I'm spending three nights in Amsterdam before boarding the Tauck river boat MS Grace for a river cruise up the Rhine River to Basel, Switzerland. I've taken the opportunity over the past two days to visit the seven (7) Virtuoso hotels in Amsterdam. I haven't been in AMS since 1969 (just after graduating from high school), and IIRC correctly, I stayed in a student hostel during that stay... and any of these hotels would far surpass the quality of where I stayed 52 years ago.

So where to stay? Your first consideration should be about location. Where in the city do you want to stay? If you want to spend a lot of time visiting the Rijksmuseum or the Van Gogh museum, The Conservatorium is easy walking distance from both museums as well as high end shopping. On the other hand, you might prefer to stay in central Amsterdam with its small canals lined with picturesque canal houses, local shopping, and interesting neighborhoods such as the red light district. This map of the Virtuoso hotels of Amsterdam may help...

Here follow brief reviews of my seven site inspections. As I always remind readers, these are my own subjective opinions, based on my personal taste and aesthetics. Your opinions may and should differ.
.
.
Hotel TwentySeven

This was my surprise favorite of the seven hotels. Hotel TwentySeven opened in 2017 and was admitted to Virtuoso within a year. An archetypical boutique hotel, it has but 16 total accommodations. Lead-in Junior Suites are a generous 40-47 sqm, 1BR Suites are 51-75 sqm, and 2BR Suites are a sizable 78-102 sqm. I met the owner, Eric Toren, during my visit. He owns a number of boutique hotels, and his goal with TwentySeven was to create extraordinary experiences for his guests. This intention is seen in every detail of the hotel. Room decor is detailed yet restful. Natural colors and interesting textures are employed to create visual interest without interior spaces ever feeling busy. The suites are so interestingly designed, and each has a two person jacuzzi tub, a two person steam shower, dual vanities, and a Geberit toilets (a German version of Toto toilets that pops its lid for you and has a spray function to help cleanse your bottom). The bar features unique cocktails, and the hotel has its own Michelin-starred restaurant, Bougainville. If you're seeking something other than the typical corporate, name-brand hotel, you might well consider Twenty Seven. I think it’s the ultimate romantic getaway in Amsterdam.

.
The Conservatorium — We stayed at The Conservatorium during our three nights in AMS. I’ve now stayed at all three Set Hotels, and the Conservatorium bears a family resemblance to its sister hotels in London (Café Royal) and Paris (Lutetia). Like those properties, the hotel is set in a preserved historical building. A glass-enclosed space in the building’s former courtyard provides Lobby space and houses The Brasserie (the hotel's all-day restaurant).

At the other end of the design spectrum from Hotel TwentySeven, The Conservatorium tends towards minimalism; I would term the styling “sleek and contemporary.” As I write this, I'm typing at the desk in the Grand Junior Suite to which we were upgraded. A quite spacious open floor plan suite, our king bed is at one end of the room facing one large screen TV. The sitting area is furnished with two dark brown leather seats, in front of a small round oak coffee table, facing a second TV. On the opposite end of the suite is an alcove with a desk with good access to power and AV ports. Furnishings are shades of tan and brown with white walls and window coverings. I would have appreciated a splash of color.

The quality of breakfast buffet is excellent, and you can order off an à la carte menu. The Brasserie serves a wonderful green tea (Jing "Jade Sword") and one of the best, creamiest lattes I’ve every enjoyed. Booking through Virtuoso saves you 94€ per day, as breakfast for two is included among the amenities.



Deluxe room at The Conservatorium

.
Waldorf Astoria Amsterdam — This hotel joined five UNESCO Heritage canal houses into one hotel with 93 rooms. Opening seven years ago, the hotel features contemporary elegant interiors. One of its most attractive features is the garden behind the hotel. 10,000 tulip bulbs blossom in late March and during April, and although guests usually ask for canal view rooms, garden view rooms are in demand in the spring. Rooms are casually elegant, filled with light and quite attractive. There are three categories of guest rooms. Superior, Deluxe, and Premier. We were shown a Premier King room, approximately 450 square feet in size; it felt like a standard Deluxe room by US hotel standards. Nearly all bathrooms have dual vanities and bathtubs (just request if these are important); all rooms are equipped with step-in showers., We also saw the Röell 1BR Suite. For something really special, you can book the "Mayor’s Residence" by buying out the rooms in one of the original canal houses. Guests woulds have the entire residence to yourself with their own entrance from the street.

