Amsterdam is hands down one of the most vibrant cities I have ever visited. And in a city where it seems there is a story around each corner, it can be difficult to decide where to stay. Do you choose a hotel based on the canals, near public transportation, in the middle of the city, or do you choose to stay on a house boat? Since we only had 4 days, I knew I wanted to have easy access to everything in the city, so INK Hotel was the perfect option for us. It is located in the middle of the city near public transportation and a short walk to multiple canals.
I don’t know that I’ve ever identified so well with a hotel. Okay, if you haven’t visited INK Hotel, that might sound odd. But if you’ve followed me for a while, you likely know I love places with a story. And INK Hotel definitely has a story. The hotel combines both the unique local flair of Amsterdam and the history of the hotel’s building. The hotel is built inside what used to be home to an old Dutch Newspaper called ‘De Tijd’ (The Times in English). Now, guests get to stay in a place where stories used to be “conceived, written and brought to life” in print, while also writing the story of their own adventure. INK Hotel is the place “where stories are yet to be written” and trust me, the details in this hotel will inspire you to make sure you are living/writing a great story with your travels.
In an attempt to continue with the building’s history, the entire hotel is based around the printing theme. From the moment you walk in, you find yourself surrounded by oversized block letters on the wall. You are then welcomed by some of the nicest hotel staff near the small “hotel museum”. {They actually have one of the original desks from when the newspaper was printed there!} Every detail in the hotel pays tribute to the journalistic history of the building- from the plethora of books and newspaper covered wallpaper to the names of the restaurant and gym. They literally thought of everything.
We arrived really early, so our room wasn’t ready when we arrived. It was actually perfect because the wait gave us the chance to sit downstairs and enjoy a cup of coffee while we kicked the jet lag. We sat in the hotel’s “Library” sitting room and let me tell you, the room was everything you could hope it would be- dark walls, great windows, colorful books, oversized seats and a fireplace. One day, I will have a room like this of my own. We loved the space so much we made it a daily tradition to enjoy either a cup of coffee or a glass of wine there- sometimes both.
I was shocked by the size and details in our room when we made it upstairs. Based on the skinny size of the old buildings, I assumed our room would be long and skinny. On the contrary, we had multiple large windows, a proper sitting area and a nice king-size bed. We were even greeted with a bag of fresh stroopwafels, an Amsterdam guide book and local chocolates. And if you get the chance to stay at this hotel, be sure to check out the huge map that covers one of the walls of each room. It was drawn by a local artist and shared comical thoughts about various locations around Amsterdam.
Each morning we started with the buffet breakfast in the hotel’s PRESSROOM restaurant. Normally I’m not a huge fan of buffets, but I really enjoyed this one. I think seeing the chefs and the full kitchen made it feel less buffet-like and more fresh. I’m still dreaming of the fresh eggs, pastries and the yogurt/granola selection. Our breakfast was so good we actually came back to the hotel for dinner one night! My chicken was okay, but my salad and desert were divine! Caleb ordered the waiters recommendation and it was superior to my main entrée- so be sure to ask what they recommend!
The INK Hotel is a great home base for any trip to Amsterdam and I would love to come back again!
***Thank you AccorHotels & INK Hotel Amsterdam for hosting our stay, for the delicious breakfasts each morning & for the 3 day i Amsterdam City card! All opinions are my own.
This hotel looks incredible!! I love that they played on the history for the building.
What a pretty hotel! I’ve always wanted to visit Amsterdam.
I’m so jealous , everything looks so beautiful. There are many stories to be written.
This looks like my kind of place to stay in! I love the modern minimalist architecture and all of the attention to detail. The food looks amazing too!
I have never been to Amsterdam but my partner has and LOVED it. He didn’t stay anywhere as nice as this though. We will consider this place when we go together as its absolutely stunning
I love Amsterdam so much, it’s the one place I always want to go back to! xx
Frances Kayleigh | Beauty Fashion Lifestyle
This hotel looks so amazing! I would love to visit Amsterdam!
This sounds like the perfect hotel! I love being within walking distance to things when I’m out of town! I’ll have to check it out if I ever make it there! :)
This looks like a luxurious hotel within the city. Bed looks super comfortable. I like the big letters on walls and history of this hotel. Pressroom Restaurant is beautiful and buffet spread looks royal.
This hotel looks amazing! I love the Library sitting area, looks like the perfect place to relax with a drink. I will definitely keep this in mind for my next trip to Amsterdam.
I love these boutique type hotels! That buffet looks epic and there are some healthy things there. I will be looking up INK Hotels when I fly there in the next few weeks!
okay i’ve been eyeing this hotel FOREVER. Thank you for the thorough review because now I’m definitely booking this next time I go to Amsterdam
This hotel looks so cool! How fun are those letters on the wall?!
I think that’s really cool that you’ve been able to identify with this place. It looks really awesome and I loved your pictures. I would also love to have a library-type room that you guys found while kicking the jet lag!
Love the pictures. Like the destination more than the hotel. My favorite place for holiday
Wow this looks like a great hotel to stay! I must check it out the next time I’m there!
x
Shloka
http://thesilksneaker.com
Looks to be an ideal spot to spend a weekend in Amsterdam. Certainly, when choosing a hotel for a shortish break away, there is nothing more important than location and while there is nothing too far away in the Dutch capital, this does at least allow for a quick jaunt to all the best spots. I must say, I had the same thought as you when I was staying in Holland. The buildings are so skinny, I’m not sure how they make the rooms seem so spacious!
Going in July Thank you for the tips!