Looking for a hotel in Amsterdam to stay in? Ambassade Hotel is a wonderful choice for travellers looking for a luxury Amsterdam hotel.
Disclosure
Ambassade Hotel kindly hosted me at their hotel in exchange for an honest review. As always, all opinions are my own.
Ambassade Hotel is a boutique hotel located in one of the ten original 17th-century canal-side mansions in the heart of Amsterdam. The hotel has a beautiful grey facade that oozes elegance. The fresh, bright flowers outside also made for a nice change since we were visiting in miserable, grey February. In true Amsterdam-style, there is a line of beautiful Ambassade-branded bikes lined up outside too.
You’ll enter the hotel through sleek, sliding glass doors and be greeted by a group of receptionists who are all friendly, exceedingly polite, with impeccable English. I had just come in from the rain so felt a bit bad handing over a dripping suitcase but they happily took it off my hands and offered me a hot drink to warm up.
The receptionists are there to serve you and make you feel at home right away. There is someone at the desk 24/7 so you can receive assistance whenever you need it from the main reception or via the phone in your room. I was impressed that the receptionists did not need to ask which room you were calling from on the phone. Very simple, I know, but these small touches which streamline your stay are what makes Ambassade Hotel a fantastic place to stay in Amsterdam.
Off to the right of the reception is a small waiting area with armchairs, a sofa and international newspapers. It’s a peaceful place to start the day after you’ve had breakfast and there are glass water decanters to one side with lemon or lime infused water too.
It must be clear by now that I had a wonderful stay at Hotel Ambassade, Amsterdam, so without further ado, here is my full review. Keep scrolling to find out why I believe it’s one of the best hotels in Amsterdam.
The Library at Ambassade Hotel
Ambassade Hotel is no ordinary hotel. It is a literary hotel that boasts a library with over 5000 signed editions by authors who have stayed within their walls. Impressive, right? It’s the place to stay for authors when they are in town and they have a long list of previous literary visitors from around the world. For example, almost every living Nobel Prize winner for literature has stayed here. Crazy!
Ambassade Hotel is the place to stay for authors on tour in Amsterdam in order to boost the Dutch editions. The tradition for publishers to book their authors into this literary hotel dates back to around 1985! Whilst most Dutch publishers have now moved out of the centre of Amsterdam, this tradition remains and so the hotel’s collection continues to grow each year.
I spent some time poring over the shelves wondering how many authors I was familiar with and there are lots of major English language authors to be found. Some were quite unexpected too! There are huge names like Margaret Atwood, as well as those from my childhood such as Cornelia Funke. There are lots of current authors like Jessie Burton, Eleanor Catton and more.
Although the books are kept locked behind glass shelves (some are very valuable!), the hotel is happy to let guests take a closer look if they ask nicely. There are even some guest books displayed containing comments left by famous authors and at the moment you can view a drawing Margaret Atwood left behind after her stay. It’s cute!
The Library Bar is so enticing in fact that even after we’d checked out of this hotel and moved onto another in Amsterdam, we couldn’t resist coming back for hot chocolate, books and checkers the following evening. It was so peaceful and the hot chocolate was delicious. As well as checkers, there’s also chess, dominoes and playing cards to keep you occupied.
You can also pick up can copy of Ambassade Magazine whilst you’re in the library. Printed in both Dutch and in English, it is a magazine about the hotel containing articles about the art and literature collection, interviews with staff, the staff at the hotel and features too. It makes for a very interesting read if you want to find out more about the hotel’s past and present. For a sample, here’s an article about Ambassade Hotel’s library.
Stay at Ambassade Hotel
I tried to check in a little early to my room but was told by reception that my room wasn’t ready. The staff were friendly and attentive, offering to arrange for a different room for me than the one they had originally planned if I would prefer. But one of the receptionist’s colleagues piped up at this point and said that they should not swap my room since I had been given was a beautiful, canal-view room that was worth the wait.
And boy it was.
We were given a Superior Deluxe Room with a beautiful canal view. One side of the room was almost entirely window, letting in lots of beautiful natural light. There was a bespoke box of Ambassade chocolates and mini stroopwafels waiting too, which brought me much joy. Our suitcases had also been delivered to our room so they were waiting for us in the cupboard.
The room is ornately decorated with a black and gold theme. The room is pretty large with an enormous gilded mirror on the wall, which only made the room appear more spacious. Definite mirror goals! No two rooms are the same at Ambassade Hotel so I’d love to go back and take a peek at some of the others.
Of course, the main event is the bed and it’s absolutely enormous, very plush and soft too. My companion went so far as to say that it is the comfiest bed she has ever slept in and I am inclined to agree! Getting out of bed the following morning was very tough indeed. Very thick curtains block out both light and sound so you can get a good night’s sleep and if you don’t set an alarm I think you’d be in danger of staying asleep all morning.
There are two beautiful armchairs by the window, which, to be honest, don’t look comfy at all. But I sat down in one and sank into its softness – it was amazingly comfortable! You can read the morning paper here or grab a copy of Ambassade magazine, which I mentioned above.
