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The canal-house facade of Hotel Estheréa on the Singel, with a boat on the canal
Hotels

Hotel Estheréa: Family-Run on the Singel

Hotel Estheréa is a family-run four-star hotel of 93 rooms and suites in a row of 17th-century canal houses on the Singel. The same family has run it since the 1940s. Unusually for a canal-house hotel, every room can be reached by lift, and there is a car park underneath. It suits travellers who want a classic canal-belt hotel with the practical side taken care of.

Hotel Estheréa at a glance

Address Singel 303-309, 1012 WJ Amsterdam
Category 4 stars, independent and family-run
Rooms 93 according to the hotel: 91 rooms and 2 suites
Neighbourhood Canal belt, on the Singel near the Spui and the Nine Streets
Nearest tram Koningsplein, trams 2 and 24: 4 min walk
Nearest metro Rokin, metro 52: 7 min walk
Nearest train station Amsterdam Centraal: 19 min walk
Schiphol Airport Train to Amsterdam Centraal, then metro 52 to Rokin or tram 2 or 24 to Paleisstraat
Lift Two lifts; every room can be reached by lift
Food and drink Maria’s Bar for guests, room service 07:00–23:00 and a breakfast buffet; no restaurant
Facilities Small gym, library, bike rental and meeting rooms; air conditioning in all rooms
Check-in / check-out From 15:00 until midnight / sources give 11:00 or 12:00, so confirm with the hotel
Pets No; service animals welcome
Parking Small underground car park reached by a car lift, paid; height limit 1.95 m

Checked in November 2026 against the hotel’s own website and booking sites. Walking times from OpenStreetMap routing.

Why stay at the Estheréa

The Estheréa began as a guesthouse of twelve rooms. According to the director, Esther Esselaar, her grandmother took over the boarding house at Singel 307 in 1941, after her husband, who was in the resistance, died in the war, and the family says she sheltered people in hiding there. The hotel was named after a daughter of the founder.

Three generations later it is still run by the same family, and the bar carries the name of founder Maria Flieger-Gruyters. The hotel now fills a row of four 17th-century canal houses inside the UNESCO-listed canal ring, and has been rebuilt and renovated in stages over the years.

Its practical side is what sets it apart. Two lifts reach every room, all rooms have air conditioning, and there is an underground car park with its entrance on the Spuistraat. The Nine Streets are three minutes away, and the Spui and the Amsterdam Museum four.

The lobby of Hotel Estheréa in Amsterdam
The lobby. Photo: Booking.com

The rooms: what you should know before booking

Read the room description carefully before you book; these are the points that matter most here.

  • Size. Sizes vary because of the historic building. Classic rooms start at about 13 m², Luxury and Deluxe rooms at about 20 m², and the two suites are 30 m² and 55 m².
  • Views. Classic rooms face a courtyard, and Deluxe rooms face the Spuistraat or a courtyard. Book a Deluxe Canal View room if you want to look out over the Singel.
  • Families. Family rooms take up to four guests, and some rooms interconnect. Sources disagree on cots and extra beds, so confirm with the hotel before you book.
  • Lifts. Every room can be reached by one of the two lifts, which is rare in a row of canal houses.
A guest room at Hotel Estheréa in Amsterdam
A guest room. Photo: Booking.com

Restaurants, bars and facilities

Maria’s Bar

A bar for hotel guests only, open around the clock, with cocktails in the evening and food until 23:00. There is no full restaurant.

Breakfast and room service

A buffet breakfast is served in the breakfast room and costs extra unless your rate includes it. Room service runs from 07:00 to 23:00, including breakfast in the room.

Gym, library and bikes

A small gym, a library, bike rental and meeting rooms for up to 18 people. The whole hotel is non-smoking.

Car park

An underground car park with its entrance at Spuistraat 258, reached by a car lift. Spaces are limited, and vehicles may be at most 1.95 m high, 2.05 m wide and 5.10 m long.

