BANKS MANSION in Amsterdam - Hotel Review with Photos

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Updated: May 26, 2022

Essentials
• Location: Herengracht, by the canal.
• Hotel website: carlton.nl
• Hotel phone: +31-(0)20-420-0055
• Check prices for Banks Mansion

The gorgeous Art Deco-style Banks Mansion hotel features spacious and luxurious rooms with modern amenities, free mini bars, and modern bathrooms on Herengracht Canal.

Banks Mansion – Former bank turned all-inclusive boutique hotel near Rembrandtplein.

Set along Herengracht Canal, within easy walking distance of Amsterdam’s main museums and attractions, the Banks Mansion is a stately former bank that’s been turned into an upscale home-away-from-home boutique hotel. The fifty-one rooms are decorated in Art Deco style, with geometric-patterned carpets, black-and-white tiled bathrooms with rain showers, and original stained-glass windows in the common areas. The homey feel at this all-inclusive hotel extends to all manner of perks, from free movie and sports channels and pillow menus in all the rooms to cheese and wine tastings, free minibar snacks and drinks, and in-room espresso machines.

Banks Mansion – Location

Area: On a busy street in Amsterdam’s World Heritage canal ring, with Herengracht canal on one side. Some of the rooms can be a little noisy during the day, but the soundproofing is good. The hotel is 5 minutes’ walk (350m) from lively Rembrandtplein and its bars and restaurants, and an easy walk or tram ride from the Medieval Center and Centraal Station, the Museum Quarter, and a cluster of nearby museums and art galleries. The nearest tram stop is a 4-minute walk (350m) away.
Address: Herengracht 519-525.
Nearest Transport: Bus & Tram – Rembrandtplein (350m), Metro – Vijzelgracht (650m).
How to Get There: Take the train from Schiphol Airport to Centraal Station, then tram #9 to Rembrandtplein stop, 5 minutes’ walk (350m) from the hotel.
Private Transfer: We use and recommend Welcome Pickups car service. Booking through a private car service will cost only a bit more than a taxi – about €50 from Schiphol Airport – but can be worth it to avoid the long taxi queue and for the convenience of paying ahead.
Handy to: Rembrandtplein, Hermitage Amsterdam, Museum of Bags and Purses, Museum Van Loon.

Banks Mansion – The Basics

Ages: Guests tend to be mostly couples on a romantic city break. Children are welcome, but there are no special child-friendly facilities.
View: Many of the 51 rooms, including entry rooms, have tranquil canal views. Best views from the Executive Canal View and Suite Canal View.
Private Pools/Jacuzzis: No private pools/jacuzzi.
Laundry: In-room laundry service available.
Extras: Rates include daily cheese and wine tastings in the afternoons in The Living, the hotel’s lobby/lounge. Top-notch amenities in all the rooms, including decanters of whisky, cognac and gin, plus unlimited minibar items. There are tablets in the lounge, with a modern fireplace, and the hotel has wooden bikes for guest use (€25 per day). Personalized service can help you organize your stay by recommending best cycling routes, cocktail bars, and other points of interest.
When to Book: Reserve 3 to 4 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: +31-(0)20-420-0055
Email: desk@banksmansion.nl
Website: carlton.nl

Banks Mansion – Amenities

Pool: No pool.
Spa: No spa.
Fitness Center: No fitness center.
For Disabled Guests: Not suitable for disabled guests.
For Families: No specific family-friendly facilities.
Activities: Cheese tasting daily between 5pm and 6pm.

Banks Mansion – Food and Drink

Restaurants: No on-site restaurant, but there is plentiful dining within a few minutes’ walk.
Lounge/Bar: Rates include free drinks in the spacious, sun-filled lounge, unlimited tea and (good) coffee, as well as wine tastings and in-room alcoholic beverages.
Breakfast: Complimentary. Excellent buffet breakfast (7.30am-10.30am) with hot dishes cooked to order, including pancakes and eggs, and served in The Kitchen.
Room Service: You can opt for breakfast in your room.

Banks Mansion – Rooms

Room Types: Deluxe • Deluxe Canal View • MacKinlay Junior Suite • Executive Canal View • Suite Canal View • List of all Rooms
Smoking Rooms: Banks Mansion is 100% smoke-free.
Best Room: The spacious Suite Canal View has the best view of the Herengracht canal, along with a bubble bath tub, and his and hers sinks in the bathroom.
For Families: No family rooms.

Banks Mansion – Local Transport

Walking: Easy walking distance to Rembrandtplein and its nightlife, the Medieval Center, Red Light District, and Leidseplein with its many bars, restaurants and theaters. Walkable to the Museum Quarter and De Pijp. Numerous museums, cafes, and restaurants just minutes away on foot.
Tram: Direct tram connections to Centraal Station, De Pijp district, and Waterlooplein.
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.

Banks Mansion – What’s Nearby?

