vibe.

The service is sleek and enthusiastic. The welcome was friendly at reception (where, in a quiet period, personnel were observed gleefully dancing to the background music); restaurant waiters were busy on the ball and could answer queries regarding less common foods.

The club facilities are a world apart from the offerings of other hotels in town: a roof terrace with a 360-degree view of Amsterdam, at a height that allows you to see the entire city while still feeling part of it, complete with a pool. There is also an enormous gym with top-of-the-line equipment, canal views, and a quick laundry service when you're done; and an intimate in-house cinema with enormous velvet armchairs.

Soho House Amsterdam

Private party areas and smaller pubs where you might catch special member functions (such as drag-queen bingo or a dance event). A Cowshed Spa provides pleasant treatments and barber chairs.

Rooms, with parquet floors, beautiful textiles, original artwork, artisan ceramics, vintage-style furniture, and colours of russet, inky blue, and seaweed green, maintain the serene, engaging tone of the social areas. They vary in design and size, but typically include high ceilings, large bay windows, enough room for two people to rest, comfortable chairs, and a 1930s-style closet and drinks cabinet.

The bed (with an Everest of pillows) provides a restful night's sleep; technology appears where it is needed (Marshal sound system, digital radio) and there are numerous considerate additions (phone chargers, flip-flops instead of flimsy towelling slippers, hot-water bottle, enveloping bathrobes).

Soho House Amsterdam

Bathrooms are moderately sized and Art Deco in design, with mostly showers (glorious fire-hydrant water pressure), soft, giant-sized towels, and approximately ten different Cowshed shower gels and shampoos, as well as skin products, massage oil, and a slew of amenities that go beyond the ordinary to include earplugs and condoms.

The bars serve good wines and excellent cocktails (Patron Reposado tequila, lime, agave coriander, and a zap of chilli). Barbeque grills, exquisite appetisers (avocado and chickpea dip with fennel and asparagus), and larger dishes from the House Kitchen downstairs are all available on the terrace.

The House Kitchen serves robust, tasty fare with US and Mediterranean influences, prepared with high-quality ingredients: a succulent rotisserie chicken on a tangy bed of heirloom tomatoes and basil; delicate yellowtail crudo, the fine fish flavour given a cheeky sweet-and-sour twist with grapefruit and sea grapes.

Soho House Amsterdam

Breakfast is excellent, with a wide range of options, including fruit salad and granola, crispy avocado toasts, prime smoked salmon, and flawless omelettes, as well as fluffy-flaky croissants, rock cakes, and gooey chocolate cookies. Ceconni's restaurant, unlike the others, is open to the public and provides innovative Italian cuisine, ranging from tuna with quails eggs to meltingly crunchy wood-fired pizza with goat cheese and wild mushrooms.

The Hoxton, Amsterdam

The Hoxton, Amsterdam

The hotel is in a superb location on Amsterdam's most graceful canal, in the midst of the Negen Straatjes shopping district, less than a 10-minute walk from the Dam and around 20 minutes from Central Station or (in the opposite direction) the Rijkmuseum.

On the outside, a grand canal mansion; on the inside, a convivial hip. The entrance area is at semi-basement souterrain level: part lobby lounge/bar with rough brick walls, wooden floors, scuffed leather sofas (mounded with cushions) and 1950s and 1970s vintage furniture; part restaurant (lined with large white tiles, like a castle kitchen), and with the reception counter a long cabinet down one wall, stuffed with flea-market bric-a-brac (antique scissors, painted egg cups, collectible Rizla packets).

The Hoxton, Amsterdam

Decorative cocoa, coffee and biscuit tins from decades ago are scattered on shelves, and ancient prints of individuals in traditional Dutch garb line the elevators, but any plunge into nostalgia is halted by searing displays of work by hot young local artists. The Hox is extremely popular among Amsterdam residents, giving public areas a lively, bustling ambiance rather than a sense of temporary hotel utility.

Staff, dressed casually in street-cool manner, blend in with the fashionable clientele and are fast to respond and helpful.

Bicycles are available for visitors, and in addition to the bar and Lotti's restaurant, there are conference, function and private dining rooms centred on a tiny, separate garden atrium.

