Boutique hotels in Netherlands

The Netherlands is a country of compact cities, canals and gabled houses, and its small hotels often occupy the same historic buildings. Seventeenth-century canal houses, converted churches and former warehouses hold some of Europe's most inventive boutique stays, usually with fewer than fifty rooms.

Cities

Amsterdam leads our ranking, with hotels spread across the canal ring and the Jordaan. Utrecht, Haarlem, Delft and Leiden are easy day trips and also make quieter bases, each with an old center and canals of its own. Rotterdam and The Hague offer modern architecture and design hotels, while Maastricht in the south has a Burgundian, Belgian-influenced feel.

Villages, islands and coast

Giethoorn, Edam and Veere are small, photogenic villages, and the Wadden Islands of Texel and Vlieland are quiet, windswept and reached by ferry. Zandvoort and the North Sea coast have long beaches within easy reach of Amsterdam.

When to go

Tulip season runs from late March to mid-May. Summer is the best season for the coast and the islands, and Amsterdam is busy year-round, so book ahead for spring and for the end-of-year holidays.