SD › Amsterdam › Hotels › NH Collection Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky Review
Updated: May 3, 2021
Essentials
• Location: Dam square.
• Hotel website: nh-collection.com
• Hotel phone: +31-(0)20-544-9111
• Check prices on Booking.com
Facing Dam Square, this historical hotel is renowned for its Art Deco style, elegant and opulent rooms, Michelin-starred restaurant, and excellent bar.
NH Collection Amsterdam Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky – One of Amsterdam’s grand dame hotels, right on the main square.
Landmark hotel right on Amsterdam’s main square, founded as a coffee shop by a tailor in the 1860’s and expanded since then. Rooms are simple and elegant: all clean lines and a white, grey, and maroon color scheme, all with espresso makers. Sizable bathrooms come with rain showers. The on-site dining ranks among the city’s best, service is efficient and professional, and the location is second to none.
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NH Collection Amsterdam Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky – Location
- Area: Center-stage location right on bustling Dam Square, directly opposite the Royal Palace. Attractions, bars, and restaurants in the Medieval Center and Red Light District are just minutes away on foot, the historic Canal Belt is a 5-minute walk (500m) away, and the Museum Quarter is a 15-minute tram ride (2 km) away. The nearest tram stop is a minute’s stroll (100m) away.
- Address: Dam 9.
- Nearest Transport: Bus & Tram – Dam (100m), Metro – Rokin (500m).
- How to Get There: Take the train from Schiphol Airport to Centraal Station, then the tram (4, 9, 16, 24, 25) to Dam stop, 1 minute’s walk (100m) 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: The Royal Palace, Dam Square, Amsterdam Museum.
NH Collection Amsterdam Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky – The Basics
- Ages: The hotel is popular with couples and families on a city break, as well as business travelers. Children are welcome. Bar The Tailor is 18+.
- View: Some rooms overlook Dam Square; the rooms and suites higher up look over the Red Light District, whereas others face inner courtyards.
- Private Pools/Jacuzzis: The Royal and Presidential suites come with jacuzzis.
- Laundry: In-room laundry service.
- Parking: Parking available onsite; €50 per day.
- Extras: Multilingual staff are extremely well-informed and helpful. Private rooms are available for weddings and other events.
- 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)20-544-9111
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: nh-collection.com
NH Collection Amsterdam Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky – Amenities
- Pool: No pool.
- Spa: No spa.
- Fitness Center: Fully-equipped fitness center.
- For Disabled Guests: Wheelchair accessibility throughout the hotel, plus elevators with Braille.
- For Families: Cots, strollers, and babysitting services available on request, and there’s a children’s menu both at breakfast and at Grand Café Krasnapolsky.
NH Collection Amsterdam Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky – Food and Drink
- Restaurants: Overseen by one of the Netherlands’ top Michelin-starred chefs, The White Room (noon-1.30pm Thursday to Saturday, 6pm-10pm Tuesday to Saturday) serves delicate, beautifully-presented, globally-inspired fare against a backdrop of white stucco and chandeliers. Reservations essential. $$$$. • Grand Café Krasnapolsky (10.30am-10.30pm) is the hotel’s informal brasserie option, complete with children’s menu, fantastic cakes, and terrific views of the Dam Square. $$.
- Lounge/Bar: Bar The Tailor, named after the original profession of the hotel’s founder, and overseen by world-renowned mixologist Tess Posthumus, the creator of highly original cocktails; try “Cuban Mist”. Open until 1am (until midnight on Sundays).
- Breakfast: Not complimentary. Extensive breakfast buffet available from 6.30am-10.30am (until noon on Sunday), complete with children’s dishes, in the frescoed 19th-century Winter Garden, complete with Victorian chandeliers and greenhouse roof; €35 per person.
- Room Service: Available 24/7.
NH Collection Amsterdan Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky – Rooms
- Room Types: Superior Single • Superior Room • Superior Room with View • Premium Room • Premium Room with View • Premium Room with View and Terrace • Premium Triple Room • Premium Room XL • Premium Room XL with View • Family Quadruple Room • Suite • Suite with View • Royal Suite with Dam View • Presidential Suite with View and Terrace • Apartment • List of all Rooms
- Smoking Rooms: NH Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky is 100% smoke-free.
