Dikker and Thijs Hotel

Prinsengracht 444, Amsterdam, North Holland 1017 KE, The Netherlands
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Why We Like It

Personable service, a good price point, and a happy location in the heart of it all have their charms.

Fodor's Expert Review

"Classical" and "cozy" are apt descriptions for this 1895 landmark with a regal address on the Prinsengracht and spacious rooms, some of which retain original features such as beams, while others offer skylights and stunning city views. The busy location—happily many of the windows are double-glazed—is convenient to the major shopping areas, museums and park, and one block from nightlife-rich Leidseplein.

You Should Know If you’re looking for peace and quiet, keep looking. While double-duty double-glazing keeps the noise outside, you only have to step out on the street to be instantly immersed in the interminable tangle of tourists.

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Room

Recently refurbished rooms come with classic dark wood furniture, textured taupe wallpaper, brown floral carpeting and gold armchairs. Comfortable beds are made up with white bedding and brown, cream and burgundy bedspreads. Many rooms offer large windows with canal views, and most are spacious by Amsterdam standards and offer good value for the location. LG TVs, free Wi-Fi, and air-conditioning come standard, as well as coffee/tea making facilities (the bigger rooms have Nespresso machines). A 4G smartphone with city guide, hotel info, and running routes is provided free of charge.

Tip While the most attractive rooms are those with beamed ceilings on the old warehouse side, this part of the hotel is only accessible via the stairs.

Bathroom

Simple, but with generous amenities by Algotherm (a natural marine cosmetics brand), from the usual shower gel, shampoo, and vanity kit to thoughtful extras like body cream, hair conditioner, a bath bomb and an “anti-fatigue” face mask. Many bathrooms have a white-tiled shower-in-bath with adjustable shower head and -curtain (newer bathrooms have a glass partition), bathrobes and Rituals fragrance sticks.

Lobby

The small lobby is dominated by the check-in desk, with a reading table and a few historic photographs on the walls.

Tip Pick up all your public transport- and museum tickets at the front desk, an official ticket office.

Gym

A small fitness room on the first floor offers basic Life Fitness cardio machines, fitness balls, and some free weights.

Dining

Thijs, a popular restaurant, adjoins the hotel, a reminder that these premises, first opened as a shop a century ago, became renowned for fine dining after one of the partners, H. Thijs, apprenticed with the famous French chef Escoffier. While fussy formality has been replaced by an enthusiastic young team, and you’ll find hamburgers alongside onion soup on the menu today, you’re still better off ordering classic French fare. For an extra fee, a buffet breakfast is served to hotel guests in an upstairs area.

Drinking

There is also a bar at Thijs, and its drink game is strong: from fair-chain Moyee coffee and Café Couture teas to Dutch distillates and local craft brews. The gin and tonics are particularly good, and beer and oyster pairings nod to the once-famous oyster-house housed here.

What's Nearby

Getting Around

From your central base, the Canal District, Jordaan and all the major sights are easily accessed by foot, but trams 1, 2 and 5 stop right outside, and trams 7 and 10 cross at nearby Leidseplein. The Hop-On-Hop-Off City Sightseeing Boat stops in front of the hotel. But you can also do as the Dutch do, and rent a bike (€12.50 per day).

Restaurants

For top-notch cooking, thoughtful wine pairings and finely-honed service, there’s Restaurant Beulings (8-minute walk). Or, go Dutch–at least as far as cuisine type is concerned–at Lt. Cornelis (8-minute walk). At Amsterdam’s buzzing indoor food court, Foodhallen (19-minute walk) over 20 food stands offer plenty of choice in a post-industrial tram depot.

Bars

Bar Oldenhof (8-minute walk) in the nearby Jordaan offers a wide range of whiskeys and reasonably-priced cocktails (by Amsterdam standards, that is) in a bar with a nouveau gentlemen’s club vibe. Or, if you’re looking for casual beers and the cozy atmosphere of a typical Dutch “brown café”, there’s Café De Doffer (7-minute walk).

Quick Facts

HOTEL INFO

Phones: +31 (0)20-620–1212