Amsterdam is having a bit of a moment as a shopping and dining destination and there’s nowhere hotter to stay than The Hoxton Amsterdam. Opened in 2015, it was the first Hoxton Hotel outside of London and now the trend-setting group has outposts in Paris, Williamsburg and Portland with more openings in the works.
The Hoxton Amsterdam overlooks the Herengracht canal in the heart of the chic Nine Streets shopping district, one of the city’s most charming and vibrant neighbourhoods. It’s also within walking distance of Anne Frank House, the Floating Flower Market and Dam Square.
The hotel is set across five grand canal houses that once made up the Mayor’s residence in the 17th century. The first thing you’ll see on arrival is a retro photo booth before descending into the buzzing open house area. This warm and cosy space includes the bar with comfy velvet armchairs, a mezzanine lounge at the top of a spiral staircase, Lotti’s restaurant, an art gallery and the long reception desk with a glass cabinet full of Amsterdam trinkets.
Check-In
Our check-in was swift and friendly and within moments we were wandering through the warren-like corridors with jazzy monochrome carpets to our room. The hotel is bigger than most of the city’s canal-side heritage properties with 111 rooms and four different room categories – Shoebox, Cosy, Roomy and Concept (Fruity and Floral are the two grandest rooms).
The Room
Our Roomy room was an absolute dream – spacious and inviting with lots of character. We walked in to hear the Roberts digital radio playing old rock ‘n’ roll (a Hoxton signature) and were also kindly welcomed with a hand-written note and a bar of delicious chocolate by local gourmet brand Stach.
This room has the feel of a modern-retro apartment contrasted with the historic features of the building, with inky blue and white walls, chevron parquet floors, wood-panelled wall, brass lamps and striking hexagonal mirror. It features a very plush king-size bed with a quilted throw, comfy seating area with a brass coffee table, large flatscreen TV, a study desk with a cheeky ‘crap drawer’ of essentials, kettle for making tea and coffee and a mini fridge with complimentary mineral water and bottle of milk.
Other thoughtful amenities include free wifi, an hour of free international landline phone calls and a minibar at reception with regular shop prices. It’s all about the quirky small details at The Hoxton, so there are plenty of surprises around the room to discover and delight.
What’s most interesting about this room, however, is that the bathroom is at the top of a small staircase. It’s a quirky design feature that we rather liked for its privacy, but most of the bathrooms are ground-level, if accessibility is a priority. The monochrome bathroom features white tiles and a curvy brass heated towel rail with a powerful walk-in shower, big fluffy towels and a full set of bathroom products by Pen & Ink designed exclusively for The Hoxton.
Dinner at Lotti’s
That evening, we had dinner at Lotti’s, the hotel’s all-day dining brasserie. There’s nothing more indulgent than just popping downstairs for a great meal and Lotti’s is a hot destination restaurant in its own right. We sat at a cosy sofa table close to the open kitchen and were well looked after by the friendly staff.
I enjoyed a classic Hoxton beef burger with bacon, baby gem, vine tomato, burger sauce, homemade pickles and fries, which was juicy and satisfying – a proper high-end burger. My mum was more adventurous and went for the Butler’s steak – slow and slow braised beef with liquorice, artichoke and carrots. The top quality meat had a rich, mature flavour and went perfectly with the velvety artichoke, sticky molasses sauce and pickled carrots. Dessert was simple and luxurious home-made vanilla and peanut butter ice cream.
Breakfast
After a great night’s sleep, it was time to eat again. Our famous Hoxton Breakfast Bag was delivered at our preferred time in the morning packed with a healthy granola yoghurt pot, banana and really good freshly-squeezed orange juice. Lotti’s also does a mean breakfast if you’re in the mood for something substantial, however we had our eye on Moak Pancakes, an all-day pancake house with a hip hop vibe that the hotel recommended in its handy map guide.
If you want a little extra from your trip to Amsterdam, check out The Hoxton Amsterdam’s programme of cool hosted events and workshops, rent a bicycle to see the city or book a canal boat tour with their suggested operator. For those fortunate to be visiting on a work trip, there’s also The Apartment with its own larder and atrium garden for meetings and private dining.
The Hoxton Amsterdam has everything you need for a fabulous city break – an enviable location, stylish design and lots of atmosphere. With the new Eurostar direct route and speedy one-hour flights from London, it’s easier than ever to hop over to Amsterdam and discover what makes this city so special.
Discover more of the Dutch capital’s top addresses in my guide to Where to Eat Out in Amsterdam.
For more information and booking, visit: www.thehoxton.com
Chérie City was a guest of The Hoxton Amsterdam
All photos by Chérie City