The Hoxton Hotel in Amsterdam

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Updated: November 10, 2020

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Review of The Hoxton Hotel in Amsterdam.

The Hoxton Amsterdam – Amsterdam branch of hip London hotel in the historic canal ring.

The first Hoxton outside London encompasses five historic houses overlooking Amsterdam’s grandest canal. The decor is retro mixed with contemporary cool, and Escher-style carpets lead you to an assortment of rooms that come in all shapes and sizes, divided into tongue-in-cheek Shoebox, Cosy, and Roomy. All come with really comfortable beds, a lot of dark wood and leather, copper accents, and a blend of old-school features (1980’s phones, vintage alarm clocks), retro-style Roberts radios, and quirky contemporary furnishings (hexagonal mirrors, abstract brass-wire lampshades). Generously-sized bathrooms feature walk-in rain showers, signature Pen + Ink toiletries, and large sinks. There’s excellent, informal on-site dining, a friendly neighborhood bar, and wonderfully helpful service.

The Hoxton Amsterdam – Location

  • Address: Herengracht 255, 1016 BJ Amsterdam.
  • Nearest Tram: Westermarkt or Dam.
  • Area: On a quiet street, overlooking Herengracht canal in the Unesco World Heritage canal ring, and part of the hip Nine Streets neighborhood. Numerous boutiques, bars, and dining options nearby. Lively Jordaan district, Anne Frank House, and Dam Square are just a few minutes on foot, and the Museum Quarter is 6 minutes away by bike or 17 minutes by tram. Convenient connections to the Medieval Center and Centraal Station from the nearest tram stops.
  • How to Get There: Take the train from Schiphol Airport to Centraal Station, then tram #13 to the Westermarkt stop (5-minute walk), or tram #2 to Dam (3-minute walk), both close to the hotel.
  • Handy to: Anne Frank House, Nine Streets, historic canal ring, Dam Square.

The Hoxton Amsterdam – The Basics

  • Ages: Guests are a youthful mix of couples and friends on a city break, and business travelers. Children are welcome, though the hotel has an adult feel to it.
  • View: Over half of all the rooms overlook the Herengracht canal.
  • Private Pools/Jacuzzis: No private pools/jacuzzi.
  • Laundry: In-room laundry service.
  • Extras: Bicycles available for guest use. The reception sells snacks at supermarket price. Guests get free mineral water daily and an hour’s free calls to anywhere in the world.
  • 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: 020-888-5555
  • Email: book.amsterdam@thehox.com
  • Website: thehoxton.com

The Hoxton Amsterdam – Amenities

  • Pool: No pool.
  • Spa: No spa.
  • Fitness Center: No fitness center.
  • For Disabled Guests: Not suitable for disabled travelers.
  • For Families: Baby cots can be requested in advance.

The Hoxton Amsterdam – Food and Drink

  • Restaurants: Open all day, Lotti’s serves internationally-inspired brasserie-style dishes that use local ingredients: expect ribeye with fries, homemade burgers, grilled plaice with artichoke, all-day breakfasts, and weekend brunches. • $$.
  • Lounge/Bar: The buzzy reception area and lounge – decked out with scuffed leather sofas, vintage 1950’s and 1970’s furnishings, and works by contemporary artists – is extremely popular with guests and Amsterdammers alike. The bar does an excellent Soho Mule and jenever-based cocktails, and there’s a quieter mezzanine area with armchairs and communal tables for laptops.
  • Breakfast: A complimentary breakfast bag with yogurt, orange juice, granola, and a banana is brought to the rooms in the morning. Lotti’s serves more substantial breakfast options such as pancakes with fresh berries, avo poached eggs, and full English breakfasts.
  • Room Service: Room service is available from Lotti’s.

The Hoxton Amsterdam – Rooms

  • Room Types: Single • Double • Double with River View • Deluxe King • Deluxe King with River View • Concept Room
  • Smoking Rooms: The Hoxton is 100% smoke-free.
  • Best Room: The 3 Concept rooms (which cannot be booked, only requested) have their own character. Cosy Tubby, up in the loft, is the only room with a standalone bathtub next to the bed. Fruity comes with a fireplace and superb canal views, while opulent Floral has hidden doors in the wood-paneled walls and golden mosaic ceilings in the bathroom.
  • For Families: There are several interconnecting rooms.

