Whether you’re going to the Netherlands to visit Amsterdam’s picturesque canals, admire Dutch masterpieces and brilliant tulip fields, conduct business or something else, staying at one of these top resorts and hotels is sure to enhance your experience.
Hotel Des Indes, The Hague
Originally built as a palace, this historic property has been entertaining royalty and VIPs of all types since 1881, including Empress Josephine of France and Theodore Roosevelt. One of the world’s premier hotels, it boasts a beautiful blend of marble fluted columns, gilding, and brocaded walls along with expansive rooms and the best of amenities. Located in the heart of The Hague, guests are surrounded by upscale shops, the Parliament, ministries, and embassies, while still enjoying a quiet, peaceful stay. The inner courtyard has become a soaring domed lounge, which serves high tea every afternoon, and leads to a gorgeous formal dining room filled with crystal and linen. Escape stress by heading to the spa, offering a variety of treatments, including Swedish, hot stone, and sports massages as well as facials. You’ll also find a Turkish bath, fitness center, sauna, steam room, and an indoor pool.
Thermae 2000, Valkenburg
Valkenburg, in the south of the Netherlands, draws travelers with its fascinating historic sites, including mines and caverns with drawings that date back to Roman times, and the highest ruins in the country sit in the heart of the city. Visitors can also enjoy thrills at one of two theme parks, museums, a cable car and toboggan run, a multitude of eateries and bars as well as spa and fitness facilities. Thermae 2000, is an ideal place for taking advantage of all of Valkenburg’s attractions, including the waters that simmer below its hills, providing the source of this futuristic spa hotel. Guests can indulge in a multitude of pampering options, including soothing thermal baths, a sauna, massage and herbal body wraps. The complex stands on a slope overlooking the village, with Valkenburg Castle within walking distance. The luxurious, modern guestrooms include garden terraces, award-winning Phi-ton beds, lavish bathrooms with robes and mineral-rich waters for bathing.
Sofitel Legend The Grand Amsterdam, Amsterdam
The Sofitel is a sophisticated property in the heart of the Old Center in a building with a long, rich history as a 15th-century convent and a city hall. Ambassadors and heads of state, as well as Hollywood stars and celebrated authors, have all been welcomed here since 1578 – some suites bear the names of visitors from the past, like Willem van Oranje and the Maria de Medici Suite. The rooms and suites offer personal butler service, and are chic, contemporary and colorful, featuring amenities like flat-screen TVs and Nespresso machines. The hotel also includes a high-end spa with an indoor heated pool and fitness center, while the onsite Bridges Restaurant offers a canal-side garden terrace for dining on delicious French dishes and sipping afternoon al fresco.
Chateau St Gerlach - Maastricht, Netherlands
Chateau St. Gerlach is Maastricht’s famous country estate, set within a regional park boasting gorgeous baroque gardens, a farmhouse herb garden, fruit arboretum and a rose garden as well a church with splendid 18th-century frescoes offering an especially tranquil place to relax and escape the chaos of everyday life. The elegant rooms, suites and apartments boast beautiful views of the Baroque gardens, while the on-site restaurant serves fine French cuisine in a dining room with aristocratic décor. Bistrot de Leige provides another option for guests who want to enjoy tasty regional dishes in a more informal setting. Located under the arches of the estate’s ancient cellar, Spa & Wellness St. Gerlach features a Roman-style swimming pool and menu of pampering spa treatments.
Hotel de l’Europe, Amsterdam
Hotel de l’Europe sits on the banks of the Amstel River in the heart of Amsterdam, just a short stroll from the Van Gogh Museum, the Rijksmuseum and P. C. Hooftstraat, one of the city’s main shopping areas. Once a bank, this hotel boasts art by some of the country’s greatest masters as well as a long, rich history. When Alfred Hitchcock shot 1940’s “Foreign Correspondent,” he chose this very property as the backdrop for some of its most important scenes – and, today, it still has the glamour and sophistication that appealed to the famous director. Guests can enjoy swimming in the blue mosaic-lined pool with a Jacuzzi and jet stream as well as accessing the spa and steam rooms. Dine at the airy, Michelin-starred restaurant Bord’Eau and listen to a Jazz pianist playing live in Freddy’s Bar. Rooms boast features like Nespresso coffee makers, heated floors, flat-screen TVs and picturesque views of the canal.
InterContinental Amstel Hotel, Amsterdam
Renowned as one of the best hotels in the world and the most luxurious in the Netherlands, the InterContinental Amstel, AKA “The Grand Old Lady of Amsterdam,” is elegantly set along the banks of the Amstel River in the cultural, entertainment and financial district of Amsterdam within walking distance to the Hermitage Amsterdam museum and the Royal Carre Theatre. Popular among royalty and celebrities, with the likes of Queen Elizabeth II, Michael Jackson and the Rolling Stones all stepping through its doors, it offers extraordinary service and top-notch international cuisine at its Michelin restaurant, La Rive. From the moment you step into the lobby, you’ll experience the character of this “grand residence” with its soaring ceilings, glistening chandeliers and monumental staircase, along with a warm welcome from the concierges at the antique reception desk. Rooms are classically furnished, with the best offering views over the river to the old part of the city.
