For one reason or another, I’ve found myself in Amsterdam far more often than I ever
imagined. It’s not that I don’t like art, history, canals, tulips, and stroopwafels, it’s just
that I came to associate Amsterdam primarily only with legal prostitution and weed.
I blame pop culture and the way the city is typically talked and written about for
conditioning me to think of Amsterdam as some kind of distorted Disneyland for a
certain type of young adult. I’d never been interested in girls in windows or pot as a
young man and at 48, I’m still not partaking in those particular pleasures.
Yet I’ve come to adore this city for short stays because there’s a bevy of luxurious places to stay and fascinating things to see and do.
The College Hotel (Marriott Autograph Collection)
Nestled into a stately old school house dating back to the late 1800s, this Autograph
Collection Marriott property features less than four dozen guest rooms, each uniquely
designed, shaped (high ceiling on the 1st floor, dramatic wood beamed ceilings on the
2nd) and outfitted with remnants of those ancient educational days.
There are hidden pencils, copybooks, and more inside each room, and maths equations (thankfully solved or you might never find your room after a few glasses of wine at night) making up the room numbers on the outside beside each door. This property is my top choice for a luxurious Amsterdam stay that, surprisingly, won’t break the bank.
This is because it’s situated just outside the tourist ring of canals, but conveniently on the Number 2 tram line (with a stop a stone’s through from the front door) which placed me at the door of the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum, the Moco modern art museum, and the Diamant (Diamond) Museum — in short, Amsterdam’s prestigious Museum Quarter.
The College Hotel looks beautiful inside and out. At check-in, I was presented with a range of scents, each named something vaguely academic-related. I chose “The Dean” and later that evening, and again on each night of my stay, my room (the spacious room 115, complete with double rain shower heads in the bathroom), was misted with a musky, elegant scent that reminded me of my father, who wore Jovan Musk cologne for much of my childhood. I lost him in the summer of 2020, but in an aromatic sense, he was there with me in The Netherlands.
It’s a small touch, as is the nightly turndown with slippers placed on the floor bedside,
with a folded bathrobe, mini stroopwafels, and box of spring water on the bed itself.
It’s all so undeniably unique and sensory-pleasing to return to each day after exploring
museums, flower markets, football matches, doing some boutique shopping, or having
dinner at Mondi, The College Hotel’s in-house, upscale Caribbean restaurant, or at any
number of fine dining spots in the neighbourhood. That last word isn’t a cheap throwaway
because The College Hotel is located where Amsterdammers actually reside, which
made my stay feel more authentic and gave me memories of a real place more than
spots in a tourist guidebook.
Private Canal Cruise
There are no shortage of canal cruises on offer in Amsterdam. Each will provide visitors
with the chance to calmly careen atop some of the city's 165 canals, under many of its
1,200 bridges, and maybe enjoy a can of soda or bag of crisps along the way. But I had
a far, far more luxurious experience on those legendary Dutch waterways!
If you plan ahead and have the means, you too can and honestly, should try to charter a private canal boat with Stromma and enjoy a romantic meal during an exclusive and thoroughly private canal cruise.
You’ll taste local specialties like gouda cheese and bitterballen, sip fine wines, and be still and quiet with the entire deck of a boat to yourself and/or your partner, or together with family, friends, or a group.
Premium Seats to an Ajax Football match
One of the most historically important occurs every fortnight at the Johan Cruyff Arena, a short ride away from the city center, and can be had as a luxury football experience allowing you to soak up the atmosphere in style.
Book an Ajax hospitality package for premium leather seats situated perfectly above the
pitch, right at center circle, an Ajax scarf, and the chance to witness the continuation of
this traditionally grand club battles during Eredivisie matches or on special European
nights when this legendary clubs hosts teams from the U.K. and around the continent. I
was in the arena for a 4-0 demolition of Turkish club Beşiktaş and it was one of the most
remarkable nights I’ve spent at a football ground (and I’ve seen over 100 matches in
over 15 countries).