The Hoxton Amsterdam – Local Transport

  • Walking: Lively Jordaan district, 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 20 minutes on foot.
  • Tram: From the nearby Westermarkt stop, trams run to Centraal Station via the Medieval Center. To head south towards Leidseplein and the Museum Quarter, catch a tram from the nearby Dam stop.
  • 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.

The Hoxton Amsterdam – 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: 6-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: 7-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: 7-minute walk.
  • Lovers Canal Cruises – Hour-long small boat canal cruises depart from the dock near the Anne Frank House. Start location: 8-minute walk.

Best Nearby Restaurants

  • Haesje Claes – Low ceilings, dark-wood furniture, and Dutch classics – from smoked fish platters to stamppot (potatoes mashed with vegetables). 4-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. 4-minute walk.
  • 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. 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. 5-minute walk.
  • Restaurant De Struisvogel – Basement restaurant specializing in French-inspired dishes. 5-minute walk.
  • Koh-I-Noor – Established Indian restaurant specializing in tandoori dishes and curries. 5-minute walk.
  • Bistro Bij Ons – Homestyle Dutch dishes such as stamppot (potatoes mashed with sausage and vegetables) and poffertjes (pancakes with butter and sugar). 6-minute walk.
  • OCCO Bar & Brasserie – Modern European dishes, plus excellent gin-based cocktails. 6-minute walk.
  • Vinkeles – Michelin-starred French fine dining inside an atmospheric 18th-century bakery. Reserve well ahead. 6-minute walk.

Best Nearby Bars and Breweries

  • Pulitzer’s Bar – Stylish art deco cocktail bar inside the eponymous hotel. Classic cocktails as well as expertly-mixed signature drinks. 3-minute walk.
  • Café Schuim – Mural-bedecked grungy bar that gets seriously packed on weekends and in the evenings. Younger crowd. 3-minute walk.
  • De Admiraal – Amsterdam’s largest traditional tasting house, with 16 jenevers and 60 liqueurs. 3-minute walk.
  • Café Hoppe – Centuries-old, wood-paneled brown café attached to a modern pub with terrace. 6-minute walk.
  • De Doffer – Informal, 70’s-style café and bar, popular with students and artists. Inexpensive beer and food. 7-minute walk.
  • Flying Dutchmen Cocktails – Tiny cocktail bar with award-winning bartenders and killer signature cocktails. Try the Flying Dutchman. 7-minute walk.
  • ‘t Arendsnest – Dutch beer only: almost 200 bottled brews, and 30 on tap. Choose between the canal-side terrace, or the gorgeous brown café interior, complete with copper jenever boilers. 8-minute walk.

Nearby Shopping and Cool Shops

Nearby Market or Grocery

The Hoxton Amsterdam – The Hotel

The hotel lounge is a popular place to hangout at.

The lobby doubles as a lounge and popular hangout area for Amsterdammers and guests alike.

On-site Lotti's bistro is a popular brunch spot.

On-site bistro Lotti’s is open from 7 am until late for all-day breakfasts and internationally-inspired brasserie dishes; it’s a popular brunch spot for locals.

The mezzanine floor hosts the quiet bar and lounge.

Upstairs from the lobby is the quiet mezzanine area where guests and visitors like to bring their laptops; the bar is known for its excellent Soho Mule and jenever-based cocktails.

Solo travelers prefer the compact but utilitarian Shoebox singles.

The smallest of the rooms – Shoebox singles – are popular with solo travelers and come with work desks and walk-in power showers in the bathrooms.

The double Cozy Rooms have unique shapes and sizes.

The Cozy rooms – the doubles – come in a variety of shapes and sizes; it’s worth spending a bit extra on one with a canal view.

All rooms have a work desk.

Work desks are a standard feature in all the rooms.

All bathrooms have rain showers.

All bathrooms come with rain showers.

The Deluxe King rooms are spacious, and some have canal views.

The Roomy rooms – the Deluxe Kings – also come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Half look out over the canal and the view is worth the extra money.

The hotel reception sells snacks at supermarket price.

While some of the rooms don’t have minibars, the reception sells snacks at supermarket price.

The attic Tubby room has a freestanding tub in the bedroom.

Of the 3 “concept rooms”, Tubby is the characterful attic room with a freestanding tub next to the bed.

The Floral concept room can only be requested, not booked.