Corridors with funky Escher-style carpets lead to rooms that, like the public areas, combine nostalgia with sleek modernism: a retro-style digital radio, vintage alarm clock, 1980s phone, and herringbone parquet floors compete for style with a hexagonal mirror, a clean-lined desk, and an abstract brass-wire lampshade. Room 504 (a 'Cosy' room - there are larger 'Roomy' ones as well) offers plenty of space for two to move around, but only a little stool and desk chair to sit on and a kettle (rather than an espresso machine) for coffee. The beds are wallowingly soft.

The Hoxton, Amsterdam

Hanging space is modest (four hangers), but sufficient for a short stay. The shower room (reminiscent of the 1930s, with white tiles, chunky taps, and exposed brass piping) is wet-room type and quite spacious for Amsterdam, with plenty of storage space. A few rooms feature canal views, while others look into the central atrium.

The bustling downstairs lounge bar has a more private mezzanine tier flooded with comfortable seats (and phone charging stations galore), and is famous for its Soho Mule, sweetened with handmade ginger syrup, and Dutch genever-based cocktails.

Lotti's restaurant (with a retractable glass roof in good weather) is full of flavour and diverse in style, serving everything from thick, juicy burgers and wood-grilled seabass to lentil salad with jalapeño vinaigrette and a delicious Lima-bean paste with pickled chorizo and crunchy fried onions.

The Hoxton, Amsterdam

A breakfast bag with orange juice, a banana, cereal, and yoghurt is delivered to your accommodation; for more (avo with poached eggs, pancakes, full English), there's an à la carte option at Lotti's (dishes start at €7/£6).

Pillows Maurits at the Park

Pillows Maurits at the Park

This East Amsterdam hotel is a 10-minute drive or 30-minute walk along a canal to the city centre. Take a walk past the Heineken Experience to the Rijkmuseum, then turn right into the city's network of canals lined with waterfront cafés and flower shops. I liked the hotel's slightly out-of-the-way location, which is quiet and wooded and overlooks Oosterpark. Arrival is very simple: it's only 15 minutes by car from the Eurostar terminal and 30 minutes from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport.

This remarkable property is housed in a former biology university building. References to its previous life can be spotted throughout, from botanical books on the coffee tables to floral artwork on the walls. A majestic entrance leads to passageways lined with antique tiles. Former classrooms have been converted into bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms, which were installed during a five-year makeover. An expansion has been built on the back of the original structure, however the original wall is still visible and may be seen when entering park-view rooms.

Pillows Maurits at the Park

The décor is heavily influenced by art, transforming the hotel into its own gallery. The works are from owner Alex Mulder's personal collection, and many are by the avant-garde 'Cobra' group of painters from Copenhagen, Brussels, and Amsterdam. Don't miss the original Picasso inside Fitz's Bar.

Candles in all public rooms permeate the air with the Pillows' unique perfume, which includes eucalyptus and rosemary. Outside, the garden is an extension of the park, covered with trees chosen specifically to attract birds to the region.

The amenities include two restaurants and bars, an exquisite lounge with curved seating, and a library. A tiny spa provides mini-massages, facials, waxing, manicures, and a hydro-massage bed. Guests can arrange a private sauna to enjoy the facilities and leisure space in complete seclusion. There's also a lovely gym with wooden equipment and a rowing machine that uses real water.

From check-in, where visitors sit in the lounge and enjoy a complimentary glass of fizz, to check-out, when valets load your car or taxi. Valet parking costs €70 (£60) per day.

Pillows Maurits at the Park

Standard rooms are compact and modern, with exquisite light grey or white panelled walls and soft carpeting. Rooms face the entrance, canal, courtyard, or park. Ours, positioned in the back of the building, had a park view and massive sliding windows that opened wide, making us nearly believe we had a balcony. The rooms are decorated with delicate artworks and Tashcen botanical books. Fitted wardrobes provide storage space, robes, slippers, coffee and tea making amenities, and a minibar stocked with local snacks and chocolates.

We were met with a delicious gift of enormous macaroons. The bathroom was tiny but functional, with a walk-in rain shower and several lighting settings.

The most luxurious accommodation option is the light-filled Pillows Suite, located above the hotel's entryway and including a grand piano, lounge, and freestanding tub.

