Ambassade Hotel in Amsterdam

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Updated: November 10, 2020

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Review of Ambassade Hotel in Amsterdam.

Ambassade Hotel – Literary-themed boutique hotel with a superb art collection in the historic canal ring.

A great favorite with local and international literati, the Ambassade consists of 56 individually-decorated rooms of all shapes and sizes, spread across ten beautifully renovated canal houses – eight facing the stately Herengracht canal and two more overlooking the Singelgracht. Inside, the decor is a melange of original features such as beamed ceilings, a museum-worthy collection of art by the 20th-century CoBrA art movement and contemporary Dutch artists, antique Louis XV and Louis XVI furniture, and thoroughly modern in-room amenities. Rooms are decked out either in sumptuous fabrics or florals and leopard print, with bold splashes of color, and all bathrooms come with Bulgari amenities and twin sinks. Service is convivial and helpful, and the on-site dining is excellent.

Ambassade Hotel – Location

  • Address: Herengracht 341, 1016 AZ Amsterdam.
  • Nearest Tram: Spui.
  • Area: In the heart of the hip Nine Streets neighborhood, surrounded by numerous independent boutiques and restaurants, right in the historic Canal Belt. Ambassade is situated on a quiet street overlooking the grand Herengracht canal, with most of the city’s big attractions an easy walk away. Anne Frank House, the Medieval Center, and the Red Light District are all less than 10 minutes on foot, the Museum Quarter is around 15 minutes’ walk (or a short tram ride) away. The nearest tram stop is less than 5 minutes’ walk, off busy Spui square, with quick connections to Centraal Station and the Museum Quarter.
  • How to Get There: Take the train from Schiphol Airport to Centraal Station, then tram #1, #2 or #5 to Spui, a 4-minute walk from the hotel.
  • Handy to: Anne Frank House, Nine Streets, historic canal ring, Spui square.

Ambassade Hotel – The Basics

  • Ages: Guests are mostly couples on a romantic city break, but children of all ages are welcome. There are family rooms with baby cots provided free of charge, the Brasserie has high chairs for small children, and babysitting services can be arranged on request.
  • View: Most of the 56 rooms offer views of the Herengracht canal; the rest come with city views.
  • Private Pools/Jacuzzis: No private pools/jacuzzi.
  • Laundry: In-room laundry service.
  • Extras: There are bicycles available for guest use (€17.50 per day). The extensive library-cum-bar for guests includes over 4,000 signed first editions by writers who’ve stayed here such as Toni Morisson and Isabel Allende, including 15 Nobel Literature Prize winners.
  • When to Book: Reserve 3 months in advance for the mid-March to mid-May tulip season, the July and August high season, and the Christmas-New Year period.
  • How to Book: Booking.com will have the best rates.
  • Phone: 020-555-0222
  • Email: info@ambassade-hotel.nl
  • Website: ambassade-hotel.nl/

Ambassade Hotel – Amenities

  • Pool: No pool.
  • Spa: No spa on-site, but there’s a wellness center offering massages and saltwater float cabins right nearby.
  • Fitness Center: No fitness center, but it’s possible to borrow some fitness equipment such as exercise mats and weights.
  • For Disabled Guests: Most rooms involve stair access, but the staff is happy to assist.
  • For Families: Baby cots are provided free of charge, the Brasserie has high chairs for small children, and babysitting services can be arranged on request.

Ambassade Hotel – Food and Drink

  • Restaurants: The Brasserie Ambassade (noon-3 pm & 6-10 pm) serves classic French cuisine in refined surroundings, with bold art by artists belonging to the CoBrA collective, antique mirrors and views of the Herengracht canal. • $$$.
  • Lounge/Bar: The Library Bar is a cozy literary space cum watering hole where guests can enjoy a quiet craft beer or classic cocktail. In keeping with the hotel’s literary traditions, monthly literary salons are held here with talks by journalists and writers.
  • Breakfast: Not complimentary. Excellent buffet breakfast with a selection of local cheeses, cold cuts, and smoked fish, with eggs cooked to order, Dutch pancakes and champagne; available between 7 am and 11 am; €22.50 per person. Book your room directly through the hotel website for a 35% discount on breakfast price.
  • Room Service: 24-hour room service available.