- Best Room: The split-level Presidential Suite looks out over the rooftops of the Red Light District and the Oudezijds Voorburgival canal, and has a private rooftop terrace, as well as a bubble bath in 1 of its 2 bathrooms.
- For Families: There are family rooms with 2 king beds apiece, some of the Premium rooms come with an extra bed, the Presidential Suite has 2 bedrooms with a king-sized bed apiece, and all rooms can accommodate baby cribs.
NH Collection Amsterdam Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky – Local Transport
- Walking: Easy walking distance to Anne Frank House, Museum Quarter, attractions in the Medieval Center and the Red Light District, Nine Streets shopping neighborhood. Numerous restaurants, bars, and shops within a few minutes’ walk.
- Tram: Direct tram connections from the Dam stop to Centraal Station, southern canal ring and Leidseplein, plus 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.
NH Collection Amsterdam Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky – What’s Nearby?
Recommended Nearby Tours
- Offbeat Amsterdam: Amsterdam Red Light District Tours – Several options of Red Light District walking tour – with a group, with a private guide, and with exclusive private guides who’ve worked in the sex industry for decades. Start location: Dam Square (100m).
- Prostitution Information Center – Fascinating information center where you get the answers to everything you’ve ever wanted to know about Amsterdam’s prostitution industry. Hour-long walking tours (€15 per person) depart from here at 5pm on Saturdays. Start location: 400m.
- Rederij Kooij – Private canal tours in a vintage wooden boat. Start location: 500m.
- Stromma – Open boat canal tours, hop-on, hop-off boats, and 100 Highlights canal cruise. Start location: 600m.
- That Dam Guide – Intimate, small-group, 2-hour tours that provide an excellent all-round view of the sex industry. Guides explain Amsterdam’s laws and working conditions, and point out the good and bad sex shops, peep shops, live theaters, and strip clubs. Start location: 700m.
- Amsterdam City Tours – Coach tours depart for the Keukenhof flower gardens and Zaanse Schans windmills from the I Amsterdam tourist office. Start location: 1 km.
- Lovers Canal Cruises – Hour-long, small boat canal cruises depart from the dock near the Anne Frank House. Start location: 1 km.
- Blue Boat Company – Open-boat cruises, themed kids’ cruises, evening cruises, and Hard Rock burger cruises. Start location: 2 km.
Best Nearby Restaurants
- Van Kerkwijk – Intimate, subtly-lit little place with a daily changing menu of French classics, Moroccan tajines, curries, and other internationally-inspired dishes. (150m).
- 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. (200m).
- Mappa – Solid, no-nonsense Italian food: homemade pizza and ravioli, plus an excellent wine list of tipples from small producers. (250m).
- TER Steakhouse – Prime cuts of meat seared to your specifications. Dinner bookings advisable. (300m).
- Ivy & Bros – Inexpensive breakfasts, good coffee, and beautifully presented salads. (300m).
- Upstairs Pannenkoekenhuis – Traditional Dutch pancakes in tiny 16th-century house, sampled by Anthony Bourdain in The Layover. Reserve ahead, as there are only 4 tables. (400m).
- 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. (500m).
Best Nearby Bars and Breweries
- Bubbles & Wines – This sleek wine bar attracts a lively, stylish clientele with its 50+ wines and champagnes by the glass, and superb bar snacks. (150m).
- Café Oporto – This pint-sized brown café has friendly staff, football on TV, inexpensive beer, and a great location near Dam square. (250m).
- Café Belgique – Chilled-out Belgian beer bar, with 8 brews on tap at the carved wooden bar, and many more bottled options. (250m).
- De Drie Fleschjes – Characterful 17th-century tasting house that specializes in liqueurs and jenevers. The accompanying snack of choice here is meatballs. (300m).
- Bierfabriek Amsterdam – Hip, brasserie-style microbrewery with private tap tables, 4 own brews on tap, and an accompaniment of rustic dishes. (300m).
- The Tara – Maze-like Irish pub that’s a big expat favorite. Good for catching football on the big screen. (300m).
- Café Schuim – Mural-bedecked grungy bar that gets seriously packed on weekends, and in the evenings. Younger crowd. (400m).
- Café de Dokter – Amsterdam’s smallest pub, run by the descendants of the doctor who founded it in 1798. Expect candlelight, chandeliers, and atmospheric bric-a-brac, plus good whiskies and beer. (600m).