The bar and lounge at Hotel Estheréa in Amsterdam
The bar and lounge. Photo: Booking.com

Getting there and getting around

From Schiphol Airport

Take the train to Amsterdam Centraal, then metro 52 one stop to Rokin, seven minutes on foot, or tram 2 or 24 to Paleisstraat, five minutes on foot.

From Amsterdam Centraal

It is about 19 minutes on foot (1.4 km). Trams 2 and 24 to Paleisstraat or Koningsplein, or metro 52 to Rokin, shorten the walk to a few minutes.

Getting around

The Nine Streets are three minutes away, the Spui and the Begijnhof four to six, and the Museum of the Canals six. Trams 2 and 24 from Koningsplein run to the Leidseplein and the Museumplein, trams 4 and 14 stop at Rokin, and metro 52 runs from Rokin to De Pijp and Amsterdam Zuid.

Nearest stops

Stop Walk to the hotel · lines
Koningsplein 4 min (320 m) · trams 2 and 24
Paleisstraat 5 min (390 m) · trams 2 and 24
Rokin 6 min (420 m) · trams 4 and 14
Rokin (metro) 7 min (560 m) · metro 52
Nieuwmarkt (metro) 16 min (1.2 km) · metros 51, 53 and 54
Amsterdam Centraal (train) 19 min (1.4 km) · trains to Schiphol and the rest of the Netherlands

Walking times measured with OpenStreetMap routing, November 2026. Lines as in the GVB timetable.

What is around the Estheréa

Place Walk from the hotel · why go
The Nine Streets 3 min (230 m) · Small independent shops across four canals
Spui 4 min (330 m) · Square with bookshops, a book market on Fridays
Museum of the Canals 6 min (420 m) · How the canal ring was planned and built
Begijnhof 6 min (420 m) · A hidden courtyard of old houses off the Spui
Houseboat Museum 6 min (480 m) · Walk through a houseboat on the Prinsengracht
Dam Square and the Royal Palace 8 min (590 m) · The city’s main square, with the 17th-century palace on one side
Westerkerk 10 min (750 m) · The church tower above the Anne Frank House
Anne Frank House 11 min (810 m) · Tickets only online, released six weeks ahead
Rembrandtplein 12 min (930 m) · Cafés and terraces; an ice rink in winter

Staying here in winter

The Amsterdam Light Festival (26 November 2026 to 17 January 2027) lights up the canals around the hotel, and the Christmas tree on the Dam is about eight minutes on foot. The ice rink on the Rembrandtplein is about 12 minutes away.

Frequently asked questions

What is the nearest tram stop to Hotel Estheréa?

Koningsplein, served by trams 2 and 24, is about four minutes on foot from Hotel Estheréa, and Paleisstraat about five. The nearest metro is Rokin (metro 52), about seven minutes away.

Does Hotel Estheréa have a lift?

Yes. Hotel Estheréa has two lifts, and every room can be reached by lift, which is unusual for a canal-house hotel.

What are the check-in and check-out times at Hotel Estheréa?

Check-in at Hotel Estheréa is from 15:00 until midnight, with no check-in after hours. Sources give check-out as 11:00 or 12:00, so confirm the time with the hotel.

Does Hotel Estheréa have parking?

Yes. Hotel Estheréa has a small paid underground car park with its entrance at Spuistraat 258, reached by a car lift. The height limit is 1.95 m and spaces are limited.

Are pets allowed at Hotel Estheréa?

No. Pets are not allowed at Hotel Estheréa. Service animals are welcome.

Does Hotel Estheréa have a restaurant?

No. Hotel Estheréa has Maria’s Bar for guests, open around the clock, a buffet breakfast and room service from 07:00 to 23:00, but no full restaurant.

Do rooms at Hotel Estheréa have a canal view?

Only some. At Hotel Estheréa, Classic rooms face a courtyard and Deluxe rooms the Spuistraat or a courtyard. Book a Deluxe Canal View room to look out over the Singel.

Other hotels nearby

Compare the whole area on our canal belt hotels page, or start with where to stay in Amsterdam.