Ambassade Hotel – Rooms

  • Room Types: Standard • Classic • Deluxe • Superior Deluxe • Triple • Quadruple • Duplex Superior • Grand Suite • Apartment
  • Smoking Rooms: Ambassade Hotel is 100% smoke-free.
  • Best Room: The 3 Grand Suites offer excellent canal views.
  • For Families: There are family rooms with baby cots provided free of charge.

Ambassade Hotel – Local Transport

  • Walking: Lively Jordaan district, Spui square, Anne Frank House, and Dam square are just a few minutes on foot; walkable to attractions in the Medieval Center and Red Light District; Museum Quarter 20 minutes on foot.
  • Tram: From the nearby Spui stop, trams run north to Centraal Station via the Medieval Center and south towards Leidseplein and the Museum Quarter.
  • Taxis, Uber: Taxis and Uber charge around €35 from the airport to the hotel. Within the city, Uber rides cost around half of taxi fares. It’s often quicker to walk, cycle, or jump on a tram.

Ambassade Hotel – What’s Nearby?

Recommended Nearby Tours

  • Gs Brunch Boat – The world’s only brunch boat sets sail year round from Keizersgracht 177. Extensive menus are accompanied by mimosas and bloody marys, together with an hour and a half’s Amsterdam canal tour. Start location: 9-minute walk. 
  • Secret Food Tours – Sample raw herring, stamppot, stroopwafel, pancakes, and more on this walking tour of traditional Dutch food hotspots. Meet at the Anne Frank House. Start location: 10-minute walk.
  • Jewish History Amsterdam – Themed walking tours of Jewish Amsterdam; tours of the western canal ring typically start at the Anne Frank House. Start location: 10-minute walk.
  • Lovers Canal Cruises – Hour-long small boat canal cruises depart from the dock near the Anne Frank House. Start location: 10-minute walk.
  • Blue Boat Company – Open-boat cruises, themed kids’ cruises, evening cruises, and Hard Rock burger cruises. Start location: 16-minute walk.

Best Nearby Restaurants

  • Indonesian Kitchen – Intimate, wallet-friendly Indonesian restaurant. Choose from the likes of beef rendang and lamb chops, or get a spread of small dishes. 2-minute walk.
  • D’Vijff Vlieghen – Characterful restaurant spread over 5 17th-century canal houses, renowned for its imaginative Modern Dutch dishes and decked out with original Rembrandt works. Reservations essential. 3-minute walk.
  • Supperclub Amsterdam – Dinner and a show: beds instead of tables, provocative performance art, DJs, and decadent 5-course menus. 3-minute walk.
  • Herengracht Restaurant & Bar – Creative modern European dishes served in a leafy courtyard, refined dining room, or canal-side terrace. 4-minute walk.
  • OCCO Bar & Brasserie – Modern European dishes, plus excellent gin-based cocktails. 4-minute walk.
  • Vinkeles – Michelin-starred French fine dining inside an atmospheric 18th-century bakery. Reserve well ahead. 4-minute walk.
  • Lucius – Local institution, popular as ever after 4 decades. Expect refined seafood dishes, from the pike the restaurant is named after to steamed razor clams with chili. Reservations. 4-minute walk.
  • Tomaz – Brasserie with a solid menu of French and Dutch dishes and daily vegetarian specials. 5-minute walk.
  • Cannibale Royale – Gourmet burgers and steaks. 5-minute walk.

Best Nearby Bars and Breweries

  • De Admiraal – Amsterdam’s largest traditional tasting house, with 16 jenevers and 60 liqueurs. 1-minute walk.
  • Café Hoppe – Centuries-old, wood-paneled brown café attached to a modern pub with terrace. 2-minute walk.
  • Flying Dutchmen Cocktails – Tiny cocktail bar with award-winning bartenders and killer signature cocktails. Try the Flying Dutchman. 3-minute walk.
  • De Doffer – Informal, 70’s-style café and bar, popular with students and artists. Inexpensive beer and food. 4-minute walk.
  • De Pilsener Club – Grungy, 19th-century brown café where locals come to drink and chat. 5-minute walk.
  • Lion Noir – Original cocktails and interior full of plants, bird cages, and taxidermied birds, and some of Amsterdam’s hippest A-listers. 6-minute walk.
  • Taboo Bar – Gay bar popular for its pre-clubbing drinks, drag shows on Wednesdays (and €6 cocktails!), and happy hours from 6-7 pm and midnight-1 am. 6-minute walk.
  • Pulitzer’s Bar – Stylish art deco cocktail bar inside the eponymous hotel. Classic cocktails as well as expertly-mixed signature drinks. 7-minute walk.
  • Café het Molenpad – Popular canal-side café by day; candlelit, romantic bar by night. 7-minute walk.

