Are you a dreamer like us, and hoping / planning to stay in the historic luxury of the Waldorf Astoria hotel in Amsterdam? After reading this article you will know why this hotel is worth it!

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History of Waldorf Astoria Amsterdam

Looking Back to the Dutch Golden Age

Before we talk about the Waldorf Astoria Hotel, let’s explore a bit of the Dutch Golden Age. During the mid-1600s, the Dutch republic was one of the leading nations of the world. Not only did they they have the largest merchant fleet in Europe, they also founded the first-ever multinational corporation financed by shares, the Dutch East India Company (VOC in Dutch). (find out more at the Dutch Maritime Museum)

After receiving a monopoly on Asian trade, the VOC became the world’s largest commercial enterprise of the 17th century. In 1624, forty years before the rebranding to New York City, the Dutch established New Amsterdam at the Southern tip of Manhattan Island.

So there was lots of money to be made all over the world and rich merchants enjoyed a good life in Amsterdam. Because the population in Amsterdam kept growing, Dutch engineers built the canals to help merchants to quickly move their wares from the borders of the city to its harbor without stepping foot on land.

Amsterdam Canals

Nowadays, one of these canals, the Herengracht (literally Gentleman’s Canal) is home to the Waldorf Astoria Amsterdam. Maybe you noticed how narrow the typical canal house looks. Due to a tax on the width of their houses, the Dutch decided to keep them very narrow and instead extend upwards and to the back.

Often, unseen from the front, there would be an extensive garden behind the houses.

A Patchwork of Canal Houses

In 2014, Hilton bought and remodeled six of these historic canal houses and turned them into a luxury hotel. The original owners range from merchants to mayors, and from art collectors to administrators. Their guests included important people like the Russian Emperor Alexander I and King William I of The Netherlands.

Since they kept a lot of the interior and exterior features, entering the Waldorf feels like stepping right back into that Golden Age. Another nice touch is the signs talking about the families that used to live here. Imagine sleeping in the same building where tsars and kings did stay.

The Herengracht, a UNESCO World Heritage Site

In 2010, UNESCO designated the Amsterdam canal district as a World Heritage site. Thanks to these, Amsterdam is often known as the “Venice of the North.”

From your room, you might be able to look out on the canal, or on the largest private garden of Amsterdam.

Restaurants and Bars at the Waldorf Astoria Amsterdam

Currently there are three separate establishments at the Waldorf Astoria. When we visited, we started with the Goldfinch Brasserie.

See and Be Seen at The Peacock Alley

Formerly known as the Goldfinch Brasserie, (named after the famous Goldfinch painting, it now has been rebranded as the Peacock Alley. Linking back to the first Waldorf Astoria hotel in New York City, it seems that every contemporary Waldorf Astoria has a Peacock Alley.

Not surprising, the food was excellent, both with regard to flavor as to visual presentation. We can heartily recommend a stop at the Peacock Alley, which shares the same chef as the Michelin starred restaurant Spectrum in the basement.

If you want to feel like British royalty, attend a high tea at the Peacock Alley. Their Afternoon Tea incorporates the rich history of this meal, while adding their own contemporary and playful twist.

Spectrum: Two Michelin Stars

According to the Michelin guide, this restaurant is definitely worth a detour, even if you are not staying at the hotel. They point out that the head chef Sidney Schutte blends the best Dutch products and international flavors are blended here into complex dishes.

On Tripadvisor, a reviewer claims that Spectrum is Simply The Best in the Netherlands!

If you don’t have time for a sit down meal, but just want to relax in a cozy bar, we recommend checking out The Vault.

The Vault Bar: Literally a Safe Place

When Hilton took over this building, it had been used by a bank, so there was a safe in the basement. Instead of taking out the safe, they decided to show case is at a small, intimate and upscale bar.

In addition to getting your favorite cocktails, they have fun bar snacks available. Very knowledgeable bar tenders will mix up your favorite drinks or recommend one of their original and outstanding cocktail creations.

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Our Review of The Waldorf Astoria Amsterdam

We have stayed at this hotel twice now, and hope there will be more stays in our future since we love it.

First Time: A Free Weekend Night

Thanks to a Hilton Free Weekend night certificate, we got to stay for free in this magnificent hotel! After a pleasant check in, where we got to choose our favorite scent for the room, we made our way to a luxurious room. Even better, the room had a balcony for a relaxed morning coffee / tea looking out over Amsterdam.

The next morning, after a blue heron fly by, we enjoyed a scrumptious breakfast before we had to check out and take the train to Brussels. We totally recommend this hotel and were thrilled when we got another opportunity to stay there!

Second Time: Thanks to a Train Traffic Strike

After years of pandemic stay at home, we finally got to travel internationally again this year. Although we had planned and booked to stay at many Hiltons (for free, using points!) we were not prepared for a train strike in the Netherlands.

When we realized that we wouldn’t be able to travel by train as planned, we discovered the Waldorf Astoria Amsterdam was available on points for the two nights we needed! Happiness ensued and we enjoyed our second stay just as much as our first!

Conclusion Waldorf Astoria Amsterdam

Surround yourself with Dutch and world history by staying in the Waldorf. Hard to imagine a more iconic place to stay when you visit Amsterdam. Have you been to this hotel? Or to other Waldorf Astoria’s? Please share in the comments.

Other Things To Do in The Netherlands

• Don’t miss out on the Van Gogh museum in Amsterdam (Find out some interesting facts about Van Gogh before you go!);
• The Anne Frank house is an important historic destination;
• If you are up to a longer day trip, go check out the TWO copies of the St Peter’s Basilica in North Brabant;
• Go explore off the beaten path destinations in Zeeland!
• Or maybe you want to go visit The Goldfinch painting in The Hague.

• The Best Things To Do in Amsterdam

Discover other UNESCO World Heritage Sites

World Heritage Sites in the Americas

• Sian Ka’an Biosphere in Mexico: where the sun was born;
• The Everglades: both a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a Biosphere Reserve;
• The Statue of Liberty in New York City, USA;
• Take an Alaska cruise and visit Glacier Bay National Park;
• Go watch whales in Quebec City;
• Puerto Rico Does it Better! Old San Juan and fun facts about Puerto Rico

World Heritage Sites in Europe

• Paris around the Seine;
• Waldorf Astoria Amsterdam: right in the middle of the historic Canals District;
• Passau, Germany, often the start or end of a Danube river cruise;
• Matera, Italy: the oldest continually habituated place in the world, also called the City of Caves;

Waldorf Astoria Hotels around the World

Thanks to Waldorf Astoria being part of the Hilton portfolio, you might be able to stay for free using Hilton Honor points. Here are some iconic ones:

• Dive into the fascinating history of the original Waldorf Astoria in New York City;
• Grand Wailea resort on Maui, where you can see whales spouting right from your balcony!
• Casa Marina Key West, Florida, close to the Southernmost point of the continental USA;
• Rome Cavalieri, explore the roots of the Roman empire;
• other Waldorf Astoria hotels around the world.

Our bucket list is to stay at as many Waldorf Astoria hotels as we can, up to five different ones now (the ones named in the list). Expect more reviews once we work our way around the world!

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