Grand Hotel Amrath Amsterdam

The Grand Hotel Amrâth Amsterdam is one of the city's top luxury hotels, and the building is half the reason to stay. It's a five-star hotel inside the Scheepvaarthuis (Shipping House), the brick-and-sculpture landmark on the harbor front just east of Centraal Station. If you want a special-occasion stay and you care about architecture, it's hard to beat. If you're hunting for a bargain, look elsewhere.

The building

The Scheepvaarthuis went up in 1913-1916, with an extension in 1926-1928, as the headquarters for six Amsterdam shipping companies. Johan van der Mey designed it, with Michel de Klerk and Piet Kramer working on it too, and it's regarded as the first real example of the Amsterdam School, the expressive local take on Art Nouveau. It became a national monument in 1972, the city's public transport company GVB used it as offices from 1983 to 2004, and the hotel opened in June 2007 after a big restoration (history via Wikipedia).

Inside you get stained glass, carved wood, wrought iron and nautical details everywhere, including in the stairwells. The hotel offers a historical tour of the building with Museum Het Schip, the Amsterdam School museum, which is the best way to see the parts you won't find on your own.

Rooms and facilities

According to the hotel's own site, there are 205 rooms, including 22 suites, decorated in the same Amsterdam School style as the building. Room categories run from Deluxe up through Superior Deluxe to the suites.

• Restaurant Seven Seas serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, and there's a bar-lounge.
• Spa and wellness: two saunas, an infrared sauna and an indoor pool under a starlit ceiling, free for hotel guests.
• Meeting rooms: eight, so expect business travelers midweek.

Prices

The 2008 rate card that used to be on this page (€470 for a deluxe room) tells you nothing now. Rates move with the season and with demand, and big events like King's Day and Amsterdam Dance Event push them up sharply. Check current prices on the hotel's website.

Two things to factor in: Amsterdam's tourist tax is 12.5% of the room price, and the Dutch VAT on hotel stays rose from 9% to 21% on 1 January 2026. On a five-star room, that adds up fast, so check whether the price you're quoted includes them.

Location and neighborhood

Prins Hendrikkade 108, 1011 AK Amsterdam

The hotel sits on the water about 500 meters east of Centraal Station, so it's ideal if you're arriving by train or plane. The train from Schiphol Airport to Centraal takes about 15 to 20 minutes, and from there it's a short walk along Prins Hendrikkade. If everything goes right, you could be in the lobby within an hour of landing. Our guide to getting from the airport to Centraal Station has the details.

The Red Light District starts just across the water, and the windows are only about five minutes' walk away. Don't let that put you off: the hotel is on a busy road, not in the party streets, and the Red Light District is the oldest and most historic part of the city. Nieuwmarkt, with its cafes and the old weigh house, is also a short walk.

This page used to say the hotel was next to the Stedelijk museum's temporary home. That was true in 2008, but the Stedelijk reopened on Museumplein in 2012. For sightseeing, the location is good but not perfect. Dam Square and the Royal Palace are about 15 minutes on foot, and the Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh Museum are a tram ride south from Centraal Station. If being near the big museums matters most to you, stay closer to Museumplein. If you want luxury and an easy trip to and from the airport, this place is hard to beat.

Is it worth it?

For a romantic trip, a milestone, or a business stay where the train connection matters, yes. The building alone makes it more memorable than most luxury chain hotels. For families on a budget or anyone who plans to be out all day and only sleep at the hotel, the money goes further elsewhere. Our Amsterdam hotels and unique hotels pages have more options.