Pillows Maurits at the Park

VanOost restaurant is the hotel's culinary highlight. The host greets guests and leads them to the bar for an aperitif and amuse-bouche. They then proceed past the open kitchen, where chefs meet them, and into the magnificent main restaurant, which boasts an astonishing 15-meter-high vaulted ceiling. Fine dining set meals including world cuisine are available in five, eight, and nine courses, with optional wine pairing.

Breakfast begins with pastries, followed by a selection of fruits, breads, eggs, cheeses, and charcuterie served to the table. For dessert, choose from a selection of pastries arranged around a tree in the heart of the brasserie. Hot foods such as pancakes, shakshuka, and French toast are provided at an additional price.

Pillows Maurits at the Park

Fitz's pub is a 1920s-style speakeasy pub with strong Peaky Blinders overtones. Try the award-winning Essence No. 5 drink, the sweet and sour Lady Nicole, or the luxurious Gold Bar. The latter is served with an edible chocolate and caramel bar made by a pastry chef who spent several years in Buckingham Palace. In the warmer months, there is also a rooftop bar with room for a DJ.

Some of Europe's most charming and opulent hotels may be found nestled among Amsterdam's bustling canals and ancient streets. Amsterdam, the Netherlands' capital city, has an extensive mix of culture, art, and history, attracting millions of visitors each year to iconic buildings like the Anne Frank House and the Van Gogh Museum.

Aside from its famous attractions, Amsterdam is home to a multitude of excellent hotels, each with a distinct blend of Dutch warmth and modern facilities. From modest canal-side jewels to grand buildings steeped in history, Amsterdam's top hotels promise an exceptional stay against the gorgeous backdrop of this dynamic city.

Waldorf Astoria Amsterdam

Amsterdam's Best Hotels

Waldorf Astoria Amsterdam

The location could not be better. A magnificent canal out front, a spacious garden out back, and practically everything of interest in town within acceptable walking distance: the Rijksmuseum (15 minutes), the Dam/Royal Palace (15 minutes), Negen Straatjes shopping (12 minutes), the FOAM photography museum, and the Museum Van Loon.

Waldorf Astoria Amsterdam

A staircase rising through 60 metres of sparkling marble and stucco (designed by the architect of the Netherlands' greatest royal residence), Rococo licks and curls, and 17th-century ceiling paintings remain. Parts are museum-perfect, such as the Maurer Room, a private dining suite with 18th-century wall paintings and a totally preserved decor.

Then there's an attractive newer layer with a contemporary style but a timeless tone: modern Murano glass lights and chandeliers; blues and creams that add a quiet, subdued touch; and trendy staff uniforms designed by one of Holland's best designers.

Waldorf Astoria Amsterdam

The muted blue, cream, and grey tones continue throughout the rooms. Classic good taste prevails, with a Queen Anne table and a contemporary designer coffee table. Today's amenities are all present - espresso machines, laptop-sized room safes, free Wi-Fi - but it's the thoughtful, simple touches that make rooms an escape for stressed travellers: light switches that don't completely confuse you as to what's what; an entertainment system that doesn't require 20 minutes of manual reading first; and all-around lighting on the bathroom mirror.

Even at the standard level, the rooms and bathrooms are extremely spacious. The top-tier suites retain period architectural characteristics, while the rooms under the rafters are popular for their quirky, more distinctive charm.

Waldorf Astoria Amsterdam

Sidney Schutte, one of the country's top chefs, runs Librije's Zusje restaurant. He creates some sublimely delicious dishes, such as fish with green tea oil and a heady passion-fruit-and-dashi sauce. The Goldfinch Brasserie serves less elaborate evening dishes from the same kitchen (rib-eye steak with rosemary, garlic, artichoke, and mushrooms).

Hotel Pulitzer Amsterdam

Hotel Pulitzer Amsterdam

Fronting two of Amsterdam's most elegant canals, the Anne Frank House is only a five-minute walk away, and the Royal Palace on the Dam is only two or three more. It is located in the heart of the Negen Straatjes commercial district, about a 10-minute tram ride from Museumplein.

In the 1960s, local businessman Peter Pulitzer proposed integrating ten canal cottages into a hotel. He was one of the first to do this. Hotel Pulitzer now spans 25 buildings and is located between two main canals. It's a lovely maze of corridors, stairways, and unexpected open areas, with many historic features intact but with a fresh, contemporary feel.

