Hotel de Hallen

Generally the best, most characterful hotels are either trailblazers or places with heritage. Hotel de Hallen is both. Housed in a converted 1901-vintage tram station, it’s part of a new development (art-house cinema and boutique shops coming soon) that’s helping to redefine what was once a relatively desolate stretch of Amsterdam’s Oud-West section. Already there are cool new bars popping up all around the hotel, and given the proximity to the upscale shopping and dining of the Jordaan district, as well as easy access to the city center, it’s no doubt only a matter of time until gentrification fully sets in. Meanwhile, the de Hallen is still something of a bargain.

Though the look and feel of the hotel are decidedly contemporary, there’s no forgetting the building’s history. With its blocky brick-fronted façade, it’s quite imposing from outside, and the guest rooms within all center around a soaring central corridor — with a bit of mental furniture-rearranging, you can still imagine parking a train in it. Steel, glass, brick and concrete are the materials of choice, with sleek mid-century-style furnishings that complement the hard lines.

Where things get a little softer is in the guest rooms. The visual style remains spare, but eco-friendly Cocomat beds with billowing duvets, plus bathrooms stocked with Spa Collection toiletries, keep it all from feeling too spartan. Pieces from the owner’s own contemporary art collection liven things up as well, though for a more traditional Amsterdam art experience, it’s an easy walk to the museum district.