When deciding which hotels to recommend as the best places to stay in Amsterdam I regarded a couple of things. Firstly: location. Great Amsterdam hotel but in a shitty spot far away from sights or ways to get there? Not on this list. Holiday accommodation should facilitate the trip, the trip does not revolve around it.
Secondly: uniqueness combined with comfort. I love hotels that have a cool interior or a unique sleeping arrangement offer. Something to remember your stay by. “Remember when we went to Amsterdam and stayed in that cool spot?” Immediate mood booster. However some places might be quirky and unique, but take it a tad too far and forget about comfort. Again: a top accommodation should enhance your trip. No compromises on comfort.
Lastly the best hotels in Amsterdam, for me, have environmentally friendly policies – but again without compromising on comfort. Having lived in the city for the past 3 years I feel I know it well enough to pick out the best places to stay in Amsterdam.
7. QO Amsterdam
Booking Rating: 9.0 | Privates from EUR 156
Topping a lot of lists of best places to stay in Amsterdam, the award winning QO hotel is undisputedly one of the top hotels in town. Award winning you say? Yes. It won the FRAME sustainability award 2019, Hotel Property award 2018, AHEAD best urban build 2018, SBID award for best club & bar design and so on. The QO is the place to book if you are looking for top-notch luxury but with zero compromise on comfort.
QO’s rooms are lavish, it sports a fully utilised rooftop cocktail bar and the ground floor level bar is a meeting place for the locals making mixing into the (upper-class) local crowd easier.
Its located in the Amstelkwartier area which is rapidly developing into one of the most urban upper-class neighbourhoods of Amsterdam. Extensive construction plans from both developers and the municipality are turning this formerly deprived area into one of the only high-rise living quarters in the city. It is also one of the only Amsterdam spots with an ‘urban beach’ (right in front of the restaurant L’Osteria) where locals flock to go swim in the Amstel river on hot sunny days. Why doesn’t the QO rank higher on my list? The location. While you can make it to the city centre in under 15 minutes by metro (which doesn’t run after midnight), booking the QO means you’re not staying in one of the iconic neighbourhoods of Amsterdam. There are no picturesque Amsterdam buildings here, and the melting pot culture that has signified this proud Dutch capital since its Golden Era is barely present. If that’s not a problem for you, you’ll be hard pressed to find a better spot than the QO.
6. Ecomama
Booking Rating: 8.4 | Doubles from EUR 89
Ecomama is a cool, quirky, place and a top pick for any traveler because of its authenticity. The beds are very comfortable and the rooms are outfitted comfortably but without the air of luxury. Their own description of ‘green quirky conscious sleeping’ sounds right on the money. Ecomama offers dorm rooms on top of their doubles which means the general vibes in this boutique spot are more youthful. Most guests are backpackers, flash-packers or artists.
Its location is great. Close enough to the city centre to see all touristic highlights by foot, also close enough to ‘Amsterdam Old East’ to try out a few local hotspots and a rock throw away from the oldest Zoo in the Netherlands: Artis.
5. The Albus
Booking Rating: 8.6 | Doubles from EUR 139
The Albus is located in the dead center of the bar district of the Amsterdam city centre. Any traveler that likes to include a little nightlife into its Amsterdam itinerary won’t regret picking The Albus. After 3AM, when most bars in old West, East and the Pijp close down, travellers and locals alike dance the night away around this establishment.
That however doesn’t mean you won’t get a decent night of sleep here as The Albus is a designer luxury hotel with comfortable beds, soundproof windows and a great breakfast buffet to kickstart a busy day of exploration. The Albus was also the first hotel in Europe that reached zero carbon emission which caused it to receive a Green Key Label with a Golden Certificate. Top location, sustainable sleeping with zero compromise on comfort… ofcourse The Albus is one of the best places to stay in Amsterdam.
4. Conscious Hotel
Booking Rating: 8.4 | Doubles from EUR 131
One of the most open and accessible hotels in Amsterdam has got to be The Conscious Hotel. The Conscious Hotel sports several locations in Amsterdam, all with their own identity but sharing the same vibe and atmosphere. Choosing Conscious means a choosing a comfortable stay with the possibility to meet new people in your accommodation.
There are several good locations of Conscious of which the one at the Westerpark is probably the prettiest, but location wise, the one at the Vondelpark is the best pick. You’ll be staying at the doorstep of the most iconic park in The Netherlands (the ‘central park’ of Amsterdam) surrounded by top-rated restaurants, entertainment and close to the most beautiful architecture in town. The top museums are only a little stroll away as well as some of the best cocktail bars in town. Nobody to go with? Simply go to the hotel bar at 6 PM, where all guest meet up for a free glass of wine during the daily wine hour.
3. Generator Amsterdam
Booking Rating: 8.0 | Doubles from EUR 127
Generator Amsterdam is one of the coolest, hippest places in town. I rank it as one of the best places to stay in Amsterdam because it seamlessly combines design and comfort with a raw urban vibe. Generator is also a hostel so most guest are young travellers, but considering its not one of the cheapest spots you don’t have to fear for groups of loud (British) binge drinkers.
The building used to be a university faculty and this fact is not hidden by the architect designing the hotel. I can use a lot of adjectives to try to describe the feel: its just cool. Let’s go with that. Location wise you’re in the heart of Amsterdam old East in the middle of a park. The coolest local bars and eateries are within walking distance and the touristic highlights are also not too far out. Being in the middle of a park means all rooms have an awesome green view. It’s also nice to start the day with a stroll in the park instead of jumping head first into the busy touristic heart of the city centre.
2. Volkshotel
Booking Rating: 8.8 | Doubles from EUR 145
A haven for lost artists, travellers searching for inspiration and anything in between that. The Volkshotel is cool, quirky and hosts one of the best rooftop bars in the city: Canvas. As a guest you’ll have access to its rooftop Jacuzzi’s and the place is 100% carbon emission free.
Its located in the middle of Amsterdam old East, meaning cool bars, culinary eateries and beautiful old iconic architecture around the corner but also close enough to the old city centre to hire a bicycle and see everything from your own wheels. If you don’t mind a 30-minute walk, you can also do that to the city centre. The Volkshotel is one of those places that you’ll remember for its uniqueness. Its bars and restaurants are heavily frequented by locals so there is no better place to blend in. Oh and don’t worry about comfort. The rooms are bliss too.
1. Hotel Jakarta
Booking Rating: 9.0 | Double from EUR 197
The top of this list is als the priciest but if you can afford it: stay there. The top contender for best places to stay in Amsterdam is Hotel Jakarta. Why? Because it ticks all the boxes. And more. Hotel Jakarta is a beautifully designed sustainable luxury hotel within walking distance from the city centre. Its located on a small island right in the Ij-river which means all the rooms have stunning waterviews to compliment their lavish design.
The interior design of the hotel is based on Indonesia, with lots of bamboo, wood and jungle plants. A peak out of the window however reminds you that you’re in the middle of Amsterdam. This mix of Indonesia and The Netherlands, a hint to the Dutch colonial heritage, is also found in its fusion restaurant ‘West meets East’. Not coincidentally the hotel is built at the port where in the 18th century, the VOC captains sailed away to explore the Indies (India, Malaysia, Indonesia).
Even though the lobby sports a sub-tropical garden the whole hotel is carbon neutral and as far as urban oasis’ go: this is it. It could be more central but with all the tourist spots within walking distance and one of the best frequented local hip bars (Hannekes Boom) even closer by, Hotel Jakarta is also a very good choice for a first visit to the city of Amsterdam.
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