Waldorf Astoria Amsterdam

Waldorf Astoria Amsterdam occupies six adjoining 17th- and 18th-century double-front canal palaces at Herengracht 542–556, on a UNESCO-listed stretch of the Gentlemen’s Canal between Utrechtsestraat and Reguliersgracht. It is a five-star hotel with 93 rooms, suites and lofts, a Guerlain Spa, and an award-winning cocktail bar set inside a former bank vault — and its dining lineup changed significantly in 2026.

What to know before you book

• Address: Herengracht 542–556, 1017 CG Amsterdam
• Rooms: 93 rooms, lofts and suites, ranging from roughly 28 m² to 123 m²
• Check-in / check-out: 3:00 PM and 12:00 PM
• Dining now: Goldfinch Brasserie, Peacock Lounge, Vault Bar
• Dining change: two-Michelin-star Spectrum closed at the end of May 2026; a new concept is expected in 2027
• Spa: Guerlain Spa with three treatment rooms, indoor pool, sauna, steam room, jacuzzi and fitness facilities
• Getting there: trams 4 and 14 stop at Rembrandtplein; Schiphol Airport is about 16 km away

Six canal palaces, one hotel

The building is the reason to stay here. Six monumental double-front canal palaces from the 17th and 18th centuries were joined into a single property, which means the floor plan wanders — you cross between houses, change levels, and pass through rooms that were built for different families in different decades. The exterior remains protected as part of Amsterdam’s UNESCO World Heritage canal ring.

The most-photographed feature is the staircase attributed to Daniel Marot, the architect who worked for Louis XIV and later for Dutch Stadtholder William III. Marot carried French Huguenot design into the Netherlands, and the staircase is a working example of that transfer rather than a decorative reproduction. The contemporary interiors were designed by London-based GA Design, which is why the historic shells read as restrained and modern inside rather than heavily period-styled.

Rooms, lofts and suites

All 93 rooms face either the Herengracht canal or the private courtyard garden, and sizes vary widely because the rooms were carved out of six different buildings. Canal-facing rooms give you the postcard view and the low hum of the street; garden rooms are quieter, which matters in a city centre location.

Van Loon Suite

At 101 m², the Van Loon Suite sits in Herengracht 542, the first palace in the collection. It combines Rococo and Neoclassical décor with a 17th-century spiral staircase and two fireplaces cut from rare Bardiglio marble, and looks onto the city and garden.

Brentano Suite

The 123 m² Brentano Suite is the pick for entertaining. It has a dining room with an eight-seat table, a separate living room, a private study, a master bathroom with both a shower and a bathtub, plus a guest bathroom — and it overlooks the canal district.

The private palace

For full buyouts, the hotel offers a nine-bedroom private palace spanning three floors and 944 m², sleeping up to 15 guests. This is the option for multigenerational trips, wedding parties or corporate retreats that want the building to themselves.

Dining in 2026: what closed and what replaced it

If you booked this hotel for Spectrum, that plan no longer works. The two-Michelin-star restaurant led by chef Sidney Schutte closed at the end of May 2026 after twelve years, in a decision announced jointly by the chef and the hotel. No reason was given publicly. The hotel says a refreshed dining concept is in development and expected to open in 2027.

Goldfinch Brasserie

Goldfinch Brasserie, on the garden level, took on the heavier lifting after Spectrum closed, adding dinner service from June 2026. The kitchen serves local and international classics with a contemporary turn, and current hours run Wednesday to Sunday, 12 pm to 10 pm. Breakfast here includes Dutch touches such as poffertjes alongside the expected eggs and smoked salmon.

Vault Bar

The Vault Bar is set in the building’s former bank vaults, with original safe-deposit boxes still lining the back bar. It won a Forbes Travel Guide 2026 Hotel Star Bars award, and the cocktail programme under Ignazio Di Gangi builds a narrative around a fictional 1960s bartender whose recipes were supposedly left behind in the vault. Recent menu examples include the Emerald Sphere (€23) with KiNoBi gin, umeshiso and hojicha liqueurs, and the Spiced Pearl (€24) with tequila, mezcal and habanero-infused Aperol. It is open daily from 5 pm to 1 am.

Peacock Lounge

The Peacock Lounge handles all-day dining and the hotel’s afternoon tea, open 9 am to 10 pm daily. It is the practical default for a light lunch or a pre-dinner drink without leaving the building.

Guerlain Spa

The spa is a Guerlain-branded facility with three treatment rooms, an indoor pool, sauna, steam room, jacuzzi and a fitness centre. Guerlain developed an exclusive body treatment specifically for this location — a hot-oil and water-ice-bubble massage themed around the meeting of earth and water, which is available only at the Amsterdam spa.

Opening hours are 9 am to 8 pm Sunday through Thursday and 9 am to 9 pm on Friday and Saturday. With only three treatment rooms serving a 93-room hotel, book treatments before arrival rather than on the day.

Location and getting around

The hotel sits between Utrechtsestraat and Reguliersgracht, which puts Utrechtsestraat’s cafés and independent shops within a short walk and the Rembrandtplein tram stop — served by lines 4 and 14 — close enough to reach the rest of the city quickly. Schiphol Airport is roughly 16 km away, and the front office can arrange transfers on request.

The Skinny Bridge (Magere Brug) over the Amstel and the Reguliersgracht canal views are both walkable from the door. Museumplein, home to the Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum and Stedelijk Museum, is a longer walk or a short tram ride rather than a ten-minute stroll — budget accordingly if you have timed museum tickets.

Who this hotel suits

• Good fit: travellers who want a historic building over a modern tower, couples celebrating an occasion, and guests who value a quiet garden-side spa and a genuinely distinctive bar
• Less good fit: anyone booking specifically for a Michelin-starred hotel restaurant, since none currently operates on site until the new concept arrives
• Worth checking: whether breakfast is included in your rate, as it has been charged separately at around €35 per person per night

Frequently asked questions