ESTHERÉA in Amsterdam - Hotel Review with Photos

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Updated: May 29, 2022

Essentials
• Location: Singel.
• Hotel website: estherea.nl
• Hotel phone: +31-(0)20-624-5146
• Check prices for Estheréa

Historic boutique hotel with elegant and colorful rooms that have been beautifully decorated and located in an excellent neighborhood by the Singel canal.

Estheréa – Sumptuous boutique hotel in historic buildings on the edge of the Medieval Center.

Spread across eight historic canalside buildings, this four-star hotel was originally founded as a guesthouse by a WWII widow in 1942, and is now run by the third generation of the family. The combination of dark wood, crystal chandeliers, boldly-patterned prints, luxurious fabrics, and four-poster beds in many of the rooms make it feel like a romance set, and the rooms come in varying sizes and with individual decor – some decked out in mint greens or icy blues, one done up in blue-and-white Delftware ceramics, while others are wood-paneled and in shades of russet and brown. Some of the smallest rooms have open-plan bathrooms. Service is warm and helpful and the atmospheric heart of Amsterdam is right on the doorstep.

Estheréa – Location

Area: On the edge of the Medieval Center and the historic Canal Belt, overlooking the Singel canal. The hip Nine Streets neighborhood with its boutiques, cafes, and restaurants is a couple of minutes away on foot, while Dam Square is less than 6 minutes’ walk (500m) away. The nearest tram stop is 4 minutes (300m) away, the Centraal Station is a short hop, while the Museum Quarter is around 15 minutes (2 km) away by tram.
Address: Singel 303-309.
Nearest Tram: Tram – Spui (300m), Bus – Dam (400m), Metro – Rokin (500m).
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 (300m) 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: Anne Frank House, Nine Streets, historic canal ring, Spui square.

Estheréa – The Basics

Ages: Most of the guests tend to be couples on a romantic city break, but children of all ages are welcome.
View: Of the 92 rooms, Classic rooms overlook one of the courtyards, Deluxe/Family rooms and the 2 suites overlook either one of the courtyards or Spuistraat, while the Canal rooms have views of the Singel canal.
Private Pools/Jacuzzis: No private pools/jacuzzi.
Parking: Parking costs €55 per day.
Laundry: In-room laundry service.
Extras: There are scooters and bicycles for hire, and complimentary coffee, tea, and snacks in the lounge. There’s also a guest library, free iPads, and internet terminals for guest use.
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: +31-(0)20-624-5146
Email: frontoffice@estherea.nl
Website: estherea.nl

Estheréa – Amenities

Pool: No pool.
Spa: No spa.
Fitness Center: There’s a small gym in the basement with TechnoGym equipment.
For Disabled Guests: Not suitable for disabled guests.
For Families: Baby cots and extra full-size beds provided free of charge, and children under the age of 12 can stay for free in existing beds. High chairs available in Maria’s Bar. Babysitting services can be arranged on request.

Estheréa – Food and Drink

Restaurant: There is no restaurant, but Maria’s Bar serves simple dishes throughout the day, such as burgers, pasta, and hutspot (potatoes mashed with vegetables). $$.
Lounge/Bar: The wood-paneled, guests-only Maria’s Bar is open round the clock and has an extensive selection of spirits and wine.
Breakfast: Not complimentary. Good buffet breakfast available between 7am and 10.30am; €18 per person.
Room Service: Room service available from 7am to 11pm.

Estheréa – Rooms

Room Types: Classic • Deluxe • Canal • Family • Orange Suite • Rose Suite • List of all Rooms
Smoking Rooms: Hotel Estherea is 100% smoke-free.
Best Room: If a view is important, then a Canal room overlooking the Singel canal is ideal. If it’s unique character that’s appealing, both the opulent Orange Suite and the more intimate Rose Suite come with bold wallpaper, mahogany paneling, luxury fabrics, and chandeliers.
For Families: There are several family rooms with either a double and a single bed, or 2 double beds, and most rooms can accommodate either a baby cot or an extra bed.

Estheréa – 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 is around 20 minutes (2 km) 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.

Estheréa – 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: 700m.
Secret Food Tours – Sample raw herring, stamppot, stroopwafel, pancakes, and more on this walking tour of traditional Dutch food hot spots. Meet at the Anne Frank House. Start location: 800m.
Jewish History Amsterdam – Themed walking tours of Jewish Amsterdam; tours of the western canal ring typically start at the Anne Frank House. Start location: 800m.
Lovers Canal Cruises – Hour-long, small boat canal cruises depart from the dock near the Anne Frank House. Start location: 800m

Best Nearby Restaurants

The Happy Pig Pancake Shop – Pancakes made from organic ingredients, with sweet and savory toppings. Popular with families. (100m).
D’Vijff Vlieghen – Characterful restaurant spread over five 17th-century canal houses, renowned for its imaginative Modern Dutch dishes, and decked out with original Rembrandt works. Reservations essential. (150m).
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 strongly advised. (150m).
Restaurant De Struisvogel – Basement restaurant specializing in French-inspired dishes. (300m).
FuLu Mandarijn – Good mix of Cantonese and Sichuan dishes in smart surroundings. Offerings include dim sum, sea bass in hot chili broth, Kung Pao chicken, and Peking duck with pancakes. (400m).
The Seafood Bar – Buzzy spot for champagne, oysters, and seafood platters. Walk-ins welcome. (400m).
Breda – One for special occasions. Multi-course, seasonal lunch, and dinner menus by some of the city’s most creative chefs, plus 15 wines by the glass. Reservations essential. (400m).

