Kimpton De Witt Hotel

Set behind narrow gabled façades on the Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal, Kimpton De Witt occupies a mix of original Renaissance-era buildings and newer additions, with fifteen rooms carrying beamed ceilings and other period detail. Bird-shaped lamps in black, blush marble side tables and touches of Delft blue run through the 274 rooms, set against a palette of grey and deep green. It is a compact footprint for a hotel of this size, tucked into one of the city's oldest quarters. Rooms range from a 17 m² Queen Essential to the Penthouse De Witt, a 70 m² apartment on the sixth floor with a spiral staircase, a fireplace and a 30 m² rooftop terrace over the rooftops. The Little House suite, spread across three floors of the childhood home of playwright P.C. Hooft, adds two bedrooms and a private living room for families wanting more space. Downstairs, a leafy indoor conservatory gives a quiet green counterpoint to the street outside, and the House Bar pours classic cocktails in a small, dim-lit nook. Celia restaurant serves modern American food with a Californian lean. For a change of pace, the hotel's own 1928 saloon boat, De Roerdomp, runs canal cruises with teak fittings and brass trim intact. Bikes are free to guests, and the city centre starts at the front door.