The Waldorf Astoria struck me as a very well thought out hotel. Like all WA's, it has its own Peacock Alley and signature clock. At check-in, you'll be offered the chance to choose your personal scent, and your room will be infused with that scent during your stay. The hotel features a Lancôme Spa and an indoor pool. The building is decorated with many well chosen, interesting pieces of art.



Premier King room at the Waldorf Astoria Amsterdam

.
Amstel Amsterdam

Located right on the banks of the Amstel River (from which the city and the beer also get their names), the location of the Amstel Amsterdam feels more commercial than the other hotels in this review. The building was built at the location to the former city gateway 155 years ago. Built as a boutique hotel with 79 rooms, the lobby shows its formal classical style. The hotel's owner also owns the Peninsula Paris, Le Royal Monceau, and the Carlton in Cannes and has ambitious plans to renovate the hotel to bring it to the glory of these other properties. (The renovations are still in the design phase.)

There are both City and River View rooms among the categories. Executive rooms begin at 350 sq. ft., Junior Suites are 450 sq. ft., and Executive Suites are 560 sq. ft. Rooms have two color schemes, either blue or red, so let your preference be known at time of reservation. (You can see the blue interior pictured below).

Public spaces are open to the river, including an attractive indoor swimming pool at river level. The Virtuoso extra amenity is a complimentary 1 hr cruise on the canals on Tuesdays, Saturdays, Sundays, or you can choose instead a $100 F&B credit.



Executive King room at Amstel Amsterdam

.
Hotel De L’Europe

Like the Amstel, De L'Europe is located right on the Amstel River. The hotel has a dock right in front from which you can catch a private boat for a canal cruise. Built in 1896, the hotel was acquired by the Heineken family in the late 1950’s. The hotel consists of 97 rooms, of which half are Junior Suites and 1BR Suites.

Deluxe rooms range from 32-36 sqm while Premium Deluxe offer more space at 40 sqm. Rooms feel more spacious because their shape is more square than long-and-narrow rectangular. Carrara marble bathrooms all have step-in showers and baths. Most rooms have dual vanities and some have desks, so these are preferences to make known at booking. The style of the hotel is traditional; interiors create a feeling of comfortable elegance.



Deluxe room at Hotel De L'Europe

.
Sofitel Le Grand

Originally built in 1411 as two convents, Le Grand has a storied history. In 1578, the two convents were obtained by the royal family to serve as their guest house. It later became the headquarters of the Admiralty and, ultimately in 1802, served as the City Hall of Amsterdam. The building did not become a hotel until 1992 when it opened as Le Grand. The intention at that time was to recreate the ambiance of a classical English country house with Dutch hospitality. In 2008, the hotel was bought and the current owners undertook a massive $75 million renovation, reopening in its present form in 2012.

The hotel enjoys a good location in the center of Amsterdam. Walking around after my site inspection, this neighborhood offered a variety of interesting neighborhoods and shops to explore. One of the larger Virtuoso hotels of Amsterdam, Le Grand has 179 rooms. 52 of the rooms are suites and offer Butler service. In the center of the hotel is a large garden (the former cloistered courtyard of the convent), and because the garden is totally private, the hotel's restaurants can serve meals in the garden in the warmer months.

This hotel offers room-to-room and suite-to-suite Virtuoso upgrades at time of booking. I recommend booking a Superior Canal which upgrades to a Luxury room with canal view. Luxury rooms are larger (though too small for my taste) and offer both both step-in showers and soaking tubs.



Superior Canal room at the Sofitel Le Grand

.
Pulitzer

This hotel has bought up 25 canal houses over the years, combining them into a 225 room hotel. Because 224 of the rooms were occupied, I was literally shown just one room. #301, termed a “Generous Room,” felt very small with only 30 sqm of living area. The bathroom was quite compact with its step-in shower, toilet, and single vanity. There was no space in the room for a closet, so an armoire provided the only hanging space for clothes. (Lead in "Cosy" rooms are even smaller at 15 sqm and "Classic" rooms are just 25 sqm).



"Generous" room at the Pulitzer