Best Urban Hotels in The Netherlands

The ‘h’ remains silent when pronouncing the name of this cutting edge hotel. Designed by Dutch architect Rem Koolhas (himself born in the city), it’s found in the Kop van Zuid district. The 275 rooms are housed in what resembles three industrial glass boxes, with a crisp white-centric internal colour scheme, halo lighting and neon signage designating room numbers. Once in your private abode, you’ll find a massive mirror that doubles as a TV, Nespresso coffee makers, blackout curtains and modular furniture. Guests can take the air from nhow’s terrace and early risers will appreciate the crack of dawn breakfast service (which opens from 5.30 am onwards).

With 233 rooms, the new 4-star NH Collection Amsterdam Flower Market is situated in a landmark 1920s building in the historic city centre of the Dutch capital. The building was originally designed by the architect G.J. Rutgers and has a nationally listed status. After closing for six months to undergo a complete renovation, what was the former NH Carlton Amsterdam has now become part of the Company’s premium NH Collection brand. This hotel is super stylish with its design incorporating influences of Amsterdam as well as the nearby Flower Market. For leisure guests, the hotel is ideally positioned in the city with most tourist attractions being a short walk away.

Housed in a historic 17th-century building, The Tivoli Doelen has played an important role in Amsterdam’s history. It’s the oldest hotel in the city, with a rich heritage, having welcomed many illustrious guests, including Queen Victoria and Napoleon Bonaparte. Overlooking the Amstel River and close to Dam Square, it’s but a short stroll away from many of the city’s top attractions, such as the Hermitage Museum and the Rembrandt House Museum. A fitness centre, a restaurant serving Dutch and French cuisine and a bar with a riverside terrace are among the NH Collection hotel’s amenities.

Housed in a Gothic, former convent building, the Hotel Nassau Breda accommodates 94 guest rooms, with suites providing separate living areas and private balconies. Its Liefdegesticht, is a cathedral-like fine dining restaurant with stained glass windows and soaring ceilings, serving French haute cuisine with a modern twist. While Heeren van Oranje is a casual brasserie for international dishes. The hotel also has a chic bar with comfy velvet seating, a beautiful courtyard, an events space in what was once a chapel, a fitness centre and a sauna.

The wellness centre here was voted the Netherlands’ Best Hotel Spa of 2020 and rooms come with Hermès branded products. The building itself has served many purposes as an ex-city hall, monastery, royal lodge and Admiralty. Inside, French interiors by Sybille de Margerie, complement an Art Deco extension and grand features dating back, in parts, to the 16th century. Dinner and organic wines are served in the Bridges restaurant, or garden bistro, with afternoon teas in the library lounge. Do take advantage of a local tour on the Sofitel’s private salon boat, horse-drawn carriage or one of its bicycles – a highlight of any stay here.

Erected in 1896, De L’Europe sits beside the Amstel River on the site of a late medieval fortress. State-of-the-art technology, local heritage and classic design are melded into a five-star style. Elite suites are housed in the Dutch Masters Wing, named after the nation’s illustrious painters and with its own private entrance. The hotel is partnered with the Rijksmuseum, displaying fine art replicas from the likes of Rembrandt and Frans Hals. Haute cuisine is served in the critically acclaimed Bord’Eau restaurant, with alfresco summer dining at Hèt Terras. Freddy’s Bar mixes some of the best Bloody Marys in Amsterdam. And there’s a 4,300-square-foot Le Spa by Skins Institute, with a canalside indoor pool.

Found in the Museum Square district, this was once a musical institution – a heritage reflected in its title and ongoing collaborations. The Conservatorium was named the finest luxury hotel in Holland by Condé Nast, with Art Noveau interiors created by award-winning Milan-based designer Piero Lissoni. The lauded Akasha Holistic Wellbeing Centre offers everything from nutrition therapy, to meditation, to Watsu and has what is arguably the best-equipped gym in the city. Following the hotel’s subtle Asian influence, is Taiko, the dining experience and bar, where flavour, aroma and texture reign. Book a room, suite, duplex, or even your own wing.

Made up of an impressive six canal side 17th and 18th Century townhouses, the Waldorf Astoria is a simultaneously sprawling but precise construction which oozes elegance from the moment youstep in side to the moment you leave. Suites are spacious and bright and tasteful as is the rest of the hotel which is often decorated with the building’s freeholder’s own contemporary art collection. The Guerlain Spa opens up into one of the city’s largest private gardens, full of luscious green grass and, in spring, 5000 tulips. The hotel’s restaurant is a two star Michelin tour de force called Spectrum which has to be experienced to be believed.