Have a layover in Amsterdam and wondering where is the coolest trendiest place to stay? Looking for an amazing pre or post cruise hotel option in Amsterdam? Well, here it is, the Sir Adam Hotel in Amsterdam.
We visited Amsterdam last year when Covid restrictions were still in place, which included a 5 pm curfew for the entire city. While we did enjoy a canal cruise that gave us a great overview of the city, we missed out on the nightlife that Amsterdam is famous for. Â
We also wanted to visit the Anne Frank House, which we were unable to tour on our last trip. The Sir Adam Hotel is an easy 20 minute walk from the Anne Frank House and Museum. Pro Tip: You do need to purchase tickets in advance online. They go on sale on the first Tuesday of the month prior to your visit and always sell out. You can check availability and purchase tickets here.
We promised ourselves that we would be back to further explore more of what this beautiful city has to offer, so we snuck in an overnight stay on our way to Budapest.
The Sir Adam Hotel in Amsterdam is a quirky little-known property that offers tons of personality and the opportunity to pretend that you are truly hip and cool for the night. Except I doubt that hip and cool people actually use terms like hip and cool.
It is located just across the river from the Central Train Station and the free ferry docks just outside of the hotel. The Sir Adam is fully themed for the Rockstar lifestyle. The lobby features a fabulous bar area overlooking the canal. Each of the 4 elevators are themed, including a disco ball and a karaoke lift. Here’s more proof of how truly not hip and cool I am…
The rooms are fantastic and fun. They have a fully stocked mini bar, turntable with a record library and music paraphernalia décor throughout. The toilet and shower were in separate rooms with the sink in the main room. We had an amazing view of Amsterdam from the 6th floor.
PRO TIP: If you are traveling light, you can take the train from the airport to the Central Station (it’s about a 25-minute ride) for approximately 5 Euro. From there, walk out the back of the train station and board the free 5 minute ferry to the hotel. We were not traveling light because we sailed on an Avalon Danube River Cruise after our stay. We opted for the ease of a taxi which set us back 90 Euro each way, but did get to ride in a Tesla there and a spotless Mercedes SUV on the way back, so we’ll just chalk that expense up to “pampering ourselves”.
The rooftop of The Sir Adam Hotel features “The Lookout”. It provides amazing views of the city, cocktails, and a crazy swing experience. I thought it would be a great idea to try the swing. I’ll let the video show how well that worked out for me:
I am normally not afraid of heights. I have gone skydiving and bungie jumping before without issue. But something about the swinging motion really did me in. It was like we were repeatedly being thrown over the edge of the building. I needed to regroup with a cold cocktail after that adventure!
We actually called it a night early because the time change was kicking in and we had a morning flight to Budapest. My next post will share the details about our “Active and Discovery Cruise on the Danube with Avalon Waterways”!
LAST PRO TIP: If you are American and need to connect in Europe, consider Amsterdam over Charles De Galle in Paris. In Amsterdam, the signage is in English, the people are friendly and speak English and you don’t have to go through security and customs when changing planes. Even with the increase in travel and crowds, it was still an organized and civilized experience.
Disclaimer: We are in our 50’s and totally not hip and cool enough to stay at The Sir Adam Hotel in Amsterdam. We didn’t let that stop us and neither should you.