An early 20th-century villa in the Museum District, converted with immense care into a hotel with soul, and a good deal of eco-awareness. The welcome is warm and personal, and there’s a ‘home from home’ atmosphere, offering comfort with luxury where it matters. Breakfast is good value, though there’s no restaurant.
Location 8/10
On a mainly residential street in smart Amsterdam Zuid, around five minutes’ walk from the Concertgebouw and major museums on Museumplein. Centraal Station is 20-30 minutes away by tram. The big-name designer boutiques of P.C. Hooftstraat are 10 minutes’ walk away, and you can stroll to the main canal area in around 20 minutes.
Style and Character 8/10
An early 20th-century villa converted with immense care into a comfortable, welcoming hotel. A cosy lounge/breakfast area ambles through different moods, from armchairs around a fireplace at one end, to glass-box conservatory overlooking a secluded garden patio at the other. Owners Andrey and Tania pay loving attention to detail, from the comfort of the seating to stylish design touches (such as sleek lamps by Dutch lighting star William Brand). There’s a restful domestic air, but Andrey and Tania manage to conjure a relaxed sense of being in your own home rather than that sometimes awkward sensation of staying in someone else’s.
Service and Facilities 9/10
Andrey and Tania offer a personal welcome, with a drink on arrival (try the superb Georgian wine, from a friend’s family vineyard) – a spirit sustained throughout your stay. There’s free tea and coffee (from Amsterdam roasters Lot 61) and an honesty bar downstairs, bikes to hire (€16 [£14] per day, less on subsequent days), and guests are given a booklet of insider tips on where to go. The hotel is highly eco-conscious, from carpets made out of recycled plastic bottles (softer and more smart-looking than you’d think) to energy-efficient temperature control and air circulation systems.Rooms 8/10
Rooms vary in size, from modest Bunk Rooms (with a chunky, custom-built wooden bunk bed), through standard Comfort rooms, to spacious Deluxe and family rooms. The Comfort rooms have quite enough space for two, without tripping over your luggage, and are fine for short stays. Colour schemes vary: powder blue, perhaps, soft greys, or golden beige. Scatter cushions with Van Gogh or Mondrian prints and photos of Amsterdam add a local note.Touches of luxury are carefully placed where they matter: superb mattresses, pillows and bed linen; espresso machines with Illy coffee. And oh, how welcome it is after a long journey to find normal light switches rather than bewildering computerised screens, and shower taps that you don’t need a technology degree to operate. Bathrooms are pristine with white marble walls and floors, and a good enough size for one-at-a-time. Walk-in showers have both rain and hand-held fittings, and organic, vegan products come in recyclable dispensers.