This dispatch is part of From the Window Seat, a series of immersive, long-form personal trip reflections, in-depth destination pieces, and sharp hospitality evaluations grounded in firsthand reporting and personal experience.
Ed. note: Select experiences featured in this article were hosted. As always, I only recommend experiences I genuinely enjoyed, and all opinions are entirely my own.
Some places get you worked up well before you’ve ever set foot in them. Places like Mallorca or Tokyo are so buzzy that their reputations have become larger than life; if you mention you’re visiting soon, there’s a good chance many of the people you talk to will react knowingly, positively, maybe even enviously. Other places, like Amsterdam, are a bit more understated. Before visiting for the first time, I had zero expectations. No pressurized excitement threatening to boil over. Which was just as well, because it gave this Dutch city the chance to surprise me, and in a shocking twist, become a new favorite.
The first time around, I was not familiar with Amsterdam’s game. The tree-lined canals, with their sparkling waters framed by cobblestone streets, absolutely charmed me. I loved the city’s sheer density; as a New Yorker, I appreciate volume, but Amsterdam somehow felt quaint in spite of it. Seeing more bicycles than cars was a novelty, and at the risk of sounding naive, everything felt like the most idealized version of itself. After that first sun-soaked day, I simply could not get enough.
We all have places we long to return to, and Amsterdam was one of those for me. But the world is vast, and the list of places still to see is long, so return visits can be tough. These days, my job often determines where I’ll go, and as fate would have it, a recent press trip brought me back to this magical city I was so desperate to get to know even better.
Read on for:
An interactive map of all 82 places I’ve saved in Amsterdam, including personal favorites and spots on my radar for next time
An inside look at one of Amsterdam’s most coveted luxury hotels (a new addition to my hotel hall of fame)
Why upgrading one specific must-do activity I’ve done before is worth every penny
My favorite vintage store, an only-in-Amsterdam experience, and more must-see/try/do favorites
A grand hotel in the museum quarter. During my first visit, I stayed on the outskirts of town, so this time, I was thrilled to be more in the heart of it. The Mandarin Oriental Conservatorium is on many must-stay lists, and for good reason. To start: it’s located in the Museum Quarter, just steps from the Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh Museum, with Vondelpark just around the corner. A tram stop is literally right outside the front door, so getting around couldn’t be easier. But what I loved most was how certain rooms retain the character of traditional Dutch architecture.
I love walking into a hotel room and immediately feeling like I’m staying somewhere unique, and my Grand Junior Suite delivered. Exposed dark wood beams ran along the ceiling, while small, arched windows with shutters evoked the charm of an Amsterdam cottage attic. At 600 square feet it was generously sized, although the sloped ceilings ate into some of that spaciousness for someone who is practically six feet tall. But the bathroom more than made up for it: massive and completely swathed in stone, from floor to ceiling, with a deep soaking tub—your own in-room spa!