Hotel 717

TL;DR

• Elegant canal-house: Beautiful, historic facade hides classically plush interiors.
• Atmospheric stay: Intimate and quietly luxurious.
• Walkable location: Set deep in the Canal District, close to pretty much everything.
• Check prices here

In the centre of Amsterdam’s Canal District, Hotel 717 is old and stately on the outside, timelessly plush on the inside.

It’s a classically handsome combination we’ve grown to recognize immediately, and love.

The house itself boasts a long history of canal-side living, with a gorgeous facade built in 1810, cosily tucked into the city’s central network of waterways.

If you’ve ever imagined yourself in a romantic film strolling cute bridges and watching ducks float along the stream, Hotel 717 is your base.

And the interiors are another fantasy, utterly swish, cinematic even.

Dream up another film where, let’s say, Josh O’Connor falls for a sex museum tour guide and you might find the interiors strangely inspiring.

What are the rooms like?

• 24 rooms: An intimate collection ranging from compact queens to elegant canal-view and heritage options.
• Refined design: Neutral palettes, rich textiles and dark wood create understated, grown-up luxury.
• Comfort focused: Rain showers, quality linens and courtyard or canal views throughout.
• See each room in detail here

If the silk and gold thread wallpaper is anything to judge by, Hotel 717’s rooms are fancy.

It’s in a somewhat understated way, like you’d have to look closely to recognise the opulence.

There’s more of a general atmosphere of high quality that shows once you get into the details.

Decor isn’t mind-blowing, but again, it oozes quality.

It’s white and beige with the odd dark accents, all in top-notch textiles and elegant dark wood furnishings.

The smallest options are little boxes with queen beds, but once you get up to the Merchant rooms you’ve got enough space to be going on with.

Nothing really gets super spacious, however. Grand options include Heritage and Canal View rooms that don’t go much further than 20 square metres.

They’re still beautiful, however. The Grand Heritage rooms reach a classic kind of opulence perfect for anyone who likes a little flair.

Whatever you choose, you’ll have views of either the courtyard or the canals, rain showers, and lovely linens.

Check the listings for extra amenities like bathtubs or wardrobes.

What are prices like?

• Check prices here

And what’s the food like? Any facilities we should know about?

• Relaxed breakfasts: A quality continental spread served in the elegant Living Room.
• All-day lounge: Coffee and wine available throughout the day in plush surroundings.
• Limited extras: Few on-site facilities beyond concierge-arranged experiences.

Breakfast is a lovely spread of fruits, cereals and savouries served in the Hotel 717’s living room.

You’ll also have freshly brewed coffee available to help you wake up.

It’s served in the Living Room, a beautiful space perfect for a morning’s indulgence.

The Living Room isn’t reserved for the morning, either. It’s open all day, with coffees and wines available to order.

Make sure to spend at least one afternoon sipping a glass of crisp white in a plush velvet chair.

Unfortunately, that’s about it. The concierge is more than qualified to find you any experience you want, from tours to in-room massages, but we wouldn’t hate a few more facilities on site.

How is the neighbourhood? Anything interesting nearby?

• Canal District: Central, scenic and quintessentially Amsterdam.
• Museum-rich: Anne Frank House, Foam and major museums all within easy reach.
• Easy exploring: Best discovered on foot, with cafés, shops and hidden corners everywhere.

Hotel 717’s location is fantastic.

In the heart of the canals, every excursion is a bit of an adventure. You’ll soon learn where to turn, though, since almost everything is easy to get to on foot.

The clusters of little museums that make Amsterdam such a cultural powerhouse are all along the canals.

The Anne Frank House is a 15-minute walk north, while the unique photography of Foam is just around the corner.

If you’d rather just do the classics, you can get to the Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum and the lovely Vondelpark in 15 minutes or less.

The Red Light District is basically the same distance.

And while you wander, you’ll find plenty of underrated nooks, cute cafes, coffee shops, some that look like Apple Stores, and some that certainly do not, the Amsterdam works.

And what about the reviews? What did other guests think?

Some things guests liked:

“A great stay in a wonderful hotel! It was a lovely cosy hotel, beautifully decorated , clean with thoughtful and kind staff….”

“Location is close to everything, just great. Highly recommend the hotel for sure, would not think of staying anywhere else….”

Some things guests didn’t like:

”Only a few hangers in the closet they were not enough for two people….”

”Our room was very small and we had to move furniture to be able to use the drawers….”

Read all the reviews right here