Hotel Pulitzer Amsterdam

Prints and paintings from the hotel's significant modern art collection adorn the walls. Clean lines and muted colours predominate, with quirky design flourishes (many referencing Amsterdam and its history) that thrill at every step.

Staff are politely friendly without being gushy, and they are on top of things. There is a competent concierge crew with Amsterdam at their fingertips, as well as a good-sized gym and a series of tranquil garden courtyards where birdsong blends with the Westertoren's carillon. The Pulitzer features one of the most magnificent salon boats in town, a 1920s mahogany schooner on which you can take an afternoon canal trip.

Hotel Pulitzer Amsterdam

Rooms are in diverse forms and sizes, with some being on the 'cosy' side (as is typical of ancient Amsterdam buildings) and others marvellously vast. Many have beautiful canal views, and all come with a brief history of the canal house you're in. Modern art from the hotel's collection also makes its way into the rooms, and the colour schemes are subtle pastels and golden beige with lush hints of lime, yellow, and purple. The beds are incredibly comfortable, the bathrooms are generously large with wickedly flattering mirrors and Le Labo Santal 33 soaps, there's a minibar, coffee and tea making facilities, and a bicycle puncture repair kit in true Amsterdam style.

Hotel Pulitzer Amsterdam

Restaurant Jansz. is divided into rooms with simple design such as plain wood floors, grey wainscots, and bentwood seats. The cuisine ranges from top-class takes on everyday basics, such as juicy burgers and Caesar salad, to robust grub with big flavour, like rich lobster risotto or lamb with ratatouille, to subtle dishes with quiet surprises, that include roast cauliflower and wild mushrooms with hidden flavours of lemon and sweet pine nuts, or perfectly cooked salmon with black rice gently infused with dashi and a tang of lime leaf.

Breakfast here is a beautiful spread of locally sourced products, as well as classic egg dishes, inventive omelettes and pancakes, while the Pause lobby bar, which spills out into a garden courtyard in good weather, serves an all-day breakfast (acai and poke bowls, tiered plates of breads, meats and cheeses) and light meals. Pulitzer's Bar is a city institution, decorated in gentlemen's club style and serving fine wines and classic cocktails.

Soho House Amsterdam

Soho House Amsterdam

In the middle of town, a minute or two from the Dam and the Negen Straatjes shopping district, in a bustling neighbourhood with one side overlooking a canal. The main museums are a 20-minute walk away (13 minutes by tram) and the Anne Frank House is 10 minutes away. Centraal Station is roughly a 15-minute walk away (less than ten minutes by tram), and Rokin Metro Station is about five minutes.

The crème of Dutch creatives wander relaxedly through the hotel, all soaring ceilings, stained glass, Art Deco angles, and vividly coloured tiles. Hotel guests have access to the club lounge, restaurant, unparalleled roof terrace, and other amenities throughout their stay.

Soho House Amsterdam

In the lounge, restaurant and bar, a soft jumble of furniture (antique, painstakingly copied or comfortably contemporary) in warm tones and appealing fabrics claims the space so sweetly that it appears to have been there for decades. New Dutch artists' work is carefully picked and displayed around the structure. It's both hip and homely, with a somewhat laid-back vibe.

The service is sleek and enthusiastic. The welcome was friendly at reception (where, in a quiet period, personnel were observed gleefully dancing to the background music); restaurant waiters were busy on the ball and could answer queries regarding less common foods.

The club facilities are a world apart from the offerings of other hotels in town: a roof terrace with a 360-degree view of Amsterdam, at a height that allows you to see the entire city while still feeling part of it, complete with a pool. There is also an enormous gym with top-of-the-line equipment, canal views, and a quick laundry service when you're done; and an intimate in-house cinema with enormous velvet armchairs.

Soho House Amsterdam

Private party areas and smaller pubs where you might catch special member functions (such as drag-queen bingo or a dance event). A Cowshed Spa provides pleasant treatments and barber chairs.

Rooms, with parquet floors, beautiful textiles, original artwork, artisan ceramics, vintage-style furniture, and colours of russet, inky blue, and seaweed green, maintain the serene, engaging tone of the social areas. They vary in design and size, but typically include high ceilings, large bay windows, enough room for two people to rest, comfortable chairs, and a 1930s-style closet and drinks cabinet.