Best Nearby Bars and Breweries

Proeflokaal A.v. Wees – Amsterdam’s largest traditional tasting house, with 16 jenevers and 60 liqueurs. (150m).
Café Hoppe – Centuries-old, wood-paneled brown café attached to a modern pub with terrace. (250m).
Café Schuim – Mural-bedecked, grungy bar that gets seriously packed on weekends and in the evenings. Younger crowd. (300m).
Flying Dutchmen Cocktails – Tiny cocktail bar with award-winning bartenders, and killer signature cocktails. Try the Flying Dutchman. (400m).
Pulitzer’s Bar – Stylish art deco cocktail bar inside the eponymous hotel. Classic cocktails, as well as expertly mixed signature drinks. (500m).
Bubbles & Wines – This sleek wine bar attracts a lively, stylish clientele with its 50+ wines and champagnes by the glass, and superb bar snacks. (500m).
The Tara – Maze-like Irish pub that’s a big expat favorite. Good for catching football on the big screen. (500m).

Nearby Shopping and Cool Shops

Concrete – Locally designed t-shirts, trainers, and jeans. Also doubles as an exhibition space for street art and photography. (150m).
Athenaeum – One of Amsterdam’s largest independent bookshops, with numerous travel guidebooks, and books on fashion and design. (250m).
Laundry Industry – Urban wear for men and women by the eponymous Dutch design house. (250m).
We Are Labels – Casual streetwear, shoes, and accessories for men and women by mbyM, Numph, Global Funk, Norr, and more. (300m).
American Book Center – Largest English-language bookshop in Amsterdam. (300m).
Marie Stella Maris – Beloved Amsterdam brand of skincare and beauty products, with a percentage of the profits donated to clean water projects worldwide. (400m).
Scotch & Soda – Chic streetwear for men and women from the Amsterdam fashion label gone global. Lots of denim. (400m).
Zipper Vintage Clothing – Retro gear, from 1940’s zoot suits to dresses, printed shirts, and pork-pie hats. (400m).
Amsterdam Watch Company – Sells exclusive handmade watches by the likes of Christiaan van der Klaauw; old watches restored here. (500m).
Mendo – Books on art, design, photography, and architecture. (750m).

Nearby Market or Grocery

Marqt – Well-stocked supermarket. (250m).

Estheréa – The Hotel

The hotel is located right by the picturesque Singel canal.

The Estheréa hotel is situated on the picturesque Singel canal, a very handy location for taking a canal boat tour.

Classic Rooms feature garden views and a small sitting area.

The smallest of the available rooms, Classic rooms come with garden views, a small sitting area, and can fit a baby crib.

Deluxe Rooms offer courtyard or street views.

The Deluxe rooms at the back of the hotel are one category up, with room for an extra bed, and either courtyard or street views. Opt for courtyard views if you’re a light sleeper.

All rooms feature L'Occitane bath products.

All rooms come with L’Occitane bath products.

The Canal Rooms face the canal, and can get noisy.

The Canal rooms are located at the front of the hotel, and benefit from canal views (though they also get some street noise). They have room for a baby crib.

Family Rooms feature an extra single or double bed.

Family rooms come with either an extra single or double bed, and either courtyard or street views.

The Orange Suite is spacious, and features a personal terrace.

The Orange Suite is the larger of the 2 suites, and suitably sumptuous. It also has its own terrace, though views are better from the Canal rooms.

The Rose Suite is more intimate, and overlooks the patio.

The Rose Suite is more intimate than the Orange, and is also situated on the ground floor, overlooking the patio.

The breakfast buffet is very good and extensive.

A good buffet breakfast is served between 7am and 11am.

The hotel's small gym is located in the basement.

There is a small basement gym, open from 7am to 10pm.

The hotel also features a small library for its guests.

There is a library for guest perusal.

There are plenty of boat tour options from the nearby docks.

The hotel is particularly well-located for boat tours, with vintage saloon boats departing from the nearby dock.

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

A block east, busy Spuistraat is one of the main streets in Amsterdam’s Medieval Center, and is dotted with good restaurants. D’Vijff Vliegen serves imaginative Modern Dutch dishes in an atmospheric 17th century canal house setting; book ahead.

