De L'Europe

An 18th-century hotel with a radical late-19th-century overhaul and expansion, De L'Europe retains its historical gravitas while offering state-of-the-art modern facilities and designer detail, particularly in the wake of a €65m upgrade and reinvention completed in 2011, designating itself a "guardian of local culture and craftmanship". The main building houses 88 rooms and suites — all elegant, cool and swish — 23 "uniquely appointed, spacious loft-like quarters" are to be had in the Dutch Masters wing — an annex opened in 2010, formerly a bank. Each room in the wing features a replica of a painting from the Rijksmuseum. The Michelin-starred Hoofstad Brasserie and cocktail-friendly Freddy's Bar, not to mention afternoon tea, also add to the splendour of this Amsterdam institution. The location is within easy reach of so many things, including countless gay landmarks. In 2023 a two-night stay included tickets to the very sold out Vermeer exhibition at the Rijksmuseum. And in 1940 Alfred Hitchock shot scenes here for his Oscar-nominated thriller FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT.