The Dylan Amsterdam

Hard to believe, but there was a time when luxury hotels and boutique hotels were two distinct species. The Dylan Amsterdam, discreetly hidden away in a pair of historic buildings alongside the Keizersgracht canal, was one of the first hotels to combine boutique aesthetics with luxury comforts, and thanks to a process of continual reinvention it looks as fresh today as it did when it opened its doors in 1999.

The look is soberly stylish, its exteriors rendered in sharp monochrome and its interiors spanning several distinct styles. There’s Loxura, patterned after a copper-colored butterfly; Amber, decorated in gemstone hues; Serendipity, in soothing warm neutrals; and Loft, combining white-on-white minimalism with original architectural details like bare timbers. The décor is eclectic but restrained, and the layouts are unusual but always sensible, a reflection of the characteristic strengths of Dutch design.

Bar Brasserie OCCO is the hotel’s all-day venue, spilling out into the hotel’s central courtyard, open for everything from breakfast to afternoon tea to dinner and late-night cocktails. It’s joined by the extraordinary Restaurant Vinkeles, recipient of a pair of Michelin stars under the direction of chef Jurgen van der Zalm.

The hotel itself is only part of the experience; Amsterdam is not a town for shut-ins. The Dylan keeps an armada of black bicycles parked outside for guests to rent, and Amsterdam is, of course, an extremely bicycle-friendly town. The location is central, and thus quite close to the Rijksmuseum, the Anne Frank House, and the Van Gogh museum, as well as a variety of shopping and café districts.