2 Best Hotels in Amsterdam-Oost, Amsterdam

An urban industrial look permeates this hip hotel in the former Volkskrant newspaper plant, which has been completely transformed into an affordable space to stay, work, drink, dance, do yoga, and even get your hair cut. The rooms are cool but basic, with a mod red-black-and-gray color scheme, and sleep up to four; nine of them are “special rooms” designed by artists-in-residence—like the wacky “White Bike Room,” where you sleep in a big bakfiets (a Dutch bicycle cart) in a room decorated with bikes, and two white bicycles are included in the price of your room. You'll find creative types on their computers in the large workspace off the lobby, chatting over drinks in the adjacent bar or unwinding in the seventh-floor restaurant, club, and terrace with panoramic city views. 

On the site of a former penitentiary in one of Amsterdam's newest neighborhoods, Bajeskwartier, is a new "home-hotel hybrid" that offers stays from one day to six months---it's a good option for those looking to combine the community-feel of a hostel with the privacy of a hotel. Rooms exude an industrial-chic vibe but are fairly basic, with a subdued color scheme. Concrete walls recycled from the demolished prison cells are adorned with arty prints of Amsterdam's modern landmarks. All rooms have a comfy queen size bed, a kettle and coffeemaker, a small fridge, a work area, and a private en suite bathroom with a rain shower and luxurious Marie-Stella-Maris bathroom amenities. Guests have access to communal kitchens and fully equipped pay-per-use laundry facilities and there's a large café off the lobby.