Where to Stay and What to Do in Amsterdam

Seven One Seven brings you as close as you can get to the experience of living in a stately Amsterdam canal house without actually owning one - the place to come if you really want to give yourself a treat. The rear part of the property dates from the 17th century, its elegant canal frontage being added in 1810. All very grand, yet with a homely, domestic touch - this even runs to afternoon tea laid out in the library, and an evening glass or two of wine. The hotel operates an all-in policy (room rates include all of the aforementioned), so there is no sordid scrabbling for coin or signing of chits.Double rooms from £250.

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Seven One Seven, Amsterdam The best hotels in Amsterdam On an attractive stretch of canal within the central canal belt, just around the corner from the Negen Straatjes shopping area, within walking distance of the Dam and Royal Palace, and on the edge of the Jordaan (a pretty quarter, known for its restaurants, boutiques and cafés). Luscious fabrics, deep purples, rich colours, soft chairs, dark carved wood, subtle lighting and chandeliers. Mysterious and womb-like, The Toren is set in a couple of grand canal houses, and seems to suck you back into another world the moment you step through the door. Here and there original features remain - a painted ceiling, carved wainscoting, stucco moulding. There are zany touches, too: crocodile-skin and faux corrugated-zinc wallpaper alongside the flock and damask.Double rooms from £115.

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Hotel Toren, Amsterdam On one of Amsterdam's oldest canals, in the heart of the Negen Straatjes - the 'Nine Little Streets', a hip shopping, café and restaurant quarter. Old Amsterdam meets opera-set bordello. Patterns on every fabric, different paper on every wall. Fake cherry blossom, real orchids, and crystal chandeliers with frilly shades, fill three adjoining canal houses. There are more than 90 rooms, of varying sizes and with different décor. One is done up floor to ceiling in Delftware blue and white; another panelled and draped in russets and browns. Most have bold wallpaper, piles of cushions, comfy sofas or armchairs. They are not huge, but are roomy enough by Amsterdam standards, with period flourishes (crystal chandelier and four-poster beds), and quirky Amsterdam references.Double rooms from £110.

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Hotel Estherea, Amsterdam Top 10: the best boutique hotels in Amsterdam Seven Bridges enjoys one of the most beautiful locations in town with (as you might have guessed) a view of seven bridges at the intersection of two canals. The hotel is a showcase of antiques. We're talking the real stuff - a rare Dutch Empire récamier in Reception, up a 15th-century oak staircase, in the bedrooms, that priceless little Louis XVI table, a Baroque commode, here an elegant piece of Biedermeyer, there a touch of Art Deco - all done with exquisite taste and care, and an eye for authenticity. Breakfast is served in the rooms on prime porcelain. The best rooms are those with canal views, though the ones at street level can be noisy. The owners are quite upfront about this when you book, as they are about rooms where access is by precipitous stairway.Double rooms from £75.

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Seven Bridges Hotel, Amsterdam Brouwer occupies a spot on one of the main canals, right in the heart of town, is convenient for nightlife, shopping, museums... pretty much anything you want to do in Amsterdam. Owned by the same family for three generations, Hotel Brouwer was closed for much of the 1990s, getting a major refit. A warren of 20 rooms became more spacious accommodation with just eight bedrooms, each with bathroom en suite (an idea unheard of in earlier days), and the 17th-century canal-house façade was restored to its former elegance. Great for that busy short break, when you are going to be popping in and out, dropping off shopping or that museum poster, picking up another jersey, or having a quick shower-and-change before heading out again for dinner.Double rooms from £95.

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Hotel Brouwer, Amsterdam Top 10: romantic hotels in Amsterdam Rembrandt bought this grand house on the edge of the Jewish Quarter in 1639, when he was at the height of his wealth and fame. (He is said to have been fascinated by Hebrew culture, and preferred Jewish models for his religious painting.) The building has been carefully restored, using old plans and descriptions, and I love it for its authentic atmosphere. Even the reconstructed studio (a concept often tritely carried out) is superbly done. The museum holds a considerable collection of Rembrandt etchings. My own favourites are a series of tiny self-portraits of the painter pulling funny faces (00 31 20 520 0400; rembrandthuis.nl ).

A portrait of Greetje, the owner's mother, smiles out at you from the wall. And most contented she would be, could she see what was happening in her name. Greetje harks back to good, traditional values in Dutch cooking, to a world of pure ingredients and forgotten flavours, but often with a cheeky twist. Think sea bass with elderflower sauce and creamed oats. Greetje's Big Beginning is a must - a magnificent tier of all manner of starters: delicately smoked Volendam eel, Limburg cave mushroom soup, and more. Puddings bring a shine of childhood nostalgia to Dutch diners' eyes (00 31 20 779 7450; restaurantgreetje.nl ).

The best hotels in Amsterdam White walls, light woods, high ceilings and minimalist design combine with huge windows overlooking the Amstel River, and a terrace jutting out over the water. De Jaren is a longstanding networking venue for arts and media folk, and heaves at cocktail hour, but I love it most on a sunny day, when you can moor a boat alongside for a drink on the terrace. It's also great for whiling away a rainy afternoon, in a basket chair or at the long reading table. Upstairs, in the evenings, there's a well-stocked salad bar (rare in Amsterdam), as well as affordable fuller meals (00 31 20 625 5771; cafedejaren.nl ).

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