Best for nostalgia
SWEETS HOTEL
Hiding in plain sight across the capital, Amsterdam’s
cosy bridge houses used to be the domain of the
city’s bridge operators, who now work remotely from
an office. In their absence, the 28 vacant huts, some
of which are suspended above the canals, have been
reborn as the SWEETS Hotel. While drifting off to the
sound swooshing barges, guests can contemplate
what life was like for the old bridge masters.
ROOMS: Doubles from £105, room only.
sweetshotel.amsterdamBest for futurists
YOTEL AMSTERDAM
The reasons to visit Amsterdam Noord become more
compelling by the year. The latest hotel to pop up
in the old industrial district is the quietly eccentric
Yotel. The modular hotel is stacked like LEGO and
its adaptable rooms (beds fold out) are supposedly
inspired by business-class cabins, though they’re
mercifully much roomier. The hotel is 10 minutes on
foot from A’DAM Tower, the trendy NDSM district and
the free ferry to Centraal.
ROOMS: Doubles from £65, room only. yotel.comBest for Sinophiles
HOTEL MAI
MAI pulls off the enviable trick of being in the heart of
the city, without feeling like it. Formerly a warehouse
that stored imported goods from the Far East, this
historic Chinatown property is sympathetic to the
neighbourhood’s heritage with frequent use of gold
and red, which symbolise wealth and luck in Chinese
culture. A short walk from Rembrandt House Museum,
Amsterdam Centraal and the Red Light District, there
are plenty of distractions on MAI’s doorstep, too.
ROOMS: Doubles from £70. hotelmaiamsterdam.com
Best for kicking back
PESTANA AMSTERDAM
RIVERSIDE
Housed in a striking building — formerly
Amsterdam’s City Hall — this 154-room
hotel overlooks the city’s main river,
the Amstel, on the edge of uber-trendy
De Pijp. In contrast to the elaborate
exterior, the interior is contemporary
with occasional flashes of art borrowed
from museum depots. Unusually for
Amsterdam, the hotel has a good-sized
swimming pool and there are excellent
spa facilities. Peter Lute, a Dutch celebrity
chef, heads up the in-house restaurant.
ROOMS: From £120. pestanacollection.comSLEEPMay/Jun 2020 51