Best Nearby Restaurants

Van Dobben – Old-school Dutch restaurant, open since 1940, and specializing in meaty classics. (250m).
Pasta e Basta – Pre-set Italian menus, family-style live music, and singing. (300m).
Flore – Elegant, luxurious surroundings, imaginative Michelin-starred cuisine, an excellent wine list, and superb cheese selection. One for special occasions; reserve well ahead. (300m).
Klein Breda – Experimental fine dining with an ever-changing menu, and wallet-friendly multi-course lunch. Reservations recommended. (350m).
Thai Phutakun – Authentic Thai flavors, large portions, and friendly service. (350m).
Herengracht Restaurant & Bar – Creative Modern European dishes served in a leafy courtyard, refined dining room, or canal-side terrace. (400m).
Café Van Leeuwen – Bacon cheeseburgers, grilled tuna steak, Dutch sausage with fries, and other bistro food in a canal-side setting. (500m).
Supperclub Amsterdam – Dinner and a show: beds instead of tables, provocative performance art, DJs, and decadent 5-course menus. (500m).
Lo Stivale d’Oro – Family-run trattoria renowned for its pizzas, and popular with families. Occasional live music. (600m).

Best Nearby Bars

Door 74 – Dark-timbered, speakeasy-style bar behind an unmarked door (send a text message to gain entry), responsible for some of Amsterdam’s best cocktails. (100m).
Taboo Bar – Gay bar popular for its pre-clubbing drinks, drag shows on Wednesdays (and €6 cocktails), and happy hours from 6-7pm and midnight-1am. (250m).
Café Bolle Jan – Enjoy your beer while listening to some rollicking live folk music at this lively bar. (250m).
Lion Noir – Original cocktails, and interior full of plants, bird cages, and taxidermied birds, and some of Amsterdam’s hippest A-listers. (300m).
Café Montmartre – Arguably the best gay bar in the city, with the crowd singing along to 80’s and 90’s pop and Dutch ballads, a friendly vibe, and drag night every other Friday. Happy hours 6-8pm. (350m).
Mulligans – This authentic Irish pub has live traditional Irish music most nights, a fun vibe, and Guinness and Magners on tap. (500m).
Xtracold Amsterdam Icebar – Wrap up warm and enjoy your 3 drinks amidst the ice sculptures of this gimmicky-but-fun bar. (600m).
Taproom – An impressive array of craft beers from local award-winning breweries, such as Oedipus, Brouwerij ‘t IJ, Brouwerij de Prael, 24 beers on tap, and a supporting cast of burgers, cold cuts, and cheese ‘planks’. (700m).

Nearby Shopping and Cool Shops

Vlieger – Upmarket, handmade stationary from Asia and Central America, Egyptian papyrus, and more. (400m).
Jaski Gallery – Sculptures, ceramics, prints, and paintings by members of the CoBrA (Copenhagen/Brussels/Amsterdam) art movement. (400m).
Renssen Art Gallery – Charcoal drawings and paintings by independent Dutch artist Erik Renssen. (500m).
So ART Gallery – Contemporary art prints, paintings, sculptures, and drawings, from the 1900s to the present day. (500m).
Concerto Record Store – Huge music shop stocking CDs and vinyl in every imaginable genre. (500m).
Studio Bazar – Upscale women’s wear, including sweatshirts by Pual & Joe Sister, floral prints by Black Coral, and jackets by Isabel Marant. (500m).
Harts Wijnhandel – 19th-century wine shop that stocks an excellent range of Italian and French wines as well as jenever. (500m).
Look Out – Super-hip men’s and women’s fashion by the likes of Fogal, Zenggi, and Soho de Luxe. (600m).
Mobilia Amsterdam – ‘Lifestyle studio’ stocking Dutch and international designs, from homewares to furniture. (600m).
Mark Raven Amsterdam Art – Amsterdam cityscapes in drawing, sketch, and T-shirt print form. (600m).
Reflex Modern Art Gallery – Contemporary photography and art by members of Nouveau Realiste and CoBrA movements. (750m).

Nearby Market or Grocery

Marqt – Large, well-stocked supermarket. (350m).

Banks Mansion – The Hotel

The hotel offers complimentary wooden bikes for its guests.

The Banks Mansion hotel offers complimentary wooden bikes for guest use.

The guest bar serves complimentary alcoholic beverages.

Complimentary alcoholic beverages are served at the guest bar.

The Kitchen serves hot and cold breakfast.

Breakfast is served in The Kitchen from 7.30am to 10.30am, with hot dishes cooked to order.

The Living features complimentary cheese-tasting sessions every afternoon.

Every afternoon, a complimentary cheese-tasting session takes place in The Living, with Dutch and French cheeses purchased daily.

The Deluxe Double rooms feature Art Deco designs.

The Deluxe Doubles are Art Deco-themed, and come equipped with comfortable armchairs.

Spacious bedroom in one of the suites.

The Canal View Suites feature rubber ducks in their bubble baths.

The Canal View Suite bathroom comes with bubble bath, and complimentary rubber ducks.

Canal View Suites have spacious and comfortable living areas.

The living area in the Canal View Suites is spacious and comfortable.

The Canal View Suite bathrooms have twin sinks.

The bathrooms in the Canal View Suites come with twin sinks.

Executive Double Canal View rooms offer views of Herengracht canal.

The Executive Double Canal View rooms overlook Herengracht canal – one of Amsterdam’s grandest.

Deluxe Double Canal View rooms are extremely cozy.

The Deluxe Double Canal View rooms have the same great view of the Herengracht canal, but are the snuggest of all the rooms. Check rates and availability: Banks Mansion.

Banks Mansion Hotel in Amsterdam

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