Nearby Shopping and Cool Shops
- De Bierkoning – Over 1,500 bottled beers from the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, and the UK. (300m).
- Old Amsterdam Cheese Store – Central branch of the famous cheese store. Get your Gouda goodies here. (300m).
- Magna Plaza – Upmarket shopping mall, best for fashion, jewelry, and souvenirs. (500m).
- By Popular Demand – Quirky, original gifts in the form of cool gadgets and hard-to-find home decor. (400m).
- Hans Appenzeller – Local jewelry designer; original designs in gold and stone. (400m).
- 3D Hologrammen – Holographic art, jewelry, and homeware. (400m).
- Concrete – Locally-designed t-shirts, trainers, and jeans. Also doubles as an exhibition space for street art and photography. (500m).
- PGC Hajenius – Art deco tobacco emporium with private humidors and sumptuous smoking lounge. (500m).
- Laundry Industry – Urban wear for men and women by the eponymous Dutch design house. (500m).
- Mark Raven Amsterdam Art – Mark Raven’s city scapes, posters, and t-shirt art. (600m).
- Magic Mushroom Gallery – Branch of a popular smart shop chain, good for herbal ecstasy, ‘shrooms, marijuana, and accessories. (600m).
NH Collection Amsterdam Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky – The Hotel
An extensive breakfast buffet is served in the 19th-century Winter Garden from 6.30am to 10.30 am (noon on Sundays).
There’s a comfortable Art Deco-style guest lounge in the lobby.
Grand Café Krasnapolsky is open from 10.30am to 10.30pm for light brasserie dishes, kids’ meals, coffee, and cake, with views of Dam Square.
The White Room (noon-1.30pm Thursday to Saturday, 6pm-10pm Tuesday to Saturday) serves Michelin-starred, beautifully-presented, globally-inspired fare. Reservations essential.
Equally popular with locals and guests, Bar The Tailor (open until 1am; until midnight on Sundays) is run by a world-renowned mixologist, and her signature cocktail is “Cuban Mist”.
Superior rooms come with or without views of Dam Square (without is quieter), and standard amenities such as satellite TV, minibar, and either a bath or rain shower.
Premium rooms also look out either over the back of the hotel or the square; it’s not really worth splashing out extra for the view unless you go for a Premium room with terrace overlooking the square, on the top floor only.
Like Premium rooms, Premium XL rooms can accommodate an extra bed, and some come with views of Dam Square.
The Suites are located in the quietest part of the hotel, ideal for light sleepers, but without a view. Bathrooms come with tubs as well as rain showers.
The split-level Presidential Suite has 2 separate bedrooms on the 2 floors, and a spacious living and dining area.
One of the Presidential Suite bedrooms has lofty views of Amsterdam’s rooftops.
Dam square is Central Amsterdam’s busiest square, filled with visitors and buskers, and home to the Nationaal Monument, dedicated to WWII’s fallen.
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.
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.
On the corner of the square, the Amsterdam branch of Madame Tussaud’s is the place to take selfies with wax figures of royalty and celebrities, if that’s your thing.
Directly behind the Royal Palace, on the busy Niewezijds Voorburgwal thoroughfare, is the Magna Plaza, a grand, upmarket shopping center filled with jewelry shops and fashion boutiques.
A block north, the central branch of Mark Raven Amsterdam Art sells posters of Amsterdam cityscapes and t-shirts adorned with Amsterdam scenery.
Next door to the Magna Plaza is By Popular Demand, an original gift store that stands out among numerous tacky souvenir shops in the Medieval Center. Come here for cool gadgets and homeware.
Heading south from the Magna Plaza, busy Spuistraat is dotted with restaurants, bars, and a few shops. On the corner, just southwest of the Royal Palace, De Bierkoning is an excellent place to stock up on craft beers sourced both locally and elsewhere in Europe.
Around the corner, the grungy Café Schuim is very much part of the younger local scene in contrast to largely touristy bars that cluster around nearby Spui square.
Further south, Concrete occasionally hosts street art exhibitions, and sells casual urbanwear: locally designed t-shirts, sneakers, and jeans.
Across the street, Lucius has been a local institution for over 40 years. Refined seafood dishes, romantic ambience. Reservations highly recommended.
While most smart shops selling herbal highs are concentrated in the streets near Centraal Station and in the Red Light District, Magic Mushroom along this stretch of Spuistraat is recommended for its range of marijuana, magic truffles, and accessories.
