De Durgerdam

It’s just 15 minutes by car (or 20 by bike) from Amsterdam proper, but those few minutes make all the difference in the world. De Durgerdam is convenient enough to the museums and other in-town destinations but trades the bustle of Amsterdam’s dense city center for a lakeside idyll, and elbow-to-elbow canal houses for a row of freestanding clapboard houses. The one containing De Durgerdam was, from the 17th century on, a fisherman’s inn — now, with some help from a modern addition, it’s a 14-room luxury boutique hotel with personality and atmosphere to spare.

Inside you’ll find a hotel that’s a tribute to the house’s maritime history, but not a reproduction — the style is eclectic, and the work of the Amsterdam-based design studio Buro Belen admits plenty of modern influence alongside its historical details. The eleven rooms and three suites each feature unique artworks and architectural flourishes; all come with fine details like Hypnos beds and Zenology bath products. Electric bikes are available for loan, and there’s much to see within a day’s pedaling. And if you’re back in time for dinner, the restaurant, De Mark, features a menu designed by two highly regarded local chefs, Richard van Oostenbrugge and Thomas Groot.