The main room also contained an enormous flat-screen TV and a large writing desk with Ambassade notepad. It’s the perfect hotel for businessmen looking for a luxe place to stay in Amsterdam.
The bathroom is also fairly large and elegantly designed. There are his and hers sinks and both a bath and waterfall shower. There are designer toiletries from Bvlgari which smell heavenly and even small bits and bobs like a baby sewing kit. After you’ve enjoyed a nice hot bath or shower, there are Ambassade robes and slippers to slip into.
The Food at Brasserie Ambassade
Ambassade Hotel has its own restaurant located on the first floor, which is called Brasserie Ambassade. Here, guests, as well as the general public, can enjoy breakfast, lunch and dinner.
There are a number of tables by the tall windows, which offer stunning views of the gingerbread houses opposite and the canal below. Inside, the walls are lined with art pieces from famous CoBrA artists. The collection at Ambassade Hotel now contains more than 800 works of art.
Now let’s get back to the food, starting with the most important meal of the day.
Breakfast
Breakfast is a wondrous affair and guests are spoilt for choice. It costs €22.50 and then you can gorge yourself to your heart’s content and fill up before a day of exploring Amsterdam.
There is a full continental breakfast featuring toast, fresh fruit, salmon, cold cuts, cheese, boiled eggs, fruit, yoghurt, cereal, granola, pastries and more. I think I nearly ran out of breath there.
Additionally, you can get hot food made to order. Of course, I opted for both hot and cold, picking my favourites from the continental breakfast and then ordering crepes with Dutch maple syrup too.
What’s more, breakfast can be made into a rather decadent affair as there is even cava and a cheese board on offer. You can truly indulge yourself on the Ambassade Hotel breakfast!
Lunch
As the name Brasserie Ambassade suggests, the restaurant takes inspiration from French cuisine offering French dishes with a modern twist. We opted for the chef’s menu, a three-course meal, which totals €42.50. If you’re particularly hungry you could choose the four, or even five-course menu!
Each course was a surprise but they were all delicious. We enjoyed tuna tartare, followed by sea bass and then a miniature sweets. Each plate of food looked like a work of art (perhaps even more beautiful than that on the walls!), none more so than the dessert. The food was exquisite I’d recommend popping by for a lovely meal if you’re in the area, even if you’re not staying in the hotel.
Additionally, you can order room service to your room and enjoy their delicious food from the comfort of your bed. The dream!
Facilities at Ambassade Hotel
There are a number of other facilities and experiences on offer at the hotel including a small computer area for guests, bikes for rent, a mini spa experience and fitness equipment.
The first thing to know about Amsterdam is that it the city of bikes. They’re everywhere and you’ll have to look twice before stepping out into the road. Given how many paths criss-cross each other through the canal belt, walking around this area can make for a dangerous activity.
The best way to get around Amsterdam is to hop on a bike and see the city as the Dutch do. Luckily, Ambassade Hotel has a number of beautiful classic bikes for hire, which are perfect for exploring Amsterdam on. This costs € 17.50 per day and can be arranged at reception.
There isn’t a gym at Ambassade Hotel, however, upon arriving in our room, I read in the hotel guide that fitness equipment could be delivered to your room. Having spent almost two weeks on the move and living out a suitcase, my fitness routine was completely out of whack and was keen to see what they offered.
I rang down to reception and within ten minutes, one of the hotel’s employees had brought me two 1.5kg dumbells and a yoga mat. Perfect for a little bit of exercise after a day of eating and exploring your way through Amsterdam!
Ambassade Hotel Location
Ambassade Hotel is nestled in Amsterdam’s canal belt and is in the perfect locations for exploring the city’s main attractions and bookshops. If you’re a literary traveller like me then you won’t have to go far to discover some of the city’s best bookshops with Scheltema only 8 minutes away and The American Book Centre only 3 minutes away!
It’s also on the same road as the Happy Bookieman, Steve, who you can read about in my post about bookshops in Amsterdam. He runs a bookshop out of his own home and was kind enough to let me in and even gift me a book as I had no cash!
Anne Frank’s House is a must-visit when in Amsterdam and is a 10-minute walk away whilst the Van Gogh museum is just 20 minutes away. You won’t need public transport to get to the best of Amsterdam when you’re staying here!
All in all, Ambassade Hotel is a four-star hotel offering a five-star experience and I cannot recommend it enough for book lovers, literary and luxury travellers. I’d love to come back and spend more time in the hotel itself. It can be so hard when travelling to choose between exploring the city’s wonders or enjoying the hotel’s facilities, especially when they’re as beautiful as Ambassade Hotel.
Hotel Information
Address
Ambassade Hotel
Herengracht 341
1016 AZ Amsterdam
Netherlands
Website
https://ambassade-hotel.nl/
Price
£££
Double rooms start from £130 in low season, £250 in high season
Book a stay at Ambassade Hotel here
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Laura
Founder & Editor of What’s Hot?