The bed (with an Everest of pillows) provides a restful night's sleep; technology appears where it is needed (Marshal sound system, digital radio) and there are numerous considerate additions (phone chargers, flip-flops instead of flimsy towelling slippers, hot-water bottle, enveloping bathrobes).

Soho House Amsterdam

Bathrooms are moderately sized and Art Deco in design, with mostly showers (glorious fire-hydrant water pressure), soft, giant-sized towels, and approximately ten different Cowshed shower gels and shampoos, as well as skin products, massage oil, and a slew of amenities that go beyond the ordinary to include earplugs and condoms.

The bars serve good wines and excellent cocktails (Patron Reposado tequila, lime, agave coriander, and a zap of chilli). Barbeque grills, exquisite appetisers (avocado and chickpea dip with fennel and asparagus), and larger dishes from the House Kitchen downstairs are all available on the terrace.

The House Kitchen serves robust, tasty fare with US and Mediterranean influences, prepared with high-quality ingredients: a succulent rotisserie chicken on a tangy bed of heirloom tomatoes and basil; delicate yellowtail crudo, the fine fish flavour given a cheeky sweet-and-sour twist with grapefruit and sea grapes.

Soho House Amsterdam

Breakfast is excellent, with a wide range of options, including fruit salad and granola, crispy avocado toasts, prime smoked salmon, and flawless omelettes, as well as fluffy-flaky croissants, rock cakes, and gooey chocolate cookies. Ceconni's restaurant, unlike the others, is open to the public and provides innovative Italian cuisine, ranging from tuna with quails eggs to meltingly crunchy wood-fired pizza with goat cheese and wild mushrooms.

The Hoxton, Amsterdam

The Hoxton, Amsterdam

The hotel is in a superb location on Amsterdam's most graceful canal, in the midst of the Negen Straatjes shopping district, less than a 10-minute walk from the Dam and around 20 minutes from Central Station or (in the opposite direction) the Rijkmuseum.

On the outside, a grand canal mansion; on the inside, a convivial hip. The entrance area is at semi-basement souterrain level: part lobby lounge/bar with rough brick walls, wooden floors, scuffed leather sofas (mounded with cushions) and 1950s and 1970s vintage furniture; part restaurant (lined with large white tiles, like a castle kitchen), and with the reception counter a long cabinet down one wall, stuffed with flea-market bric-a-brac (antique scissors, painted egg cups, collectible Rizla packets).

The Hoxton, Amsterdam

Decorative cocoa, coffee and biscuit tins from decades ago are scattered on shelves, and ancient prints of individuals in traditional Dutch garb line the elevators, but any plunge into nostalgia is halted by searing displays of work by hot young local artists. The Hox is extremely popular among Amsterdam residents, giving public areas a lively, bustling ambiance rather than a sense of temporary hotel utility.

Staff, dressed casually in street-cool manner, blend in with the fashionable clientele and are fast to respond and helpful.

Bicycles are available for visitors, and in addition to the bar and Lotti's restaurant, there are conference, function and private dining rooms centred on a tiny, separate garden atrium.

Corridors with funky Escher-style carpets lead to rooms that, like the public areas, combine nostalgia with sleek modernism: a retro-style digital radio, vintage alarm clock, 1980s phone, and herringbone parquet floors compete for style with a hexagonal mirror, a clean-lined desk, and an abstract brass-wire lampshade. Room 504 (a 'Cosy' room - there are larger 'Roomy' ones as well) offers plenty of space for two to move around, but only a little stool and desk chair to sit on and a kettle (rather than an espresso machine) for coffee. The beds are wallowingly soft.

The Hoxton, Amsterdam

Hanging space is modest (four hangers), but sufficient for a short stay. The shower room (reminiscent of the 1930s, with white tiles, chunky taps, and exposed brass piping) is wet-room type and quite spacious for Amsterdam, with plenty of storage space. A few rooms feature canal views, while others look into the central atrium.

The bustling downstairs lounge bar has a more private mezzanine tier flooded with comfortable seats (and phone charging stations galore), and is famous for its Soho Mule, sweetened with handmade ginger syrup, and Dutch genever-based cocktails.

