Hotels in Netherlands

Find out what to expect of hotels in Holland with our guide on where to stay...

Hotels in the Netherlands offer a good variety of accommodation, from the busy cities of Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Utrecht to the flatlands which make for perfect cycling terrain.

Most visitors to the Netherlands will stay in Amsterdam. The city is small enough to easily walk from one side to the other so most hotels are within easy access of the centre. Visitors looking to experience the true Amsterdam culture should stay in Dam Square due to its ease of access and close proximity to all the main attractions.

Rotterdam hotels are ideal for exploring this pretty port city. Rotterdam is also connected to The Hague, the seat of government in the Netherlands, by public transport in around 20 minutes, so it’s a good spot to take tours of this city and seat of power.

The canal-crossed, car-free city centre of Utrecht is a pleasant place to spend some time, though it has nowhere near as many attractions as Amsterdam. Still, if you’re looking for a quieter and authentic slice of Dutch life, consider checking in at one of the lovely hotels in Utrecht.

Even the most basic hotels in the Netherlands nearly always offer high standards of cleanliness and are rarely dirty or grotty. In essence you get what you pay for and you can rest assured that visitors rarely get ripped off with high prices.

Most Netherlands hotels offer rooms on a bed and breakfast basis, which is handy because few restaurants, especially in Amsterdam, serve morning meals. Traditional Dutch breakfasts usually consist of a hard-boiled egg, some sliced meat and cheese, bread and coffee.

This European gem has been polished by centuries of history, meaning there’s plenty to see and do...

Top five attractions

Amsterdam

Stylish, laid-back and liberal. Amsterdam is the jewel in the Netherlands’ crown – a vast collection of bars, restaurants, museums and cafes set around a delightful network of canals make this city a must-see.

Hoge Veluwe

This is a wonderful National Park that stretches from sand dunes to woodlands and houses the Kröller-Müller Museum and its superb collection of Vincent Van Gogh paintings. Bicycles are free to hire for visitors.

Rijksmuseum

Amsterdam’s main art and history museum houses a mighty collection of paintings from Dutch artists with some highly important bodies of work from the likes of Rembrandt and Vermeer.

Delta Project

Not a traditional tourist attraction by any stretch of the imagination, but a huge engineering project designed to protect the lowland areas of South Holland and Zeeland from the advance of the North Sea. The vast network of dikes, dams and barriers are slowly becoming popular as a visitor attraction.

The Vrijthof

Maastricht’s most fashionable city square – the Vrijthof – is rapidly becoming one of the most photographed sights in the Netherlands. Flanked by St Jan’s Cathedral and St Servatius Church, it’s a picturesque place to enjoy a coffee and watch the world go by.

The Dutch are experts in entertainment. Why else do you think there are so many events in the Netherlands?

King’s Day; April: One of the biggest national parties in the whole of Europe. It seems every single person in the Netherlands dresses in orange and heads out on to the streets to toast the king and celebrate national pride.

Flower Parade; May: Tulips from the Netherlands are known throughout the world. This annual parade makes the 12-hour journey from Noordwijk to Haarlem just to celebrate the iconic flowers. Elaborate floats decorated in flowers are displayed in Haarlem for much of the following day.

Christmas Markets; December: Christmas is a huge event for the Dutch, which is why they enjoy laying on giant Christmas markets in towns and cities. The main market is held in Maastricht – the city centre is elaborately decorated with thousands of lights to set the festive mood.