With new direct Eurostar trains to and from Amsterdam and Rotterdam, there has never been a better time for a holiday in Holland that’s as sustainable as it is stylish.
The new train service – with a whopping 90% less carbon emissions than flights – opens up easy access to Holland’s coolest boutique hotels outside Amsterdam.
In less time than a trip to Scotland, you can now reach a whole bunch of lovely small Dutch towns and designer cool cities that are crammed with sites and locally owned, independent boutique hotels that are significantly cheaper than those in often, over-busy Amsterdam.
Boutique Hotels Outside Amsterdam
In this list you’ll find boutique hotels in Holland offering everything from historic towers, super stylish modern suites and glamorous luxury to quirky characterful lofts, fabulous restaurants with rooms and house boats of all sorts. They truly are secret gems.
The boutique hotels listed are all in ten towns outside Amsterdam that are brilliant for sustainable weekend and mini breaks. You can find travel tips for what to do in each of these towns in this post on Eurostar Breaks in Holland.
Sustainable Mini Breaks
These hotels are all within easy walking distance of both stations and the best things to do in town, so you can see everything you want to without feeling you’re racing around or having to hop in carbon spewing taxis.
Almost all these Dutch boutique hotels are also locally owned rather than chains so profits actually stay in these towns to support sustainable local living and employment. It doesn’t get cooler than that, huh?
So do save the list for quick reference later.
50 Dutch Boutique Hotels
1. Rotterdam
Holland’s old port has been regenerated and is buzzing with new architecture and design hotels in the central districts between Rotterdam Centraal station and the striking Erasmus bridge.
- Hotel Light : a youthfully, cool great value hotel close to the museums.
- Mizar Houseboats : more just 5 minutes from the Maritime museum and close to Kijk-Kubus and Markt Hall are a super cool way to get Rotterdam’s old port vibe.
- Super Nova : a super stylish “non-hotel” covering a range of budgets.
- Hotel Mainport : a big 5 star design, hotel in the harbour near Erasmus bridge.
- Hotel James : a 3 star design hotel with some good value rooms
- Roommate Bruno : just over Erasmus bridge, part of a Spanish chain of bold, boutique design hotels across European cities
- Sudemar Boat: stay on a traditional Dutch sailing boat moored close to museums, Markt Hal, the Erasums bridge & metro stops.
- Hotel Santa Maria : not at all grand but characterful and exceptionally good value close to the major museums.
If you are happy whizzing around on the metro and don’t mind being further out the Stadsvilla Mout and Cherry Cake & Chocolate are worth knowing about.
2. Delft
The key things to see in pretty, little Delft are all within 20 minutes walk of each other and within 10 or so minutes of the station :
- Hotel de Emauspoort : a characterful little hotel looking across a narrow canal to the Nieuwe Kirk. (You can even opt for a cute caravan in the garden!)
- Casa Julia : simple, beautifully light rooms in a very good value B&B just a few hundred metres from Royal Delft.
- Vliegende Vos : a restaurant with loft rooms in the house where Vermeer was born just a few doors along from the Vermeer Centre.
And keep your eyes peeled for the soon to be opened Haus Blaauwen from the same team as Casa Julia, which will be right in the centre of Delft between the Vermeer Centre and Royal Delft.
3. Den Haag
These boutique hotels are all within 20 minutes walk of Den Haag Centraal station around the Hojvijver pond in the centre of Den Haag. The hotels are all just minutes from tram stops direct from Centraal station :
- De Salon Van Fagel : spacious rooms in this small boutique hotel, some with private roof terrace and garden.
- t’ Goude Hoft : over 400 years old Den Haag’s oldest inn is primarily a restaurant but also some stylish boutique rooms.
- Park Hotel : a central hotel with a range of rooms from singles to junior suites and a large garden.
- Paleis : 20 traditionally styled, reasonably priced rooms.
- Bacan : a simple, tiny B&B less than 5 minutes from the Hofvijver.
- Des Indes : den Haag’s landmark grand old hotel hardly counts as boutique but is worth knowing about as backup.
4. Leiden
These boutique hotels and B&Bs are all within 10 minutes walk of Leiden’s many world class museums and 20 minutes from Leiden station, from which there is a good bus service :
- Huys Van Leyden : traditional but characterful luxury styling.
