The Waldorf Astoria Amsterdam is six seventeenth- and eighteenth-century canal palaces on the Herengracht, joined into one five-star hotel with 93 rooms and suites. It sits on the quiet southern stretch of the canal belt, four minutes on foot from the Rembrandtplein, with a Guerlain spa, an indoor pool and a large courtyard garden behind the houses. It suits a special trip, a couple who came for the canals, and anyone who wants the old city at its most polished.
Waldorf Astoria Amsterdam at a glance
| Address | Herengracht 542–556, 1017 CG Amsterdam |
|---|---|
| Category | 5 stars, Waldorf Astoria (Hilton). Five-star rating in the Forbes Travel Guide 2026 Star Awards |
| Rooms | 93 rooms and suites, facing the canal or the courtyard garden |
| Neighbourhood | Canal belt, between the Rembrandtplein and the Utrechtsestraat |
| Nearest tram | Keizersgracht (Utrechtsestraat), tram 4: 3 min walk · Rembrandtplein, trams 4 and 14: 4 min |
| Nearest metro | Waterlooplein (51, 53, 54): 7 min walk · Vijzelgracht (52): 9 min · Rokin (52): 10 min |
| Nearest train station | Amsterdam Centraal: about 13 min by metro, or 26 min on foot (1.9 km) |
| Schiphol Airport | About 22 km by road. Train to Centraal, then metro to Waterlooplein |
| Lift | Yes, but some rooms can only be reached by stairs. Check the room description |
| Spa and pool | Guerlain Spa with indoor pool, sauna and steam room. Booking ahead required |
| Dining | Peacock Alley (all day, afternoon tea), Vault Bar. Restaurant Spectrum closed in May 2026 |
| Check-in / check-out | From 15:00 / until 12:00 |
| Pets | Allowed. Ask the hotel about conditions and charges |
| Parking | Valet parking, charged per day |
Checked in November 2026 against the hotel’s own website and Booking.com. Walking times from Google Maps.
Why stay at the Waldorf Astoria
Most canal-belt hotels are one narrow house, or two knocked together. The Waldorf Astoria is six, and they are not ordinary ones. The houses at Herengracht 542 to 556 were built as homes for wealthy Amsterdam families in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Later they housed a bank, and the hotel opened in them on 1 May 2014 after a long restoration.
What you notice inside is the scale. Ceilings are high, rooms are wide, and the main staircase is attributed to Daniel Marot, the French-born architect who trained in Paris and later worked for the Dutch court of William III. Where a typical canal house gives you a steep stair and a room the width of a corridor, this one gives you a ballroom-era hallway and a lift.
Behind the houses is the other thing money bought in the seventeenth century: garden. The hotel’s courtyard runs back from the canal houses and is one of the larger private green spaces in the canal belt. In spring it is planted with tulips, including a variety the hotel had named after itself.
The rooms: what you should know before booking
Because the hotel is six historic buildings, no two rooms are quite alike. That is the charm and the reason to read the room description carefully.
- Canal or garden. Rooms face either the Herengracht or the courtyard. Canal rooms have the view; garden rooms are quieter, because sound from boats and bicycles carries across water.
- Stairs. The hotel has lifts, but some rooms can only be reached by stairs. If that matters, ask before you book rather than at check-in.
- Families. A baby cot fits from the King Grand Premier category upwards. Extra beds go only in the larger suites.
- Size. Rooms start at about 28 m² and the largest suites are well over 100 m², which is unusual for the canal belt.
Spa, dining and bars
Guerlain Spa
The spa has an indoor pool, a sauna, a steam room, a gym and treatment rooms run with Guerlain products. Pool and spa need booking in advance, also for hotel guests. Children under 16 can use the spa only with an adult.
Peacock Alley
The hotel’s all-day lounge and the place for the afternoon tea, served under the high ceilings of the canal houses.
Vault Bar
A cocktail bar in the former vault of the bank that once occupied the buildings. Intimate, and at its best in the evening.
Spectrum has closed. The hotel’s two-Michelin-star restaurant Spectrum, led by chef Sidney Schutte, closed at the end of May 2026 after twelve years. The hotel has said a new restaurant concept is in development. Many guides and booking sites still list Spectrum; ignore them.
Getting there and getting around
From Schiphol Airport
Take the train from Schiphol to Amsterdam Centraal (14 to 19 minutes), then metro 51, 53 or 54 to Waterlooplein and walk seven minutes along the Herengracht. If you would rather skip the crowds at Centraal, take the train to Amsterdam Zuid instead and metro 52 to Vijzelgracht, nine minutes on foot from the hotel. By taxi it is about 22 km. The airport bus 397 stops at Leidseplein and the Museumplein, which is less convenient for this side of the canal belt.