Lotti's restaurant (with a retractable glass roof in good weather) is full of flavour and diverse in style, serving everything from thick, juicy burgers and wood-grilled seabass to lentil salad with jalapeño vinaigrette and a delicious Lima-bean paste with pickled chorizo and crunchy fried onions.

The Hoxton, Amsterdam

A breakfast bag with orange juice, a banana, cereal, and yoghurt is delivered to your accommodation; for more (avo with poached eggs, pancakes, full English), there's an à la carte option at Lotti's (dishes start at €7/£6).

Pillows Maurits at the Park

Pillows Maurits at the Park

This East Amsterdam hotel is a 10-minute drive or 30-minute walk along a canal to the city centre. Take a walk past the Heineken Experience to the Rijkmuseum, then turn right into the city's network of canals lined with waterfront cafés and flower shops. I liked the hotel's slightly out-of-the-way location, which is quiet and wooded and overlooks Oosterpark. Arrival is very simple: it's only 15 minutes by car from the Eurostar terminal and 30 minutes from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport.

This remarkable property is housed in a former biology university building. References to its previous life can be spotted throughout, from botanical books on the coffee tables to floral artwork on the walls. A majestic entrance leads to passageways lined with antique tiles. Former classrooms have been converted into bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms, which were installed during a five-year makeover. An expansion has been built on the back of the original structure, however the original wall is still visible and may be seen when entering park-view rooms.

Pillows Maurits at the Park

The décor is heavily influenced by art, transforming the hotel into its own gallery. The works are from owner Alex Mulder's personal collection, and many are by the avant-garde 'Cobra' group of painters from Copenhagen, Brussels, and Amsterdam. Don't miss the original Picasso inside Fitz's Bar.

Candles in all public rooms permeate the air with the Pillows' unique perfume, which includes eucalyptus and rosemary. Outside, the garden is an extension of the park, covered with trees chosen specifically to attract birds to the region.

The amenities include two restaurants and bars, an exquisite lounge with curved seating, and a library. A tiny spa provides mini-massages, facials, waxing, manicures, and a hydro-massage bed. Guests can arrange a private sauna to enjoy the facilities and leisure space in complete seclusion. There's also a lovely gym with wooden equipment and a rowing machine that uses real water.

From check-in, where visitors sit in the lounge and enjoy a complimentary glass of fizz, to check-out, when valets load your car or taxi. Valet parking costs €70 (£60) per day.

Pillows Maurits at the Park

Standard rooms are compact and modern, with exquisite light grey or white panelled walls and soft carpeting. Rooms face the entrance, canal, courtyard, or park. Ours, positioned in the back of the building, had a park view and massive sliding windows that opened wide, making us nearly believe we had a balcony. The rooms are decorated with delicate artworks and Tashcen botanical books. Fitted wardrobes provide storage space, robes, slippers, coffee and tea making amenities, and a minibar stocked with local snacks and chocolates.

We were met with a delicious gift of enormous macaroons. The bathroom was tiny but functional, with a walk-in rain shower and several lighting settings.

The most luxurious accommodation option is the light-filled Pillows Suite, located above the hotel's entryway and including a grand piano, lounge, and freestanding tub.

Pillows Maurits at the Park

VanOost restaurant is the hotel's culinary highlight. The host greets guests and leads them to the bar for an aperitif and amuse-bouche. They then proceed past the open kitchen, where chefs meet them, and into the magnificent main restaurant, which boasts an astonishing 15-meter-high vaulted ceiling. Fine dining set meals including world cuisine are available in five, eight, and nine courses, with optional wine pairing.

Breakfast begins with pastries, followed by a selection of fruits, breads, eggs, cheeses, and charcuterie served to the table. For dessert, choose from a selection of pastries arranged around a tree in the heart of the brasserie. Hot foods such as pancakes, shakshuka, and French toast are provided at an additional price.

Pillows Maurits at the Park

Fitz's pub is a 1920s-style speakeasy pub with strong Peaky Blinders overtones. Try the award-winning Essence No. 5 drink, the sweet and sour Lady Nicole, or the luxurious Gold Bar. The latter is served with an edible chocolate and caramel bar made by a pastry chef who spent several years in Buckingham Palace. In the warmer months, there is also a rooftop bar with room for a DJ.