Conservatorium Hotel, Amsterdam
The Conservatorium Hotel sits alongside some of Amsterdam’s crowning cultural jewels, allowing guests to be at the center of everything the city has to offer, from fashion to business and historical sites. Housed in a 100-year-old former bank building, its warm, modern design blends seamlessly with the structure. The stunning atrium lobby is industrial chic, made up of brick, wood and glass, while the sleek rooms and suites are simple, clean and elegant. Bathrooms are especially luxe, boasting rainfall showerheads, stone tile, LCD mirror TVs and micro cotton towels. Guests can also take advantage of the indoor pool, modern fitness center and luxe spa.
Grand Hotel Karel V, Utrecht
This medieval monastery transformed into a luxurious hotel offers a unique ambiance in the historic town center of Utrecht. The first five-star hotel in the city, the magnificent building features spacious rooms and suites. Interiors, done up in a combination of modern and historic styles, are outfitted with terra-cotta and gold furnishings, heavy curtains roped back to reveal nearly floor-to-ceiling windows and offer all the comforts you could possibly need. The grand on-site restaurant serves fine cuisine paired with lovely wines, while the Bistro has an open kitchen and inviting bar and lounge. The hotel also features a wellness center with a swimming pool, sauna, steam facilities and solarium, surrounded by nearly 108,000 square feet of city gardens.
Waldorf Astoria Amsterdam, Amsterdam
The Waldorf Astoria, made up of six magnificent canal-side mansions, offers timeless elegance in an ideal location on one of Amsterdam’s most impressive canals with everything of note within walking distance. It pays a tribute to its heritage with many 17th- and 18th-century features remaining, along with a careful eye to modern luxuries and style. Experience an unforgettable stay in one of the elegant rooms, lofts and suites with gorgeous canal and courtyard garden views. Enjoy fantastic meals at Spectrum or Goldfinch Brasserie, then indulge in a massage at the luxury spa followed by a refreshing dip in the indoor swimming pool.
Center Parcs De Kempervennen, Westerhoven
Ideal for a family getaway, this popular resort near Eindhoven offers a wide variety of fun activities, including the chance to go skiing in the summer. At Montana Snowcenter, a covered slope of “real” snow guests can learn to ski, while the more experienced can enjoy more challenging runs. Enjoy the sunshine by water-skiing and wakeboarding on one of two big lakes and learn to dive at Aqua Mundo with Discover Scuba. Snorkeling in the brilliant underwater world in the Living Seas Pool and enjoying heart-pounding thrills in the bends of wild water rapids are just two of the other popular attractions. Here, boredom is practically impossible, with the nearly endless list of other options, like beach volleyball, archery, bowling, family paintball, biking, fishing, quad riding, live entertainment and much more. After a day of play, come back to one of a variety of cottages that offer all of the comforts of home, or the boathouse with its maritime design allowing guests to stay right on the water.
Hotel van Oranje, Noordwijk
Hotel van Oranje is set directly at the beach and boulevard of Noordwijk offering luxurious hotel rooms, including sea view rooms that offer private balconies with a view of the North Sea along with a flat-screen TV and comfy beds. The hotel features multiple restaurants and bars on-site, serving up everything from steak and spare ribs to delicious breakfasts. The massive spa & wellness center offers the chance to swim in the largest indoor wave pool in Europe and soothe sore muscles in the sauna while the little ones enjoy watching the latest cartoons and movies while floating on an air-bed in the Kids Castle and Aqua Cinema.
Duin & Kruidberg Country Estate, Santpoort-Noord
This Santpoor hotel is just a stone’s throw from Amsterdam, set in the spectacular Zuid Kennemerland National Park among age-old trees and lush ponds. It was privately owned for more than 300 years, officially opening its doors to guests in 2002. It features stylish rooms and suites, exquisitely decorated and reminiscent of the grandeur of a bygone age. Some rooms are located within the country house, while others are in the new hotel wing. Enjoy dining at Michelin restaurant De Vrienden van Jacob, serving refined dishes and outstanding wines as well as the chic Brasserie & Lounge bar DenK serving regional and seasonal dishes. Guests can also take advantage of the fitness center and a Finnish sauna.
Bungalowparck Tulp & Zee, Noordwijk
This holiday park is made up of charming bungalows near Noordwijk’s town center, offering a fantastic environment for relaxation and recreation. They’re set among brilliant bulb fields with the beach and dunes just steps away. Guests can enjoy swimming, cycling, walking and sunbathing, and then return to a vacation home that comes fully-equipped with a kitchen featuring everything you need to make your own meals, a private garden, washer/dryer and an expansive living room with a TV and DVD player. Tulp & Zee also makes a great base for exploring museums in Amsterdam, The Hague or Leiden as well as enjoying the numerous outstanding dining options in Haarlem, known for its culinary life, as well as a multitude of shops and boutiques.