From Amsterdam Centraal
Metro 51, 53 or 54 to Waterlooplein is the quickest way: about 13 minutes door to door. Tram 4 runs from Centraal via the Dam and the Rembrandtplein to the Keizersgracht stop on the Utrechtsestraat, three minutes from the hotel, and tram 14 stops at the Rembrandtplein, four minutes away. On foot it is 1.9 km, about 26 minutes.
Nearest stops
| Stop | Walk to the hotel · lines |
|---|---|
| Keizersgracht (Utrechtsestraat) | 3 min (200 m) · tram 4 to Centraal, Rembrandtplein and RAI |
| Rembrandtplein | 4 min (280 m) · trams 4 and 14; tram 14 continues to Waterlooplein and ARTIS |
| Waterlooplein | 7 min (500 m) · metro 51, 53 and 54 to Centraal |
| Vijzelgracht | 9 min (650 m) · metro 52 to Centraal, De Pijp and Amsterdam Zuid |
| Rokin | 10 min (750 m) · metro 52 |
| Amsterdam Centraal | 26 min (1.9 km) · trains to Schiphol and the rest of the Netherlands |
Walking times from Google Maps, November 2026.
Inside the canal belt you will walk most of the time: almost everything on this page is within twenty minutes. A GVB day ticket or the I amsterdam City Card pays off if you plan to reach the Museumplein, De Pijp or Amsterdam Noord. The hotel also has bicycles for guests.
What is around the Waldorf Astoria
This end of the canal belt is where the canals meet the Amstel. It is quieter than the Leidseplein side, close to the Rembrandtplein, and has one of the best restaurant streets in the centre around the corner.
| Place | Walk from the hotel · why go |
|---|---|
| Huis Willet-Holthuysen | 3 min (200 m) · A furnished canal house on the same canal, run by the Amsterdam Museum |
| Rembrandtplein | 4 min (280 m) · Cafés, terraces and in winter an ice rink |
| Museum Van Loon | 6 min (400 m) · A merchant house on the Keizersgracht with its own garden and coach house |
| Bloemenmarkt | 7 min (500 m) · The floating flower market on the Singel |
| Magere Brug | 8 min (550 m) · The white drawbridge over the Amstel, lit at night |
| H’ART Museum | 8 min (600 m) · Exhibitions on the Amstel, and a Light Festival boat dock |
| Rembrandt House Museum | 12 min (850 m) · The house where Rembrandt lived and worked |
| Rijksmuseum | 16 min (1.1 km) · Along the Herengracht and the Nieuwe Spiegelstraat antiques street |
Walking times from Google Maps, November 2026.
For the canal district as a whole, start with the Museum of the Canals on the Herengracht, or see them from the water on a canal cruise.
Staying here in winter
From 26 November 2026 to 17 January 2027 the Amsterdam Light Festival fills the canals around the Amstel with light artworks, and some of its cruises leave from the H’ART Museum dock, a short walk from the hotel. The ice rink on the Rembrandtplein is four minutes away. Book the hotel early for Christmas and New Year’s Eve; those nights sell out first and cost the most.
Frequently asked questions
Does the Waldorf Astoria Amsterdam have a lift?
Yes. The hotel has lifts, but because it is spread over six historic canal houses, some rooms can only be reached by stairs. Check the room description or ask the hotel before booking if stairs are a problem.
Does the Waldorf Astoria Amsterdam have a pool?
Yes, an indoor pool in the Guerlain Spa, with a sauna and steam room. Use of the pool and spa must be booked in advance.
Is restaurant Spectrum still open?
No. Spectrum, the hotel’s two-Michelin-star restaurant, closed at the end of May 2026. Peacock Alley serves food all day, including afternoon tea, and the Vault Bar serves cocktails and small plates. The hotel has announced a new restaurant concept.
What is the nearest tram stop to the Waldorf Astoria Amsterdam?
Keizersgracht on the Utrechtsestraat, served by tram 4, three minutes on foot (200 m). The Rembrandtplein stop, for trams 4 and 14, is four minutes away. The nearest metro station is Waterlooplein (lines 51, 53 and 54), seven minutes on foot.
How do I get from Schiphol to the Waldorf Astoria Amsterdam?
Take the train to Amsterdam Centraal (14 to 19 minutes), then metro 51, 53 or 54 to Waterlooplein and walk seven minutes. Alternatively take the train to Amsterdam Zuid and metro 52 to Vijzelgracht, nine minutes on foot from the hotel.
Are pets allowed at the Waldorf Astoria Amsterdam?
Yes, pets are allowed. Ask the hotel about conditions and any charge before you arrive.
Do canal-view rooms at the Waldorf Astoria get noisy?
The Herengracht is one of the quieter canals at night, but sound carries across water. Rooms on the garden side are quieter.
Other hotels on the canal belt
Compare the whole area on our canal belt hotels page, or start with where to stay in Amsterdam.