With only 40 hotel rooms located inside two historic canal-side buildings, the Dylan boasts as one of Amsterdam's Top Luxury hotels. And our recent Winter Staycation certainly proved why that is the case...
The 17th Century building that used to function as a theatre is more than a showstopper. The grand courtyard entrance leads way to a spectacularly elegant hotel. Given that it is located on one of Amsterdam's most highly esteemed canals, the Keizersgracht, you would of course expect grandeur from the central boutique hotel. The prestige of The Dylan is comfortably combined with a sense of snug warmth throughout.
The Hotel
Prior to our stay, we were impressed with the attentiveness of the Hotel Reservations and Client services team. They were very helpful in explaining new regulations, planning our dinner reservations and we were thoroughly delighted at the various option of 'room style' we were presented. When staying at The Dylan, you have the rather difficult choice of deciphering which room interior you prefer to stay in! (more details under 'The Room', below).
The arrival procedure was flawless, and the attention to detail and towards guests is impeccable. Not to mention the herbal tea and fresh baked biscuits which were a welcomed treat...
The location of the hotel is in one of the most elegant and accessible areas of Amsterdam city centre. With the 9 Streets (Negen Straatjes) on your doorstep, and as a guest you can also hire a bike to view the city and canal streets. Boat tours are also on offer (when regulations allow).
The Bar
We loved the like nooks in the hotel where you can cosy up with a drink by the fire, or sit by one of the stunning original windows and daze out onto a courtyard decorated with dainty Christmas lights. You can certainly see why the hotel was selected as a SLH (Small Luxury Hotel) of the world.
After-Dinner tipple by the fire? We think so. The cocktails were delightful and seasoned to festive perfection!
Our favourites were : Long Winter (Calvados, Pisco, Port, Pear, Cinnamon & Lemon), Tea Party (Dutch Apple pie inspired with Vodka, Vanilla, Apple Pie Liquor & Orange Confiture), Jimador Fashioned (Tequila, Mezcal, Agave & Cardamom Bitters) & The Dylan variation on an Espresso Martini - 'Coffee Break' (Genever, Coffee liquor, Hazelnut, Almon and Espresso).
The Food
Our staycation included a voucher towards dinner (check the website for deals when the hotels reopen, as they vary) and we opted to book the OCCO Bar Brasserie for a laid-back casual dinner (mainly as we wanted to save the Michelin * dinner at Vinkeles - situated in an 18th Century bakery and serving contemporary French cuisine prepared by Executive Chef Dennis Kuipers - for a separate occasion. Plus, our Champagne Bath was waiting...)
OCCO offered exactly what we were looking for after a long week of Zoom calls and work-from-home stresses. A no-fuss, delicious, fresh menu. We started (in true Decadent Dammers style) with our usual Oysters (Mix of Dutch Oysters) with an offering of fresh bread and salted local butter. This was followed by a main course of Seabass with tomato, asparagus, aged gouda cheese and creamy lobster sauce - which was utterly mouthwatering!
We then ended the evening by the fireside, with our dessert cocktails talking about how ready we were to delve into 2021.
The Room
Going back to what we mentioned previously, one of the most exciting elements of our hotel say was prior to arrival, you can select your "style" of room.
The options are between:
Original building with a view over the Garden
Amber style (colours black/wood tones/grey and beige) – bathroom with a bathtub or a shower
Loxura style (colours copper with pastels) – bathroom with a bathtub or a shower
Serendipity building with a view over the Atrium
Serendipity style (natural warming shades of brown and grey) – bathroom with a shower
After a few hours (days) going forwards and backwards over our decision (as they are all so beautiful) - we opted for the Loxura Style room (with bathtub - because, why wouldn't you?!)
The Loxura stood out to us as having an authentic design that we hadn't seen before - copper tones (which we love) with a hint of colour, but still owning the earthiness of the historic building we were staying in, with think beams and dark mood lighting.
We were accompanied to our room for an arrival tour, music set the ambience with dimmed lighting. The grand bed stood central in the glamorous room, with digital mod-cons such as a tablet screen where you could learn more about the hotel's history, order room service or a massage and leave a hotel review. The mini-bar was fully stocked with all of the best liquors and wines, and the coffee machine was a welcomed treat when we woke up the next morning.
The additional luxurious features were the gorgeous views over the courtyard and the deep bath tub - match that with a glass of champagne and a cosy bath robe and we are officially not leaving the hotel for the foreseeable future!
We ended our fantastic stay with breakfast in bed the next morning. We ordered the Avocado Sandwich (Toasted whole wheat bread, avocado, poached egg & pink pepper) accompanied with a coffee from our coffee machine in the room. We relaxed watching Sunday morning cooking programme's on TV whilst also reading the SLH book you are provided in each room, dreaming of all of the travels and stunning hotels we would encounter globally when time allows.
For now, feeling thankful for being able to stay and enjoy the outstanding Dylan hotel that we are so lucky to have nearby in Amsterdam.
Thank you to all of the staff at The Dylan Hotel. Everything from Guest services before our arrival, to the personable & chic check-in, guided room tour, stunningly delicious dinner and impeccable dining and bar service, followed by the room service breakfast - it was outstanding.
We can't wait to return to review Vinkeles Michelin Star restaurant.
What a magical Winter stay!
Website: https://www.dylanamsterdam.com/
Address: Keizersgracht 384, 1016 GB Amsterdam
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