Best of Rijksmuseum Private Tour
Available in English and International Sign Language, a private one-hour tour of the
massive and massively impressive Rijksmusuem will not only get up close and personal
with a slew of Rembrandts, including The Night Watch, the master painter's most
famous and enormous work currently undergoing a staggering renovation being
performed live inside a specially designed glass viewing box for all to see every day, but the guide will help you understand the cultural, historical, and artistic significance of all
the artwork, too.
Wander the Jordaan District
Located a stone's throw from Amsterdam Centraal Station is a quaint, charming
neighborhood that’s lined with boutique shops, adorable little cafes, art galleries, homes
dating back to the 17th century, and secret courtyard gardens. The city can sometimes
be full on, so a tiny detour to Jordaan can help those with crowd anxiety unwind while
still being in the heart of it all. A stroll here occurs at a slower pace than in the rest of
Amsterdam and offers visitors the chance to exhale and be more present.
Luxury Shopping on 9 Streets
If shopping is your way to unwind and to fully experience a city, retail therapy is waiting
for you in De Negen Straatjes (the 9 streets). You'll find a slew of independent shops
ranging from designer boutiques to vintage stores that sell retro bags, coveted shades,
fine art, and just about every other thing you can imagine.
Jazz at Bimhuis
For a half-century, locals and tourists have been pouring into this delightfully intimate
room in a stunning black box on the water to hear some of the finest jazz musicians
perform nightly.
As nightcaps go, after dinner or a fancy French feast at Brasserie Margaux or a sidewalk Italian dinner of pasta and seafood at Ferilli's Caffè Ristorante — two gems in the Amsterdam Qud-Zuid neighborhood, an evening at Bimhuis literally sounds like the most laid back and luxurious idea in the whole of The Netherlands.
Luxury Spa and Turkish Hammam at Corendon New-West’s Vitality Spa
There’s a one-of-a-kind suite at this hotel in the ‘Shoreditch’ of Amsterdam, a burgeoning and diverse neighborhood west of the city centre that I’ll get to in a moment, but first I want to focus on the luxurious Vitality spa , the largest in Amsterdam, that sits underneath the stunningly designed hotel lobby and their more lively, colorful, and casual version of Mondi (the Caribbean restaurant in The College Hotel).
Not only is there an endless pool for swimming laps in a small space, but also a sandy room with sunlight lamps, loungers, and a gigantic ocean mural to mimic beach time, and a
genuine Turkish Hammam that has ladies-only afternoons every Monday-Wednesday
so that Muslim women can disrobe and relax in private and in peace.
On the 7th floor, in room 737, in the Cockpit Suite, a huge 120 square meter room split down the middle, between the bedroom and bathroom and the living room and dining room, by the front third of an actual decommissioned 737 airplane. You, your partner, and kids can climb around inside the cockpit, which is still furnished with comfortable faux fur
seat liners the pilots once used, turn knobs, touch buttons, and play pretend, and sit in
the first three rows of seats — maybe take your breakfast on a tray like in-flight meal
service, only far, far better tasting.
This is one of the most luxurious, playful, and amazing hotel rooms in the world, and it’s way less expensive than you would guess.
The Katten Kabinet
Set over two floors of a centuries-old stately home, and a bucolic outdoor courtyard, the
Katten Kabinet is a museum dedicated solely to cats, humans’ most luxurious companion.
You'll see art, marketing materials like movie posters, photographs of famous people like Hemingway with their cats, and more art and artefacts featuring or about kitties. Plus, you'll see real cats roaming around too. It's a delightfully relaxing place for cat lovers that I featured in my forthcoming book, Street Cats and Where to Find Them (Running Press, August 2025).
See, you can and should spend a few days in Amsterdam enjoying the finer things
without once indulging in the temptations that have admittedly made it world-famous to
a new generation of travelers.
To see more, visit: https://www.iamsterdam.com/en
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