Many hotels claim to be unique. By comparison, Lloyd Hotel makes the rest blend quietly into the background. For this hotel is one big shackle-free experiment, with ‘wow factor’ in bucket loads. On first impression, the interior is more design gallery than hotel. But look closer, this is very much a place to stay, offering a wide spectrum of rooms from small and simple to large and comfortable. Form and function do indeed work in tandem here.
From the outside, the building is a foreboding monolith. Built in the 1920s in Amsterdam’s now up and coming docklands, it has served as a migrants’ boarding house, detention centre, young offenders’ prison and artists’ squat - all acknowledged in the design of the hotel (and the interesting display on the staircase), with the architecture acting as a kind of exorcism, freeing the building from its old role as oppressor. As for the rooms, you have everything from the sublime (a mezzanine bed spanning 4m, above a concert piano) to the ordinary (functional, starkly white rooms flooded with light). So your experience depends very much on the room you choose.
Highs
- Remarkable architecture and installation art
- Very friendly staff and a complete lack of snootiness
- The airy restaurant space is fantastic - note that this is the main social space for the hotel, there is no lounge space - and the food is pretty good too
- Great value, especially out of season
- A good option for families
Lows
- The hotel is currently closed for a big refurbishment and is not due to reopen until autumn 2022
- It's 5-10 minutes outside the city centre in the regenerated old docklands area (there's a tram stop adjacent)
- Budget rooms have shared bathrooms, and some others have open-plan bathrooms in the bedroom
- Some rooms have a (deliberately) stark boarding-house feel to them which is may or may not suit your tastes
- Breakfast is not included in the rates
Best time to go
Spring is the best time to visit Amsterdam. The tulips are out, the days are often sunny and the summer crowds have not yet descended. In July and August it can get hot and humid, with mosquitoes breeding in the canals - though if you like the buzz of a crowded city, then this is a good time to visit. Winter in Amsterdam can be bitter.
Our top tips
It's only a 25-30minute walk to both the Ship Museum and the NEMO Science Museum, both are excellent, the latter is particularly good for families. Get a day travel pass when you arrive, trams and buses are super easy to navigate and very frequent.
- Boutique Hotel
- 117 rooms
- Restaurant and bar
- All ages welcome
- Open all year
- Pool
- Spa Treatments
- Beach nearby
- Pet Friendly
- Disabled Access
- Car not necessary
- Parking
- Restaurants Nearby
- WiFi
- Air Conditioning
- Guest Lounge
- Terrace
- Garden
- Gym
- Concierge Service
- Music room
- Board games
Rooms
Describing the rooms at Lloyd Hotel is no simple matter. There are a lot of them, and no two are exactly alike. The hotel prides itself on catering to all types and all wallets.
Strewn throughout are artefacts and works of installation art from the best of Amsterdam’s designers, architects and artists. There are antique trestle tables from Lithuania, unusual lamps, fold-away bathrooms, bespoke curtains and ‘soft knobs’ for hanging clothes. A few of the more outlandish features in the most expensive rooms include a grand piano, vast bathtubs and a couple of palatial beds that can sleep 7 people (that’s one big duvet), as well as 3 rooms which have a swing.
The smallest rooms (more like sleeper cabins than hotel rooms) are tiny but nevertheless attractive, highly functional and quite hip. Put together by a well-known Dutch designer, they make great use of minimal space, with raised beds (stow your luggage beneath), funky hooks on the wall in place of wardrobes, and magnetic lamps that can be moved about on the metal-plated walls. The original tiles add a colourful touch, while the curtains are works of art in themselves. Bathrobes are provided for your stroll to the shared bathroom.
Features include:
- WiFi
Eating
Lloyd Hotel has an all-day restaurant set in the extraordinary open space on the ground floor. There's a wide range of classic European dishes on offer, including veggie, vegan and gluten-free options. The hotel prides itself on using animal-friendly, low-food-mileage suppliers: the eggs are on your plate less than 10 hours after being laid, the fish is bought straight from the boat, and the organic veggies are cultivated as close to home as possible.
Breakfast is an expensive but expansive spread of fruits, cereals, pastries, cheeses and cold meats. The fresh baked baguettes are to die for, and with so many savoury options it can last you through till the evening.
Features include:
- Children's meals
- Restaurant
- Restaurants nearby
Activities
- Explore the hip new Oostelijk Havengebied quarter, Amsterdam’s ‘New East’, in which Lloyd Hotel is located - which features narrow streets, low-lying canal houses, flash new apartments, design stores and cutting edge architecture
- Jump on tram 7 for a loop of the grand canals. Stop at Museumplein for a tour of the city’s great museums and art galleries
- Visit NEMO, a modern museum of science and technology set in the middle of Oosterdok in a stunning building designed by Renzo Piano (it looks like the prow of a ship)
- Wander around a full-size replica of the Amsterdam, one of the East India Company’s ships, which is moored up at the Scheepvart (Maritime) Museum
- Nightlife
- Shopping / markets
Activities on site or nearby include:
Kids
Children are welcome, and the friendly, unfussy atmosphere makes it easy for parents to relax and kids to make new friends. Cots are free, extra beds are available for a supplement in the larger rooms.
Amsterdam is a great city to bring children to: there are plenty of exciting things for all the family such a canal cruise, visiting a working windmill or historical dungeon. And the renowned museums all have special kids activities. The city is easy to get about and children will love being by the canals.
Best for:
Children (4-12 years), Teens (over 12)
Family friendly accommodation:
Two rooms can interconnect. The Comfort and Superior Rooms have space for 3 adults, while the Suites can accommodate 4 people in total and come with bathtubs. Three rooms have a swing! Two of the Suites have a 7-person bed!
Cots Available, Extra Beds Available
Children's meals:
There are kid-friendly dishes on the menu such as pasta and burger and fries, and children pay half-price for dishes
Kids Activities nearby:
- Science Centre NEMO
- Ship museum
- Several playgrounds nearby
- Canal cruises
Families Should Know:
There is a road in front of the hotel but it isn't too busy. Behind the hotel is a terrace and play field with a basketball cage
Distances:
- Airport: 30 minutes
- Hospital: 10 minutes
- Shops: 1 minute
For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection
Location
Lloyd Hotel is centrally situated in the fashionable heart of Amsterdam’s Eastern Docklands Area - the 'New East' area. Rietlandpark is the nearest tram stop (on line 26).
By Air:
Fly into Schiphol Airport (15km).
From the Airport
Amsterdam Central Station is a 20-minute direct train ride from Schiphol Airport. From here it’s a 5-minute taxi ride to the Lloyd Hotel, or you can take the 26 tram which stops fairly close to the hotel at Rietlandpark. A taxi from the airport will cost from around EUR 50.
By Train:
Eurostar operates direct trains from London St Pancras to Amsterdam.
By Train & Ferry:
You can take a ferry and train combination from Newcastle, Hull or London (via Harwich).
By Car:
Amsterdam is easily explored by bicycle, public transport and on foot so you won't really need a car. However, if you want to hire one to see the surrounding region, see our car rental recommendations.
Detailed directions will be sent to you when you book through i-escape.
More on getting to Amsterdam and getting around
Airports:
- Amsterdam-Schiphol 15.0 km AMS
Other:
- Beach 20.0 km
- Shops 0.1 km
- Restaurant 0.1 km