4 Best Hotels in Canal Rings, Amsterdam

Behind a re-creation of a vintage Amsterdam exterior are seven floors of rooms with all the mod cons and hallways lined with brightly colored contemporary art. Small windows and a color scheme heavy on brown, black, and purple mean that many rooms feel dark. Still, even though the decor won’t be to everyone’s taste, at least they’ve tried to veer away from the usual safe corporate blandness. On the plus side, the beds are supercomfy, with great cushions and Egyptian cotton bed linens.

Individually decorated (though dated) rooms, a cobblestone street out front, and a busy adjoining square all lend a Parisian flair to this cheap and cheerful little getaway close to Rembrandtplein. There is no elevator, although the stairs are modern and easier to navigate than the steep staircases in many Amsterdam hotels. The hotel is located on a square with lots of late-night bars and restaurants; request a room toward the back if you're a light sleeper.

These uniquely styled guest rooms—meticulously decorated with marquetry antiques, Persian rugs, and handcrafted Art Deco furnishings—overlook one of Amsterdam's famous sights, a lineup of seven consecutive bridges across the Reguliersgracht. The proud owners of the 18th-century house scout the antiques stores and auction houses for furnishings, and all have thorough documentation. Top-floor, beam-ceilinged rooms are the smallest and are priced accordingly; by contrast first-floor Room No. 5 is practically palatial, with its own private terrace.