TRAVEL

Grand Hotel Amrâth Amsterdam opened its doors in 2007 and is housed in the former Shipping House (Scheepvaarthuis), which accommodated the offices of six shipping companies for decades. Its monumental façade, Art Nouveau style interior and abundance of original ornaments and furniture exude an atmosphere of days gone by. The hotel’s 165 rooms range from spacious Deluxe Rooms to exclusive suites such as the three story Tower Suite and the Oriental Suite with private rooftop terrace. To have a fresh coffee any time of the day, just push the button on the Nespresso machine—each room has one.

When Hotel Okura Tokyo opened in 1962, the goal was to become the best hotel in the world. With 25 hotels worldwide, mainly in homeland Japan, Okura’s focus was and is to offer the best possible accommodations, cuisine and service to its guests. Hotel Okura Amsterdam is located in the multi-cultural De Pijp district, home to the Heineken brewery, Albert Cuyp Market and Sarphatipark, a 6 minute tram ride (20 minutes by foot) from the Museumplein, where the Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum, Stedelijk Museum and Concertgebouw are situated.

Arguably the best-known hotel of Amsterdam, the Amstel Hotel is certainly one of the most striking buildings on the banks of the Amstel River. Opened in 1867, the design of this ‘hotel of incomparable splendor’—79 rooms and suites, including a 116sqm (1250sqft) Royal Suite—was inspired by the French Renaissance style of the 16th and 17th centuries. Its initiator, doctor Samuel Sarphati, understood what it took to build a hotel with international allure: “People today want a hotel to offer the same kind of amenities that people are used to at home: space, air, light and also a good view, beautiful surroundings.” Not much has changed since.

Housed in the iconic former music school of Amsterdam, the Conservatorium Hotel offers a unique experience for high-end luxury lovers and art aficionado’s alike. Opened in 2012 and located within 300 meters of three world-class museums—the Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum and Stedelijk Museum—the Conservatorium Hotel offers its guests (that’d be you) 129 rooms in various degrees of fanciness. From a cozy Superior Guest Room with a large rainfall shower and bathroom LCD mirror TV, to the 90sqm (969sqft) Concerto Suite with a Steinway piano, oval stone bathtub and Museumplein views from the duplex level bedroom.

The 4th edition of Lonely Planet The Netherlands will help you uncover the secrets of this gently beautiful country. Cycle along the canals, past sand dunes, windmills, tulips and wild national parks. Reward yourself with warm appeltaart, then learn to swallow a raw herring without flinching.

The uniquely visual DK Eyewitness Travel Guide The Netherlands is your indispensible guide to this diverse region. This fully updated guide includes unique cutaways, floorplans and reconstructions of The Netherlands’ mustsee sites, plus street-by-street maps of all its cities and towns.