Hotel van de Vijsel is a 4-star, 82-room hotel at Overtoom 13-17 in Amsterdam-West, set inside a former timber merchant’s premises 300 metres from Leidseplein. It suits travellers who want a quiet, wood-and-vintage design hotel within walking distance of Vondelpark, the Van Gogh Museum, and the nightlife around Leidseplein, and who are comfortable with compact rooms and paid breakfast.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Address | Overtoom 13-17, 1054 HA Amsterdam |
| Class | 4-star hotel, Vondel Hotels collection |
| Rooms | 82 rooms and suites across five linked pavilions, up to five floors |
| Opened | Late 2018, in an 1890/91 monument |
| Walk to Leidseplein | About 300 metres, roughly 5 minutes |
| Walk to Vondelpark | About 10 minutes |
| Check-in / check-out | From 15:00 / until 11:00, minimum check-in age 18 |
| Breakfast | Buffet, about €20.95 adults and €9.95 for children aged 3 to 12, not included in most rates |
| Indicative rate | Roughly €130 to €180 per night for two, September 2026 sample dates |
| Guest scores | 8.6/10 Hotels.com, 8/10 Booking.com, 4/5 Tripadvisor from 602 reviews |
A timber merchant that took 20 years to become a hotel
The building went up in 1890 and 1891, when the Overtoomse Vaart was still a working waterway on the edge of the city. Firma A. van de Vijsel, a timber trading business that had occupied the plot since the mid-1870s, commissioned architect J.W.F. Hartkamp to design a brick office and stable block with wooden sheds behind it. Later generations sold tools and hardware there, closer to an old-fashioned Dutch hardware shop than a lumber yard by the end.
The city designated the building a municipal monument in November 2005, shortly before it fell vacant. Hotel plans then stalled for years against objections from neighbours worried about noise and from industrial-heritage campaigners, with proceedings running all the way to the Raad van State before approval followed in 2012 on the condition that monumental parts of the building were retained. Construction finally ran for more than two years.
What survived matters to how the hotel feels today. The original street facade and the old sales office were preserved, and the monumental wooden beams were numbered, removed, restored, and put back in their original positions. Architect Minke Wagenaar handled the restoration and modern interventions. The unsafe wooden sheds were replaced by five pavilions of three to five storeys that echo the original footprint and are joined by an internal corridor. Developer Belco delivered the finished hotel at the end of 2018 to Vondel Hotels, which holds a long-term lease and fitted it out with wood, vintage detailing, art, and design.
Rooms: cosy and quiet, but small
Room categories run from Small Double through Comfort Twin and Comfort Double to Suite, with king or twin bedding depending on category. Rooms include air conditioning, free Wi-Fi, a safe, a pillow menu, and walk-in showers, and the hotel offers express check-in, 24-hour reception, daily housekeeping, room service during limited hours, laundry service, and luggage storage.
Guest feedback is consistent about both the strengths and the compromise. Reviewers repeatedly praise the location, the breakfast, and helpful multilingual staff, and describe rooms as clean, cosy, and quiet. The recurring criticisms are that rooms are compact, lighting can be dim, and some guests feel the value is thin once extras are added. One reviewer noted the lack of an in-room fridge and bottled water. If floor area is your priority rather than character, a larger chain hotel near Museumplein will give you more square metres for the money.
Where it sits, and what that means
The hotel stands at the eastern tip of the Overtoom, where Amsterdam-West meets the Museum Quarter. Booking.com files it under Oud-West, while Expedia and Hotels.com classify it as Museum Quarter, and both descriptions are defensible from that address. Practically, you are about 5 minutes on foot from Leidseplein, around 10 minutes from Vondelpark and the Van Gogh Museum, and within a 15-minute walk of the Rijksmuseum. The city centre is roughly 1 to 1.5 km away.
That proximity to Leidseplein is the reason neighbours fought the project, and it is worth thinking about when you choose a room. You are close enough to walk home from a late concert at Paradiso or a show at DeLaMar, and close enough that a street-facing room on a Friday night is a different experience from a courtyard-side room.
Getting there from Schiphol
- Airport Express bus 397 from Schiphol Plaza stop B17 to Leidseplein takes about 30 to 40 minutes, runs every 7 to 15 minutes through the day, and costs around €6.50 one way or €11.75 return in 2026. From the Leidseplein stop it is a short walk along the Overtoom. The N97 Niteliner covers the route hourly overnight.
