The best canal hotels in Amsterdam

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The design-led Pulitzer hotel capturing Amsterdam’s creative energy occupies 25 canal houses, which line two canals close to Anne Frank House and just a short walk from the Royal Palace on the Dam. Passages, stairways and garden courtyards connect these houses, which still have many of their original features intact. A fresh, contemporary feel runs throughout each room, suite and public area, which are also filled with modern art. Modern Dutch cuisine is the focus at Restaurant Janz, which is joined by Pulitzer Garden terrace and the sophisticated Pulitzer’s Bar. The recently added Beauty House offers beauty and wellness treatments.

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From £ 678

per night

Set in the heart of the Negen Straatjes (the ‘Nine Little Streets’) on one of Amsterdam’s oldest canals, this eccentrically charming hotel combines a central location with views over the water. The hotel gives off a movie set atmosphere, as if you’ve stepped into a period drama, with cost nooks found throughout and a book-lined library. While staying in rooms all varying in size and décor, guests can make the most of the guests-only bar offering light meals, as well as complimentary tea, coffee and snacks in the corner lounge, and the small but well-equipped gym. The lavish breakfast ranks among the best in town.

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From £ 530

per night

This 17th-century canal house turned boutique hotel draws inspiration from the historic tools and talents of artisans for its interiors. The unique property lies on Singel, one of the city’s main canals, just a short walk from the central station, Anne Frank House and the museums of Museumplein. In interiors incorporating the upcycled tools of craftsmen, guests can stay in rooms all designed with a theme, such as cartographer and shoemaker, and have breakfast in the hotel’s Gallery facing directly onto the canal. The Gallery serves drinks until 11pm and you can order in from the hotel’s takeaway sandwich bar, The Craftsmen Kitchen, which is next door.

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From £ 406

per night

The hip yet homey Mr Jordaan boutique hotel takes over two canal houses on a quiet waterway in the artistic Jordaan district. This property places you away from the bustle of the city but within easy reach of the main sights. Bare-brick walls, wooden flooring, contemporary light fixtures and designer furnishings distinguish this space home to rooms varying in shape and size – some looking out onto the canal and others overlooking the rooftops – alongside a private café-like area off the lobby. Breakfast is served in this shared dining space, which also provides complimentary coffee throughout the day.

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From £ 329

per night

The convivial, hip Hoxton hotel is in a prime spot on a beautiful canal at the heart of the Negen Straatjes shopping quarter. Behind its grand façade, laidback interiors lead you first to a lobby, lounge and bar with quieter mezzanine, in which wooden flooring and brick walls meet leather sofas and vintage furnishings, and an adjoining restaurant area featuring a white-tiled open kitchen. Corridors with Escher-style carpets then take you to a series of guest rooms combining nostalgia with sleek modernism and featuring vintage items. A breakfast bag is delivered to each room and other breakfast options are offered at the restaurant.

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From £ 1,253

per night

Rooms are themed around Dutch nobles at this aptly named hotel, which occupies a 1700s merchant townhouse next to a pretty intersection of canals. The city’s central station and several major sights are all within walking distance. In this characterful hotel, restored elements come together with sleek modern style and playful touches. Each room here is themed according to the nobleman it’s named after, with design that’s intuitive, clever and playful. These rooms are joined by a covered courtyard for drinks and a small spa with Turkish hammam. Breakfast is brought to the room.

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From £ 509

per night

Housed in a former Admiralty building, which was built as a monastery and at one time home to the city hall, this grand Sofitel hotel has plenty of stories to tell. Now this history is seen through interiors that have been given a luxurious, contemporary feel and it’s all situated on the banks of a canal. While staying in its large rooms, with a canal or courtyard view, guests can dine at the Bridges restaurant or more casual Oriole garden bistro and retreat to the spa housing a small gym and good-sized pool. The hotel has several bicycles for guests to use, along with a horse-drawn carriage and salon boat.

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From £ 823

per night

The intimate Dylan hotel spans two historic canalside buildings in the Negen Straatjes shopping quarter. Period charm meets contemporary styling in this luxury boutique hotel, which you enter through a 17th-century arch and gateway and across a courtyard. Inside, old world elegance is given new life with modern flourishes like a black marble bar with geometric light fittings. The same style runs throughout the 40 rooms, some with canal views, which are elevated with high-end amenities. The restaurant Vinkeles is located in the former almshouse bakery, and the more casual Occo Brasserie spills out to a garden courtyard.

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From £ 581

per night

This one-of-a-kind hotel concept sees the transformation of several former bridge operator cabins, ranging from historic to more modern, into boutique stays by the water. Each one of these cabins now houses a modern hotel suite, incorporating elements of design that are inspired by the cabin’s history, with all the necessary amenities and wraparound views over the canal. Throughout, maximum use is made of the compact space. While you don’t have access to other hotel facilities, the rooms do come with a guide to where to eat, drink, shop and find any other conveniences in the local area.

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Cabins from £ 130

per night

The grand Waldorf Astoria Amsterdam is housed within six magnificent canalside mansions. Many 17th- and 18th-century features remain, like the grand staircase made of marble and stucco, in this luxury hotel designed with contemporary style. At the front this hotel faces onto the canal and at the back it opens out to a large garden. Here, plush rooms in muted tones join the two-Michelin-starred Spectrum restaurant, the Vault Bar taking over a former bank, and the elegant Peacock Alley for afternoon tea. A Guerlain spa and indoor pool add a wellness element to the stay.

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From £ 1,187

per night

This whimsically designed hotel occupying a former library building sits on one of Amsterdam’s loveliest canals alongside the hip Negen Straatjes quarter, close to the cafés and galleries of the Jordaan district and a 10-minute walk from Anne Frank House. The Dutch design maestro Marcel Wanders drew inspiration from the Netherlands for the hotel’s playful interiors, which are home to contemporary rooms distinguished by quirky design features, a lobby lounge cum cocktail bar looking out onto the canal, a good-sized gym and restful spa. Guests can also borrow the hotel’s bicycles free of charge.

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From £ 742

per night

A canalside mansion turned luxury hotel, this property has the ambience of a grand private home and it’s located right in the heart of town. The recently redesigned hotel combines elegant modern design drawing on the site’s history with a sumptuous homely feel. Of the substantially sized rooms here, some face right onto the Prinsengracht canal while the others overlook the courtyard garden at the rear. Breakfast is prepared by a renowned chef and served in the Living Room, which provides a place to relax, work or catch up with friends during the day. Massages are offered in-room.

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From £ 167

per night