Nearby Shopping and Cool Shops

Nearby Market or Grocery

Ambassade Hotel – The Hotel

Public areas are decorated with works of the CoBrA collective.

The lobby and other public spaces double as an art gallery for artists belonging to the cutting-edge CoBrA collective.

The breakfast buffet includes eggs cooked to order, Dutch pancakes, and champagne.

Excellent buffet breakfast with eggs cooked to order, Dutch pancakes, and champagne is served between 7 am and 11 am.

Library Bar is famous for its collection of 4,000 signed first editions.

The Library Bar is where guests can peruse over 4,000 signed first editions (many by authors who’ve stayed here) while nursing a craft beer or classic cocktail.

Standard rooms are compact and located at street-level.

The compact, street-level Standard rooms are either located at the back of the hotel or have partial views of Herengracht canal.

Classic rooms feature standard amenities and Bulgari toiletries.

Most of the Classic rooms are located at the back of the hotel, with courtyard views and standard amenities such as queen-sized (or twin) beds, flat-screen TV, desk, and Bulgari toiletries.

Most bathrooms have a bath-and-shower combo.

The bathrooms in the majority of the rooms come with a bath-and-shower combo.

Spacious Deluxe rooms offer views of the Herengracht canal.

Spacious Deluxe rooms come with a guaranteed view of the Herengracht canal.

Superior Deluxe rooms have good canal views.

Guests staying in the Superior Deluxe rooms are also guaranteed a view of the canal, as well as bathrooms with separate baths and showers.

Duplex Superior has a spacious bedroom on the upper floor.

The elegant Duplex Superior comes with a spacious bedroom, reachable by a spiral staircase.

Duplex Superior has a spacious living area.

The lower part of the Duplex Superior is a spacious living area with canal views.

All 3 Grand Suites offer great canal views.

The 3 Grand Suites all benefit from exceptional canal views.

Grand Suites feature a bright and spacious living area.

A spacious, light-filled living area is a feature in all the Grand Suites.

The top-floor Grand Suite feature heavy wooden beams and lofty views.

The Grand Suite on the top floor is particularly atmospheric, with heavy wooden beams and lofty views.

Scotch & Soda specializes in chic street wear.

Ambassade Hotel sits right in the hip Nine Streets shopping neighborhood. Just south of the hotel and straddling the 4 historic canals, the street is lined with boutiques such as Scotch & Soda, the Amsterdam fashion label specializing in chic street wear for men and women.

We Are Labels has a good collection of street wear.

Across the street from Scotch & Soda, We Are Labels stocks more street wear – by mbyM, Global Funk, Norr, and more.

Zipper sells vintage 1950's clothing.

Nearby, Zipper is all retro wear, from vintage 1950’s dresses to zoot suits.

Rain Couture sells stylish locally-designed raincoats.

Kitty corner to Zipper, Rain Couture Amsterdam sells locally-designed, stylish yet practical raincoats.

Marie Stella Maris sells eco-friendly and popular beauty and skincare products.

On the corner, Marie Stella Maris sells locally-renowned beauty and skincare products with an eco-conscience.

Keizersgracht canal connects clusters of boutiques in the neighborhood.

You cross Keizersgracht canal to reach the next cluster of boutiques.

The Darling sells locally-designed women's wear and accessories.

These include The Darling – funky, locally-designed women’s wear and accessories.

Denham sells men's denim wear, with a women's branch nearby.

Across the street, Denham stocks denim wear for men. The women’s branch is around the corner.

De Doffer is a popular 70's-style cafe.

If you’re looking for a break from shopping, De Doffer is a retro, 70’s-style café, popular with the local creative types.

Michelin-starred Vinkeles is known for its French fine dining.

Just along Keizersgracht canal, The Dylan Hotel is home to 2 excellent restaurants, both popular with non-guests. Book well ahead for the Michelin-starred French fine dining at Vinkeles.

Informal Bar Brasserie OCCO serves great modern European dishes.

Bar Brasserie OCCO is stylish but informal, serving great modern European dishes and gin-based cocktails.

Houseboat Museum showcases what a houseboat looks like.

