If you're traveling in the Netherlands, chances are you'll end up in Amsterdam. This capital and most populous city in the country with nearly 900,000 residents, is home to some amazing tours and sights.
The city is has over 1,500 bridges, a endless number of canals and even more bikes. It's filled with beautiful gabled houses and flower-decked watersides, and there’s an enormous amount to see and do.
My favorite experiences are the Van Gogh museum, Rijksmuseum, and Anne Frank House. Biking around the city and taking one of the canal boats is also a must. As every traveler should, I recommend getting lost in the city, as you never know what you'll find in Amsterdam.
With that said, if you're looking for the top hotels in the city, below are my favorite three, along with a few bonus tips!
Hotel V Nesplein
The Hotel V Nesplein is a stylish, luxury hotel nestled right off the Dam Square. Set in a perfect location away from some of the busier streets in Amsterdam, it is only eleven minutes on foot from Amsterdam Centraal train station and 1.6 km from the Rijksmuseum.
The trendy, modern rooms and suites come with free Wi-Fi, flat-screen TVs and tea and coffeemaking facilities. Suites add seating areas and Nespresso machines. Room service is available.
Breakfast is available (fee). Additional amenities include an elegant restaurant, a terrace and a cozy library/lounge with a fireplace.
Insider Tip: The Lobby Nesplein
Dinner at The Lobby was one of the best meals I had in Amsterdam. The Lobby acts like the hotel’s social hub: restaurant, bar, lounge, meeting place, occasional music venue. It does all these jobs with style and it’s quite popular with locals, so it's worth booking a table in advance.
The menu (a newspaper-size sheet which changes every few months or so) offers breakfast, lunch and dinner, all prepared in an awesome open kitchen.
Hotel V Frederiksplein
Set in the center of Amsterdam, the Hotel V Frederiksplein in a redbrick townhouse is a minute's walk from the nearest tram stop, an 8-minute walk from Weesperplein metro station and a 13-minute walk from Rijksmuseum.
Offering free Wi-Fi, the eclectic rooms and lofts also have flat-screen TVs. Upgraded rooms include sitting areas; some have balconies. Lofts add kitchenettes and sitting/dining areas with fireplaces, plus private entrances and Nespresso machines; some have sofabeds.
A continental breakfast buffet is served in the bright dining area. There's also a bar and a lounge area with a round fireplace, plus loaner bikes and computers for guest use.
Hotel V Fizeaustraat
The Hotel V Fizeaustraat is the newest hotel in Hotel V's amazing collection of locations in Amsterdam. Nestled right by Amstel station in Amsterdam's up and coming East side, it is makes you feel local enough to fit in even way you often stick out as a tourist.
The new hotel has 91 rooms, four and a half stars, a lively culinary lobby, plenty of parking, and a unique event space. It was beautifully designed “hidden in plain sight” by renowned architect Piet Zanstra in an undiscovered and delightfully calm corner of Amsterdam.
The spacious rooms and suites come with free Wi-Fi, flat-screen TVs and tea and coffeemaking machines. Suites add seating areas and room service is available.
Insider Tip: The Lobby Fizeaustraat
Dinner at The Lobby Fizeaunstraat was one for the record books. The Lobby staff was top notch, food was delicious, and wine was very delightful. The team here has a passion for satisfying guests and the meal couldn't have been better.
Bonus Hotel: Ambassade Hotel
Set in a row of 10 attached 17th-century townhouses, the Ambassade Hotel is a five minute walk from a tram stop, ten minutes on foot from the Anne Frank House and 1.3 km from the Rijksmuseum.
The upscale rooms feature contemporary and/or opulent decor and come with free Wi-Fi, flat-screens and sitting areas. Some have minibars. Suites add separate living areas, balconies and/or canal views. An apartment adds a kitchen and French windows.
Hot breakfast (fee) is served in a bright dining room overlooking the canal. Amenities include a library with a bar and 18th-century furniture, plus an airy French restaurant. Pets are allowed.
Insider Tip: Jansz
Jansz, a special restaurant located in the Pulitzer Hotel is a must try. It serves beautifully crafted modern classics with an easy going Dutch attitude. A new old world of simple elegance, is closer than you think.