3 Best Hotels in Canal Rings, Amsterdam

Whimsical, modern interiors from famed Dutch designer Marcel Wanders combined with nods to history are found throughout this hip Hyatt offshoot, housed in a former library and extremely well located on the Prinsengracht canal, near many of the city's popular shopping areas, including the Nine Streets, Leidsestraat, and Kalverstraat. Wanders's imprint includes oversize, almost cartoonish red tulip chairs, lamps dripping with crystals, and Delft blue chandeliers in the lobby and bar areas. The over-the-top decor is toned down a bit in guest rooms, where you'll find comfy beds, large double-sided concrete vanities with sinks in the middle of the rooms, and sizable separate bathrooms; many rooms offer iconic canal views. Unique touches include 50 video screens placed throughout the hotel that show original video art 24/7 (you can also watch the full videos on the TV in your room), and complimentary bicycles for guests to use. Add to that a 24-hour fitness center, small spa area, and the well-crafted cocktails at Bluespoon Restaurant & Bar, and you may want to spend more time inside the hotel than out.

Encompassing five 17th-century canal houses on the Herengracht and Singel canals, fun and vibrant The Hoxton, Amsterdam delivers a coolly sophisticated vibe in a prime spot next to the Nine Streets shopping area. The masculine-looking rooms (think dark wood, copper details, and mid-century-modern furnishings) with ultracomfy beds come in four sizes—Shoebox, Cosy, Roomy, and Biggy—to fit a range of budgets; many feature wonderful canal views and traditional details like beamed ceilings that lend elegance to the contemporary feel. The large lobby/lounge area, outfitted with brown leather couches, cushy chairs, and communal tables, invites both working on a laptop or lingering over a cocktail from the inviting bar, and when hunger strikes, casual in-house restaurant Lotti's serves internationally inspired brasserie-style dishes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Lovely Art Nouveau style, packed with stained glass, paneling, and wrought iron, distinguishes the premises of this 1912 landmark smack on bustling Rembrandtplein; even the blandly modernized guest rooms are enlivened with colorful paintings by founder Fritz Schiller. Brasserie Schiller hums with espresso machines and a friendly vibe, and the atmospheric next-door Schiller Café is a popular meeting place, though no longer part of the hotel.