- De Barones Van Leyden : sister hotel a few 100 metres away.
- Ex Libris : 8 bright rooms in the midst of the museums.
- NR22 : simple but charming B&B with a cool loft room.
- Steenhof Suites : 14 luxury suites in two beautiful old canal houses.
5. Eindhoven
If you’re after Dutch urban and modernist design rather than pretty canal side strolls, Eindhoven is the place to go and these boutique hotels capture the Eindhoven vibe :
- Kazerne : stunningly designed, (if expensive), boutique hotel suites in a design exhibition space with achingly cool restaurants and bars.
- Marienhag Hotel : a good value boutique design hotel innovatively built into old abbey buildings.
- Hotel Match : bold, eclectic, industrial chic styling in the heart of the city.
- Little Grand : characterful central suites with luxury butler service.
- Studio Nr 7 : a simple, minimalist loft studio with private roof terrace.
6. Middelburg
Middleburg is tucked away in Zeeland but has some fantastic little boutique hotels which make a wonderful base for exploring the dunes and dikes of the Dutch coast :
- Roosevelt : a beautifully converted hotel opposite the Abbey with individually designed rooms that can be good value. You can bring your own bike or hire one.
- Loskade 45 : simple, bright rooms in a small family run boutique hotel with a brasserie serving organic food.
- Logement t’Oude Bierhuys : a little coffee house and cafe with rooms including an adorable one bedroom “house” in a courtyard.
- Poorthuys : a smart little B&B in an old Doctor’s house in the centre of Middleburg.
- Boutique Hotel Eleanor : a brasserie & cocktail bar with big bright suites.
7. Zwolle
Head to Zwolle, an old Hanseatic league town east of Amsterdam, for amazing food. These hotels are all within 20 minutes walk of the station:
- De Librije : one of the world’s best restaurants with gorgeous rooms and suites.
- De Pelsertoren : cool styling in a historic tower.
- Oldenburg : simple good value near the museum.
- In De Kromme Jak : a simple good value B&B with a houseboat for long weekends.
- Grand Hotel Ter Borch : part of a small Dutch luxury hotel chain
8. Dordrecht
Holland’s oldest city, Dordrecht is a wonderful place to really explore the Dutch waterways. You can even get there by water bus from Rotterdam and these boutique places are all about the water :
- Villa Augustus : an uber cool hotel & restaurant in an old water tower with an amazing tower top, lantern room, secret garden room and floating rooms on the water.
- Ecolodge : these floating rooms are in the Biesbosch national park which you can reach by boat from Dordrecht and then canoe around.
- Heer & Meester : a little canal side coffee bar with colourful rooms just a minute from a waterbus stop.
9. Breda
Home of one of Europe’s largest and oldest jazz festivals, Breda isn’t awash with independent boutique hotels but if you’re there for the festival try …
- Hotel Nassau : striking rooms, with some big views in an old converted church.
- Bliss Boutique Hotel : luxury suites in the centre of town.
10. Haarlem
Haarlem is a lovely, relaxed town just outside Amsterdam that makes a perfect base for exploring both the capital, the coast and pretty towns north of Amsterdam and has some very attractive boutique hotels within an easy walk of the station.
- Staats Hotel : a beautifully styled boutique hotel with restaurant just a few minutes from Haarlem station.
- Hotel ML : another individually styled boutique hotel with attached restaurant just off Haarlem’s market square.
- Boutique Hotel Brass : a range of 17 attractive suites, (including some small, very affordable ones), in central Haarlem.
- KoningInn Boutique Hotel : 3 spacious, light suites with small kitchenettes just off market square.
If you really want to chill for the weekend and just potter around Haarlem’s beautiful canal side museums and cycle across the dunes to the beach you should also check out the lovely ‘t Vosje Boutique Hotel a 15 minute cycle from the station.
So there you go, a list of the best independent boutique hotels across Holland that are perfect for weekends away on the new Eurostar trains.
Do save the list for later & share with friends.
Over the coming weeks I’ll be sharing tips for travelling all over Europe sustainably by train. If like me you’re trying to cut right down on plane travel do follow me on Twitter & Pinterest to see more.
Original image sources : canal side, windmill, houses.