Art Plein Spui is held every Sunday at Spui square.

At the southern end of Spuistraat is 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.

Café Hoppe has a traditional 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.

The Flying Dutchmen serves amazing signature cocktails mixed by award-winning mixologists.

West across the bridge from Spui, and a block south along 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 Seafood Bar is renowned for its seafood platters and outdoor seating.

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.

The American Book Center is the city's largest English-language bookstore.

If you’re looking for reading material, the American Book Center right on Spui is Amsterdam’s largest English-language bookstore.

Athenaeum has a large collection of books.

Right nearby, Athenaeum is another large bookstore, particularly good for travel guidebooks, and books on art and design.

The Tara is a popular Irish pub on busy Rokin.

The east end of Spui meets busy Rokin, Medieval Amsterdam’s main thoroughfare. It’s lined with bars and restaurants that attract a large tourist contingent; The Tara is an Irish pub that’s popular both with visitors and Amsterdam’s large expat community. Sports on the big screen, and popular outdoor terrace (though it faces the busy street).

If you’re looking for a classier watering hole, Bubbles & Wine champagne and wine bar along Nes street, parallel to Rokin, is a good bet. Extensive list of wines by the glass, and gourmet bar snacks to boot.

FuLu Mandarin is popular for its authentic Sichuan and Cantonese dishes.

Back on Rokin, FuLu Mandarijn is justifiably popular for its authentic Sichuan and Cantonese dishes. It’s one of Amsterdam’s more upmarket Chinese restaurants.

The Amsterdam Museum showcases 1,000 years of the city's history.

Further south, St Luciensteeg lane cuts west across the Medieval Center back towards Estherea Hotel. Around halfway is the very worthwhile Amsterdam Museum, with entertaining interactive exhibits showcasing 1,000 years of city history, and plenty of dressing-up opportunities for kids.

Laundry Industry sells designer urbanwear.

Across the street, Laundry Industry is a renowned Dutch design house, selling urbanwear for men and women.

Lucius is a decades-old local seafood institution.

If you take Spuistraat north, you pass Lucius, a locally-beloved seafood institution since several decades.

Concrete sells clothes and shoes by local designers.

Further north is Concrete, great for locally-designed T-shirts, sneakers, and jeans. It hosts occasional street art exhibitions.

Café Schuim is popular with the younger crowd.

Approaching Dam square, Café Schuim is a grunge bar popular with younger Amsterdammers. Good outdoor terrace for people-watching.

The Nationaal Monument on Dam square is a popular tourist attraction.

Around the corner is 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 major 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 oak chancel and temporaty 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.

Breda is one of the city's most imaginative and classy restaurants.

If you take busy Raadhuisstraat west of Dam square towards the Anne Frank House and across Singel canal, half a block north along Singel’s west side is Breda, one of the most imaginative restaurants in the city, the higher-end sister to Guts & Glory (off Rembrandtplein), and a great place to bring a date. Reserve well ahead for the seasonal, multi-course tasting menus.

Anne Frank House is a very popular tourist attraction.

3 blocks west is the Anne Frank House, where her family hid from the Nazis during WWII. It’s one of Amsterdam’s most popular attractions, so book you ticket online to skip the lines.

The tram stop near the Anne Frank House connects to multiple areas across Amsterdam.

Just south of the Anne Frank House, you can catch a tram to the Medieval Center, Centraal Station, or Jordaan, and grab some tasty Belgian fries from the Wil Graanstra takeout beneath the Westerkerk church.

Pulitzer’s Bar is known for its excellent cocktails and canal-side terrace.

A block further south along Keizersgracht canal, Pulitzer’s Bar serves excellent cocktails, and has a great canal-side terrace.

The Amsterdam Watch Company sells limited edition timepieces.

Across the street, the Amsterdam Watch Company is the place to come for limited edition timepieces made by the likes of Christian van der Klaauw.

Mendo bookstore specializes in coffee table books on various subjects.

A block south, a narrow shopping street stretches across the 4 historic canals. Shops worth looking out for include the excellent Mendo bookstore, particularly strong on coffee table books on art, design, and architecture.

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

Marie Stella Maris is well-known for its eco-friendly beauty and skincare products.

Further south still, another shopping street, densely packed with fashion boutiques and independent stores, makes up part of the hip Nine Streets shopping neighborhood. Stores to look out for include Marie Stella Maris, with its locally-renowned beauty and skincare products with an eco-conscience.

Nearby, We Are Labels stocks hip streetwear by mbyM, Global Funk, Norr, and more.

Scotch & Soda is known for its chich streetwear.

Across the street, Scotch & Soda, the Amsterdam fashion label specializes in chic streetwear for men and women.

Zipper sells vintage dresses and zoot suits.

Next door, Zipper is a throwback to the past, with its vintage 1950’s dresses and zoot suits. Check rates and availability: Estheréa

Hotel Estheréa in Amsterdam

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