Hotel 717

All the big stereotypes about Dutch hotels (freaky modernist design, low-budget student digs) are right out the window — Hotel 717 is as traditional and as haute-luxury as they come, just 23 sumptuous rooms in a landmark 19th-century house along the Prinzengracht, outfitted in an absolutely classic style.

The hotel’s own promotional materials sell Hotel 717 as an “exclusive private guesthouse,” which is pretty much right on the mark. In physical terms they’re equally well suited for business or pleasure, but when it comes to atmosphere they seem purpose-built for romance, all rich fabrics and classic objets d’art, with state-of-the-art entertainment gear, sprawling plush beds and vast luxurious bathrooms stocked with Chopard products.

Privacy and discretion are quite obviously the order of the day, and in a 23-room guest house you can get as much personalized attention as you need. A truly remarkable breakfast is served in the Living Room or, in fair weather, outside in the garden. After that it’s out into the city: this is no five-star, but a particularly stylish pied-à-terre, and a well-placed one at that, close by to the Spiegelstraat, the museums, and any number of cafes, bars and restaurants.