A block east along St Lucienstraat, Laundry Industry is the most central branch of the Dutch design house specializing in urban wear for men and women.
Right nearby, the Amsterdam Museum is an entertaining romp through 1,000 years of city history, complete with hands-on exhibits, and dressing up opportunities for kids.
At its southern end, Spuistraat ends in 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 tiny medieval lanes just north of Spui hide numerous atmospheric bars. Café de Dokter is a tiny 18th-century pub – Amsterdam’s smallest – decked out with eclectic antiques, and good for a beer or whisky (if you can squeeze in).
Just east of Spui, the wide Rokin canal is busy with canal cruise boats during the day.
On the east side of the canal, the Allard Pierson Museum houses a superb archaeological collection, from ancient Greek ceramics and an Egyptian mummy to early Mesopotamian artifacts.
Just north of the museum, and facing the narrow Grimburgwal canal, the Upstairs Pannenkoekenhuis is arguably the best place in town to try traditional Dutch pancakes (Anthony Bourdain thought so). It’s inside a tiny 16th-century house, so reserve ahead.
Directly opposite, you can browse original gold jewelry designs at Hans Appenzeller. Or check out 3D holographic art and jewelry next door.
From here, narrow Nez street, dotted with alternative theaters, runs back to Dam square. There’s a good microbrewery here too: Bier Fabriek has private tap tables, and rustic dishes to accompany its brews.
A little way up the street, Mappa serves solid Italian dishes, accompanied by Italian wines from small producers.
Nearer Dam is Van Kerkwijk with its daily changing menu of Moroccan tagines, French dishes, and more.
Nearby, Bubbles & Wines surpasses most Amsterdam bars when it comes to sheer class: it’s a stylish place with dozens of wines and champagnes by the glass, and superb bar snacks to match.
Rokin, the Medieval Center’s main thoroughfare, runs parallel to Nez. Near Spui square, PGC Hajenius is a tobacco emporium that’s worth a peek for its art deco interior. Buy your cigars here, and try them in a private humidor.
Next door, The Tara is one of the city’s most popular Irish pubs, attracting a large expat and visitor crowd. Good for catching the game on the big screen.
Closer to Dam, FuLu Mandarijn is a smart, mid-range Chinese option, with an extensive menu of authentic Sichuan and Cantonese dishes.
North of Dam square, the Damrak thoroughfare takes you all the way to Centraal Station. Just north of the square, Café Oporto is an informal brown café popular with both visitors and locals, good for a beer and watching football on TV.
Branching off to the east, tiny Zoutstraat lane is home to several characterful bars. De Drie Fleschjes, a 17th-century tasting house, is the best place in central Amsterdam to sample a wide range of jenevers and other local liqueurs.
A little further west, Café Belgique is a local favorite for Belgian beers, with 8 brews on tap, many more bottled ones, and a good little people-watching terrace.
Most shops along Damrak are heavily geared towards tourists. So is the Old Amsterdam Cheese Store, but it’s still an excellent place to pick up a range of Dutch cheeses as souvenirs.
Just off Damrak is the dock for most canal cruise boat companies. Have a look at a few, since some offer open-boat and small group tours that can explore the narrow, less well-trodden canals, while others have large boats that may only navigate the main canals.
Across the street from the boat dock, Sexmuseum Amsterdam is the most entertaining of the city’s erotic museums, with several floors of the world’s earliest nude photos, X-rated ceramics through the ages, mannequins recreating scenes from the Red Light District, and more. Over-18s only.
Behind the hotel, Damstraat runs east towards the Red Light District. Just before Oudezijds Voorburgwal canal, TER Steakhouse has a solid reputation for its expertly-grilled cuts of meat.
A block east, the Hash, Marijuana & Hemp Gallery has entertaining exhibits on hemp art, marijuana cultivation, and the use of the ‘holy herb’ in religion.
North along Oudezijds Voorburgwal canal, Ivy & Bros makes for an excellent lunch, breakfast, or coffee spot, with its imaginative salads and hearty breakfasts.
The Oudezijds Voorburgwal canal is particularly picturesque, with the St Nicolaaskerk visible in the distance.
A little further north and facing one of Amsterdam’s oldest churches is Anna, a modern Dutch restaurant that pairs imaginative dishes with global and organic wines.
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