Another “concept room”, Floral, comes with ceiling frescoes and an original converted fireplace. “Concept rooms” may not be booked: you can only request the one you’d like.

The Floral room has twin rain showers.

The Floral “concept room” bathroom comes with twin rain showers.

Dam Square is Amsterdam's busiest square, and features the Nationaal Monument.

Around 3 blocks east of the hotel 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 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.

Café Schuim is favored mostly by the younger crowd.

Running south from Dam, Spuistraat is dotted with good bars, shops, and restaurants. Café Schuim is a grungy bar popular with younger Amsterdammers.

Concrete hosts street art exhibitions, and sells casual urbanwear.

Just off Spuistraat, Concrete sells locally-designed funky street wear and doubles as an occasional exhibition space for street art.

Lucius is renowned since decades for its seafood.

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

Haesje Claes is known for its traditional Dutch dishes, smoked fish, and seafood platters.

Nearby, Haesje Claes is an atmospheric warren of rooms with low ceilings and generous portions of Dutch classics. The smoked fish platters are excellent.

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

Further down the street, D’Vijff Vliegen serves imaginative modern Dutch dishes in an atmospheric 17th-century canal house setting; book ahead.

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

At the southern end of the street 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 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.

The Flying Dutchmen is renowned for its signature cocktails.

Across the Singel canal from Spui, and around a block south 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.

Scotch & Soda specializes in chic street wear.

Stretching west from Spui is one of the main shopping streets that make up the trendy Nine Streets neighborhood. Boutiques to look out for include Scotch & Soda, the Amsterdam fashion label specializing in chic street wear for men and women.

We Are Labels specializes in street wear.

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

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 funky, 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 denimwear 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.

The cozy Michelin-starred Vinkeles serves good French dishes.

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.

Bar Brasserie OCCO has a menu of gin and VirGin cocktails.

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.

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

A block north from the Denham store, another 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.

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.

Just along the Herengracht canal, De Admiraal is one of the best places in the city to taste a variety of jenevers and other local spirits. Great outdoor terrace.

The Amsterdam Watch Company sells limited edition timepieces.

A short walk west from the hotel, across Keizersgracht canal, the Amsterdam Watch Company is the place to come for limited edition timepieces made by the likes of Christian van der Klaauw.

Pulitzer’s Bar serves excellent cocktails by the canal.

Just north of the bridge across the canal, Pulizer’s Bar serves excellent cocktails and has a great canal-side terrace.

Wil Graanstra under the Westerkerk Church is very popular.

A block north is busy Raadhuisstraat, where you can catch a tram to the Medieval Center and Centraal Station and grab some tasty Belgian fries from the Wil Graanstra takeout beneath the church.

Koh-i-Noor is a local favorite for its curries and North Indian dishes.

Across the street is Koh-i-Noor, a curry house that’s been a neighborhood fixture for years.

Bistro Bij Ons serves large portions of hearty Dutch classics.

Around the corner is Bistro Bij Ons, a no-nonsense spot for hearty Dutch food. Large potions.

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

Just north of Westermarkt 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 your ticket online to skip the lines.

Torensluis square is by the Singel canal, and leads to the historic canal ring.

Half a block north of the Anne Frank House, Leliegracht leads east to the tiny Torensluis square that overlooks the Singel canal.

Puccini Bomboni specializes in the city's best handmade chocolates.

There are 2 worthwhile shops facing Torensluis: 1 is a branch of Puccini Bomboni selling some of Amsterdam’s best handmade chocolates.

Reypenaer Cheese Tasting offers cheese tastings in its cellar.

Across the street is the Reypenaer Cheese Tasting; there are cheese shops with a wider range of Dutch cheeses, but this place does regular cheese tastings in the cellar (book ahead).

Amsterdam Duck Store specializes in novelty rubber ducks.

A short walk west is the Amsterdam Duck Store; novelty rubber ducks range from Harry Potter and Madonna to Game of Thrones characters.

‘t Arendsnest serves 200+ bottled and 30+ on tap Dutch beers.

A block north along Herengracht canal, ‘t Arendsnest is the perfect haunt for beer lovers: it serves over 200 Dutch bottled beers, over 30 on tap, and has both an atmospheric interior and a wonderful canal-side terrace.

Breda offers imaginative, seasonal, multi-course tasting menus.

Just south of Torensluis 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.

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