If you’re curious about what a houseboat looks like on the inside, cross Prinsengracht canal to the west to check out the Houseboat Museum.

Pulitzer’s Bar serves excellent cocktails by the canal.

From Denham, it’s worth walking 3 blocks north along Prinsengracht canal to Pulitzer’s Bar, serving excellent cocktails and with a great canal-side terrace.

Anne Frank House is one of Amsterdam's most popular destinations.

A further block and a half north brings you to the Anne Frank House, where her family hid from the Nazis during WWII. It’s one of Amsterdam’s most popular attractions, so book your ticket online to skip the lines.

Mendo is an excellent bookstore with a good selection of coffee table books.

A block north of Denham, another narrow shopping street leads back towards the hotel. Shops worth looking out for include the excellent Mendo bookstore, particularly strong on coffee table books on art, design, and architecture.

Dutch Accent Gallery sells watercolor city scapes by local artists.

Nearby, the Dutch Accent Gallery sells watercolor landscapes of the city by local artists.

Restaurant de Struisvogel serves good French-inspired dishes.

Around the corner is the Restaurant de Struisvogel, a popular lunch stop for shoppers that serves French-inspired dishes.

Marqt is a well-stocked supermarket nearby.

Across the Keizersgracht canal bridge, Marqt is the local branch of the upmarket, well-stocked supermarket.

De Admiraal is popular for its selection of jenevers and local spirits.

A short walk north from the hotel, De Admiraal is one of the best places in the city to taste a variety of jenevers and other local spirits. Great outdoor terrace.

Herengracht restaurant and bar is popular for its canal-side seating and modern European dishes.

A couple of blocks south of the hotel along the Herengracht canal, the Herengracht restaurant and bar is super-popular, particularly with visitors – both for its canal-side terrace and its modern European dishes.

Art Plein Spui is held on Sundays as an outdoor book and art market.

If you head south from the hotel and cross the Singel canal, heading east, you come to Spui square, one of the most popular gathering spots in the Medieval Center. On Sundays it hosts the Art Plein Spui, an outdoor book and art market.

The Flying Dutchmen is renowned for its signature cocktails.

Just before the bridge, a block south along the Singel canal, there’s a tiny cocktail bar – The Flying Dutchmen – a well-kept local secret. The signature cocktails, mixed by award-winning mixologists, are amazing and worth every penny.

The Amsterdam Museum showcases the city's 1,000-year-old history.

From Spui, it’s a short walk to the worthwhile Amsterdam Museum, which tells the 1,000-year-old history of the city in an entertaining way, with dressing-up opportunities for kids.

Café Hoppe offers a wood-paneled interior and an outdoor terrace.

Just off Spui, there’s a cluster of popular bars; Café Hoppe is a local institution, with a centuries-old, wood-paneled interior, plus an outdoor terrace for people-watching.

Seafood Bar serves good and affordable seafood platters.

While some restaurants off Spui are overpriced tourist traps, one consistently good option is the local branch of the Seafood Bar – great seafood platters with popular outdoor seating overlooking the square.

D’Vijff Vliegen serves modern Dutch dishes in a 17th century canal house.

Branching off Spui towards the Royal Palace, Spuistraat is dotted with good restaurants. D’Vijff Vliegen serves imaginative modern Dutch dishes in an atmospheric 17th century canal house setting; book ahead.

Haeje Claes serves traditional Dutch dishes in an informal setting.

Across the street, Haeje Claes is a much more informal place for traditional Dutch dishes, served in a characterful warren of rooms with low ceilings.

Lucius is known for its seafood since decades.

Further north, Lucius is a locally-beloved seafood institution of several decades.

Happy Pig Pancake Shop is great for a quick bite.

Next to it, the Happy Pig Pancake Shop is great for a quick bite on the go.

The Nationaal Monument at Dam Square is a popular destination.

A couple of blocks further north you reach Dam square – Central Amsterdam’s busy square, filled with visitors and buskers, and home to the Nationaal Monument, dedicated to WWII’s fallen.

The Royal Palace is a popular tourist attraction.

The big attraction here is the Royal Palace – the official residence of the King of the Netherlands. When the king’s away, you can check out the sumptuous rooms.

Nieuwe Kerk is known for its beautiful oak chancel and excellent exhibitions.

Just north of the Royal Palace, the 15th century Nieuwe Kerk is well worth a look for its beautiful oak chancel and excellent temporary art and photography exhibitions.

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