Hotel Estheréa

Hotel Estheréa is a family-run, four-star boutique hotel at Singel 303-309, set in a row of 17th-century canal houses in the center of Amsterdam. It has 91 rooms plus two suites, no two decorated alike, and sits about five minutes on foot from Dam Square. The same family has run it for more than 80 years, since founder Maria Flieger-Gruyters took over a 12-room guest house on this stretch of the Singel.

Expect crystal chandeliers, deep colors, patterned fabrics and a guests-only bar that never closes. Rooms are compact at the entry level, which is normal for a canal house, so the room category you pick matters more here than at a newer hotel.

Hotel Estheréa at a glance

Detail	What to expect
Address	Singel 303-309, 1012 WJ Amsterdam
Hotel type	Four-star, family-run boutique hotel in 17th-century canal houses
Rooms	91 rooms and two suites, all non-smoking and all reachable by lift
Check-in / check-out	From 3 PM / by 11 AM, with free luggage storage at the front desk
Breakfast	Continental buffet, 7 AM to 11 AM (until noon on Saturday and Sunday), €24.50 per person, or €19.50 when added to a direct booking in advance
Bar	Maria’s Bar, open 24/7 for hotel guests; cocktails 5 PM to 1 AM; kitchen closes at 11 PM
Parking	Underground garage, €55 per day, entrance at Spuistraat 258; size and weight limits apply, and electric and hybrid cars cannot be accommodated
Contact	+31 20 624 5146, [email protected]

Rooms and suites

Because the hotel spreads across several historic buildings, room sizes and layouts vary even within one category. Every room has a bathroom with a hairdryer and L’Occitane products, plus air conditioning, a TV, a safe, a fridge and free Wi-Fi. The hotel also lists single rooms and Classic or Deluxe double and twin rooms in its booking categories.

Room type	Size	View and setting	Best for
Classic	From 13 m² (about 140-195 sq ft)	Inner side of the building, overlooking a green patio	Solo travelers and couples who value quiet over space
Luxury	From 20 m² (about 205-235 sq ft)	Spuistraat or the inner patio; larger bathroom; some rooms have a jacuzzi	Longer stays and travelers who want room to unpack
Canal	Luxury-room size and fittings	Direct view of the Singel	First visits and anyone who wants the classic canal outlook
Family	Up to three guests	Rear of the building, facing Spuistraat or the patio	Parents with one child; connecting Luxury rooms suit larger families
Pink Suite	30 m²	Ground floor, two sections with a lounge area and boudoir, views over a patio and pond	Romantic stays, proposals and honeymoons
Van Oranje Suite	55 m²	Ground floor, orange tones, mahogany and a Villari chandelier	Anniversaries and celebrations that need extra space

Canal views are limited to the Canal rooms and some of the suites. You can request one when booking, but the hotel assigns rooms based on availability. Jacuzzi rooms are few and popular, so book early and ask for one by name. Extras such as champagne, flowers, Dutch chocolates, balloons and a room scent can be added to a reservation, and the front desk can arrange them as a surprise for someone else’s stay.

Facilities and Maria’s Bar

Maria’s Bar is named after the hotel’s founder and is open only to guests, around the clock. Cocktails run from 5 PM to 1 AM, and the small menu covers Dutch cheese and bitterballen until the kitchen closes at 11 PM. There is no full-service restaurant, so plan dinners out in the surrounding streets.

• Lounges overlooking the canal, with a library of books, newspapers and magazines
• Coffee, tea and hot chocolate with small sweets for guests
• A gym open 24/7 to hotel guests
• Laundry and dry cleaning, except on Sundays and national holidays such as King’s Day and Christmas
• Front-desk help with canal cruises, museum tickets and other bookings
• Free Wi-Fi throughout the building

Meeting rooms

Three daylit meeting rooms suit small groups. The Library seats up to 6, the Herenkamer 13 to 16, and the Suite van Oranje 16 to 18. The Library and Herenkamer can be combined, and the Herenkamer has three large windows onto the canal. Each room has air conditioning, Wi-Fi and an LCD screen, a beamer and flip chart come free of charge, and a coffee and tea buffet is included. The hotel can add breakfast, lunch or drinks on request.

Location and getting there

The hotel stands on the Singel, the innermost canal of Amsterdam’s UNESCO-listed Canal Ring. It began as the medieval city’s moat and served that role until 1585, when the city grew beyond it. The street is calmer than the nightlife hubs nearby, yet you are in the middle of Amsterdam Centrum. For more on the waterways around you, see our guide to Amsterdam’s canals.

Nearby sights on foot

• Dam Square and the Royal Palace, about five minutes away
• De 9 Straatjes, the Nine Streets shopping district, just across the canal
• The Anne Frank House, where entry is by timed online ticket only, released on Tuesdays at 10 AM for dates about six weeks ahead
• The Jordaan neighborhood with local shops and cafés
• The Flower Market, Leidseplein and Vondelpark, which the hotel puts within a 10 to 15 minute walk
• Canal cruises, including Flagship Amsterdam’s electric boats from the Anne Frank House and the small-group options on our Amsterdam tours page

Arriving by train, taxi or car

From Schiphol, a direct train runs to Amsterdam Centraal, which the hotel says is about a 10-minute walk away; with luggage over cobbles and bridges, allow a little longer. The nearest tram stops are around Spui, served by lines 2 and 12 to and from Centraal. A standard taxi from Schiphol costs around €60, according to the hotel, which can also book a private transfer.

Driving into the center is rarely worth it, but if you do, the hotel’s underground garage is at Spuistraat 258, directly behind the building. Confirm your car’s size and weight with the front desk before arrival, because electric and hybrid vehicles cannot be accommodated.

A family hotel since the war years

After her husband died during the Second World War, Maria Flieger-Gruyters moved to Amsterdam and kept watch over a guest house on the Singel whose owner had gone into hiding. When it became clear he had not survived the war, she took over the building. The 12-room guest house grew each time she could buy a neighboring canal house, and those joined buildings form the hotel today. Her granddaughter Esther now runs Hotel Estheréa with her team.

Who Hotel Estheréa suits

It suits couples, first-time visitors who want to walk everywhere, and anyone who prefers a characterful canal house to a chain hotel. Guest scores shown on the hotel’s website in September 2026 were 4.7 out of 5 on Google from more than 1,700 reviews, 4.6 out of 5 on Tripadvisor from more than 5,000, and 9.2 out of 10 on Booking.com from more than 4,000.

Look elsewhere if you need a large standard room at the entry price, an on-site restaurant for dinner, a spa or pool, or charging for an electric car. Travelers with cat allergies should also know that two resident cats live at the hotel. If you are still weighing areas, compare options in our where to stay in Amsterdam guide and our list of Amsterdam hotels.

Booking directly lowers the pre-booked breakfast price to €19.50, gives returning direct guests free breakfast, and unlocks multi-night packages with extras such as prosecco or cocktails with Dutch snacks.

Check rates on the Hotel Estheréa website

Frequently asked questions