Kimpton De Witt Amsterdam by IHG

We recommend the Kimpton De Witt to business travellers who want character rather than a standard business hotel, and to thirty-to-forty-something couples sensitive to design without mannerism. Families appreciate the connecting rooms and flexible children’s policy (baby cot, high chair on request). The clientele mixes Americans accustomed to the Kimpton brand, Europeans on city breaks, some MICE groups during the week.

The main building, a listed historic monument, dates from 1652 and served as a warehouse for the Dutch East India Company. Concrete has preserved the gabled façades, oak beams, 17th-century brick walls, while inserting contemporary steel and glass volumes. The two other buildings (late 19th century and 1980s) have been harmonised with shared materials: terrazzo, brass, smoked oak. The ensemble totals 274 rooms spread over six floors, with lifts and glazed interior walkways.

The Wyers Bar & Restaurant occupies the ground floor, open from 7am to midnight, contemporary Dutch cuisine by chef Dennis Huwaë (local products, Asian influences). The continental buffet breakfast is generous, with marinated herring, farm cheeses, Bakkerij Hartog breads. The bar serves signature cocktails (Dutch gin, genever) and offers a daily social hour from 5pm to 6pm with free wine and beer, Kimpton tradition. Room service available until 11pm, reduced but effective menu.

The Kimpton De Witt stands on Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal, artery parallel to the Damrak, between the central station (3 min on foot) and Dam Square (5 min). The Red Light District starts 200 metres away, the Jordaan ten minutes off, the museums (Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh) twenty minutes by tram. Tram lines 4/14/24 stop in front of the hotel, Schiphol 25 minutes by direct train from Centraal. The neighbourhood is lively day and night, noisy on the street side at weekends, but the double glazing filters well.