3 Best Hotels in Canal Rings, Amsterdam

Friday's book market on nearby Spui Square lends a literary ambience to these 15 connected, stylishly decorated 17th- and 18th-century houses, where charming guest rooms are decked out in rich fabrics and colors, with striking details (wood-beam ceilings, elegant chandeliers) and modern 20th-century paintings. Canalside rooms are spacious, with large floor-to-ceiling windows, and service is attentive and friendly. Public spaces are also beautifully decorated with Oriental rugs, chandeliers, clocks, paintings, and antiques. Restaurant Ambassade offers French cuisine in a setting filled with colorful Dutch paintings from the CoBrA movement, while the Library Bar serves up cocktails surrounded by thousands of books, all signed by authors who have stayed at the hotel.

Set on a picturesque canal near The Nine Streets shopping area, this cozy, family-owned hotel is designed with loads of old-world charm. Flowery wallpaper, boldly upholstered furniture, antiques, and crystal chandeliers are put together harmoniously, and the comfy public areas of the six interconnected houses—a breakfast room, a lounge, and a library—invite guests to linger and relax throughout the day with free coffee, tea, candy, and often cookies or cake. All this traditional beauty comes with a modern touch: free Wi-Fi in all rooms.

A labyrinth of narrow halls leads to surprisingly large and modern guest rooms, with wood-beam ceilings and stylish contemporary decor, that overlook the Prinsengracht and the Keizersgracht canals or nicely landscaped courtyards. The surprisingly coherent-yet-rambling assemblage was created from a clutch of 17th- and 18th-century houses—25 in all—and an appropriately historical soundtrack is provided every half hour, when the nearby Westerkerk chimes. Pulitzer's Bar is a cozy place to get a seriously good cocktail, and Jansz restaurant serves up contemporary cuisine in a stylish setting. The location is perfect for shopping in The Nine Streets, visiting nearby Anne Frank House or wandering through the lovely Jordaan area.