Sir Albert Hotel, De Pijp

The Sir Albert Hotel is located in the trendy De Pijp district of Amsterdam. It is a charming neighbourhood with a domestic small village vibe going on. There are many good restaurants in the area and the Rijks Museum is literally only a stone’s throw away.

The Sir Albert is a member of the Design Hotels brand, which means that – being a ‘boutique hotel’ – you as the guest will have to go without some of the usual facilities you would find in a normal hotel, like laundry service or a gym. And so, my first impression is of a somewhat pretentious facility trying just a bit too hard. But first impressions can be misleading and in fact, as it turns out, the hotel is rather nice. I just do not get those hippos on the wall…

Rooms are fairly large, bright and airy, with high ceilings and large windows. Some rooms have a bath, while others, like mine, only have a shower. Bathroom amenities are provided by a brand called Dead Clean, which I was previously unfamiliar with. Apparently the name derives from the fact that they use salt from the Dead Sea. In any case, the scent is very nice.

The hotel’s staff are generally very friendly and helpful and will try to accommodate or help in any way they can.

To reach the Sir Albert, take either tram line 16 or 24 from the Central Station and alight at the stop named Albert Cuypert. From there, the hotel is another two minutes walk along the tram lines on your left hand side.