- Train from Schiphol to Amsterdam Centraal takes roughly 16 to 18 minutes, then tram 2 or 12 to Leidseplein and a walk of under 10 minutes. This is faster overall but involves a transfer with luggage.
- Taxi or private transfer covers the 9.5 km in roughly 30 to 45 minutes depending on traffic.
Getting around once you arrive
Tram 1 runs along the Overtoom itself, and the 1e Constantijn Huygensstraat/Overtoom stop, roughly 3 minutes’ walk from the door, also serves lines 3 and 12 towards Museumplein, De Pijp, and the ring of western neighbourhoods. Most of the museum quarter, the canal belt, and the Jordaan are within a 25-minute walk, which makes this one of the few Amsterdam addresses where you can skip public transport for most of a short trip.
Breakfast, coffee, and drinks
The buffet breakfast runs 07:00 to 10:30 on weekdays and 07:00 to 11:00 at weekends, and it is charged separately at about €20.95 for adults and €9.95 for children aged 3 to 12, with under-twos free. Reviewers rate it well, describing eggs, bacon, sausage, breads, pastries, and unlimited coffee, and Booking.com guests score breakfast 8.2. Given the price, compare it against the cafes on the Overtoom and around Leidseplein before you prepay.
Café Woodz occupies part of the ground floor as a coffee and brunch spot, and the hotel also lists a bar/lounge, coffee and tea in a common area, and an honesty bar. Bar arrangements at this property have changed since opening, so confirm current hours at reception if a late drink on site matters to you.
Sustainability: what is actually claimed
Vondel Hotels publishes a corporate social responsibility statement covering economical use of energy and water, environmentally friendly cleaning, recycling, organic and quality-marked food choices, and sustainable purchasing, and says it works to raise awareness among staff, suppliers, and guests. Across the collection the group states that it aims for the Green Key Gold certificate, the largest sustainability label for tourism and recreation in the Netherlands. Treat that as a stated ambition rather than a confirmed award for this specific address, and check the Green Key register if certification is a booking criterion for you.
The strongest environmental argument for this hotel is less about its policies and more about its fabric. Reusing a monument, restoring and reinstating its original beams, and rebuilding on the existing footprint avoided the embodied carbon of a wholly new building on a new site.
Who should book, and who should not
- Book it if you want character, a monument setting, and a walkable base for museums, Vondelpark, and Leidseplein nightlife.
- Book it if you value quiet rooms and attentive front-desk service more than floor space.
- Look elsewhere if you need family-sized rooms, a fridge or kitchenette, a gym or spa, on-site parking as a given, or a pet-friendly hotel.
- Look elsewhere if you want breakfast bundled into a low nightly rate, since the buffet surcharge changes the real cost of a stay noticeably.
Frequently asked questions
How far is Hotel van de Vijsel from Leidseplein?
About 300 metres, or roughly a 5-minute walk along the Overtoom. Vondelpark and the Van Gogh Museum are each around a 10-minute walk, and the Rijksmuseum is within 15 minutes.
What is the best way to get there from Schiphol Airport?
Airport Express bus 397 runs from Schiphol Plaza stop B17 to Leidseplein in about 30 to 40 minutes for around €6.50 one way, then it is a short walk. The train to Amsterdam Centraal takes 16 to 18 minutes, followed by tram 2 or 12 to Leidseplein.
Is breakfast included at Hotel van de Vijsel?
Usually not. The buffet is charged at about €20.95 per adult and €9.95 for children aged 3 to 12, and is served 07:00 to 10:30 on weekdays and 07:00 to 11:00 at weekends. Some rate plans include it, so check before booking.
Are the rooms small?
Yes. Guests consistently describe the rooms as compact but well arranged, clean, and quiet, with occasional comments about dim lighting and no in-room fridge. Small Double is the tightest category, and suites give noticeably more space.
What are the check-in and check-out times?
Check-in is from 15:00 and check-out is by 11:00, with a 24-hour front desk, express check-in, and a minimum check-in age of 18.
What was the building before it was a hotel?
It was the premises of timber merchant Firma A. van de Vijsel, built in 1890 and 1891 to a design by J.W.F. Hartkamp. It became a municipal monument in 2005 and reopened as a hotel in 2018 after the original beams were restored and reinstalled.
