The Dylan Hotel Amsterdam

From the archives. Originally published April 2015.

A great hotel can make or break a trip. I always put a lot of thought in choosing a hotel based on location, rooms, and service. I read great reviews about The Dylan Hotel Amsterdam and booked our stay there hoping it met my family’s needs. It surpassed them.

Without going into every detail, I’ll mention my favorite features of the hotel in no particular order:

The location: On Amsterdam’s center canal, the Keizersgracht is one of the most charming areas in the city. The neighborhood, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is rich with history and has been preserved dating back to the 1600s.  Out of the hustle of the touristy areas, we were surrounded by upscale businesses and residences with boutiques and restaurants around every corner. The building facade (top picture) dates to the 1600’s when it served as a theatre until it burnt down in 1772. The site was under ownership of the Regents of the Roman Catholic Church Charities from 1773 until 1998 when it was purchased, renovated and reopened as a luxury boutique hotel.

Drinks in the bar: Centered around a warm fire, dark surfaces glow with dim light on authentic, old wide plank wood floors. Cozy, elegant and rustic with great ambience.

Bicycles: such a pleasure to have them right at our doorstep. The best way to see the city…we rode them every day from morning to night. To hop on your bike after a late dinner and ride through the dimly lit canal streets straight back to our hotel was a huge convenience and quite memorable.

The courtyard: The hotel is centered around this charming courtyard so no matter where you are on the ground floor, you’re looking through these tall windows to the outdoors…which was lovely rain or shine. You can’t really tell from the photo but the scale of the windows was large and impressive.

The rooms: Luxe bedding, great lighting, plush surfaces, and huge windows made for a perfect retreat from a busy day touring. Sleek, modern bathrooms with rain showers were simple and elegant. Each room is unique in its decor.

Breakfast at Vinkeles: Such a pretty setting…the restaurant is housed in an old bakery that was open from 1787 to 1811…you can see the original black ovens set in the brick wall which were discovered during restoration. The historic atmosphere is complimented by a delicious buffet breakfast with espressos, smoothies, freshly baked bread and eggs cooked to order presented with impeccable service.

The Dylan Hotel Amsterdam was charming and elegant and a perfect choice for our week in Amsterdam.