Amsterdam’s best crash pads for work, play, or pleasure

After a long day spent wearing wooden shoes (as is customary in the Netherlands), you’re gonna need a nice spot to rest your weary head. Helping you cut through the clutter, we’ve narrowed down the city’s best sleep-spots to these quintessential six, to fit any category or budget conceivable (basically). 

The Okura Amsterdam
Hotel Okura Amsterdam

The business for business: The Okura
The Okura’s Pijp location, halfway between the tourist center and the business districts of the city’s South and East, offers the perfect perch to balance work and play. The hotel boasts a stately marble-rich interior to match its five-star service, a spa and fitness center with indoor pool, and gigantic conference facilities -- but nothing tops the Okura’s gastronomic portfolio: a two-Michelin-star French restaurant, the only Michelin-starred traditional Japanese resto outside Japan (!), bistro versions of each, an expansive garden terrace, and a 23rd-floor cocktail bar.

Qbic Amsterdam Hotel
Qbic

For a slightly more modest investment: Qbic
This budget pod place in the World Trade Center offers a taste of Tokyo in Amsterdam. The space and frills may be limited, but the hotel certainly hasn’t skimped on name-brand space-age design (Philippe Starck bathrooms, dude). Your Cubi’s cramped space got you down? Change the mood lighting. There's no restaurant, but the self-service stations stock fresh food from local bakeries and caterers.

Conservatorium Amsterdam
The Conservatorium Hotel

For having a baller time: Conservatorium
This relative newcomer in the wealthy Museum District may be conveniently near the party in Leidseplein, but it offers a mini city of slightly higher-brow entertainment right within its former-music-school walls. The center of the hotel is the vast glass-filled “atrium” lobby, branching out into the popular bar-brasserie, highly lauded Tunes restaurant, five-senses spa, and shopping arcade. Celebrating something? You’ll find the largest selection of Cuban cigars in the Netherlands in La Casa del Habano’s walk-in humidor.

St. Christopher's at The Winston Amsterdam
St. Christopher's at The Winston Amsterdam

Living it up for less: St. Christopher’s at the Winston
Technically part of the British St. Christopher’s chain of hostels, this party palace with trippy details (like open-lip urinals... yeah) is better known locally as The Winston. While private rooms with mind-bending color murals are available, the dorm rooms are one of the cheapest ways to do Amsterdam. Tourists from around this central ‘hood gather at Belushi’s, the hard-rocking lobby bar with ridiculous drink specials every day 11a-11p, while Winston Kingdom, the grungy club next door, lures late-night locals with blacklight paint fests, drum and bass parties, and live rock.

Breitner House Amsterdam
Breitner House

For some no-expense-spared romance: Breitner House
The two fresh-flower-strewn suites of this exclusive romantic enclave overflow with layers of details too rich to have been the subjects of namesake artist Breitner. So it should be, at these prices. But the owners spare no expense on a guest’s comfort, and every morning begins with a luxe homemade Champagne breakfast. 

Lloyd Hotel Amsterdam
Lloyd Hotel Amsterdam

For pleasing both your lady and your wallet: The Lloyd Hotel
The Lloyd is awesome for two reasons: its choice of one-star to five-star rooms (ratings mostly based on space) w/ individualized décor, and its regular lineup of music, art, and other cool cultural stuff. Other bonuses are its sweet harbor views, and the well-reviewed café downstairs. Part of The Lloyd’s charm is its location in the watery environs of north-eastern island Zeeburg, but if you really must be front and city center, closely linked sister hotel The Exchange (“the hotel with rooms dressed like models”) will happily oblige.