The Zuidas is Amsterdam's business district, a strip of office towers along the A10 ring road with the RAI convention centre at its eastern end. People stay here for a trade fair, a meeting or an early flight, and it does that job well: Amsterdam Zuid and Amsterdam RAI stations are a few minutes' walk away, with direct trains to Schiphol and the metro into the centre. It is not the Amsterdam of postcards, and it does not pretend to be.
Who this area suits
This part of Amsterdam-Zuid suits business travellers, conference and trade-fair visitors at the RAI, and anyone who values a fast connection to Schiphol over a canal view. The nhow Amsterdam RAI stands right next to the convention centre; citizenM Amsterdam South is a few minutes from Amsterdam Zuid station and on the edge of Beatrixpark. Leisure travellers can make it work too: metro 52 runs from Europaplein and Zuid under the old city to Rokin and Centraal, and trams 5 and 24 head north towards Museumplein and the centre.
The trade-off is atmosphere. Around the stations the streets are wide, modern and quiet in the evening, especially at weekends when the offices empty, and the canal ring is a metro or tram ride away rather than a stroll. On foot, Museumplein is close to half an hour from citizenM and the Albert Cuyp market about the same from the nhow. Rates and availability near the RAI also follow the events calendar: during big fairs the hotels fill with delegates.
| To the centre | About 10 minutes by metro from the RAI to Rokin and about 12 to Centraal; metro 52 from Europaplein and Amsterdam Zuid runs straight under the old city |
| To Schiphol Airport | About 10 minutes by train from Amsterdam RAI; Schiphol is one direct stop from Amsterdam Zuid |
| Trams | Tram 4 at Station RAI; trams 5 and 25 at Prinses Irenestraat and Station Zuid; tram 24 at Beethovenstraat |
| Nearest big sight | Museumplein, Concertgebouw and the Van Gogh Museum, 25 to 28 minutes on foot from citizenM Amsterdam South |
| Best for | Trade fairs and congresses at the RAI, business trips to the Zuidas, early flights, travellers who want parks and the metro close by |
| Less good for | First-time visitors who want to walk out among canals and old houses, and evenings out on foot |
The hotels we have reviewed here
nhow Amsterdam RAI
Europaboulevard 2b, 1078 RV Amsterdam
A 650-room tower next to the RAI convention centre, designed by OMA as three stacked, slightly rotated triangles and opened in January 2020 as the largest hotel in the Benelux. Amsterdam RAI station is 4 minutes on foot, and the top floors hold a Latin American restaurant and cocktail bar with views over the city. It suits congress and trade-fair visitors and anyone who wants a big modern hotel by the metro and train. Read our full guide.
citizenM Amsterdam South
Prinses Irenestraat 30, 1077 WX Amsterdam
A compact design hotel where every room is the same 14 m2, with one wall-to-wall king bed and a see-through shower pod; check-in is by self-service kiosk and the hotel is cashless. Trams 5 and 25 stop 2 minutes away and Amsterdam Zuid station is about 7 minutes on foot. It suits couples and solo travellers rather than families or colleagues who need separate beds. Read our full guide.
Getting into town
Two stations serve this part of Amsterdam-Zuid. Amsterdam Zuid, about 7 minutes on foot from citizenM, has trains and metro lines 50, 51 and 52. Amsterdam RAI, 4 minutes from the nhow, has trains and metro lines 50 and 51. For the old centre, metro 52 is the most direct: from Amsterdam Zuid or Europaplein (6 minutes from the nhow) it runs via De Pijp, Vijzelgracht and Rokin to Centraal Station, and the nhow gives about 10 minutes to Rokin and 12 to Centraal. Metro 51 from Zuid and RAI also reaches Centraal, by a route through the east of the city.
Trams are slower but useful for the museums and the canal ring. Tram 4 runs from Station RAI towards the centre and Centraal; trams 5 and 25 stop at Prinses Irenestraat and Station Zuid, with tram 5 heading towards the Museum Quarter and tram 25 through De Pijp; tram 24 from Beethovenstraat, 8 minutes from citizenM, runs to Centraal.
From Schiphol Airport the trip is short: the nhow gives about 10 minutes by train to Amsterdam RAI, and Amsterdam Zuid is one direct stop from Schiphol. Neither hotel runs an airport shuttle, but with the station this close, an early flight is straightforward.
What is around you
| Place | Walk |
|---|---|
| Beatrixpark | Quiet park on the edge of the Zuidas · 2 min from citizenM, 7 from nhow |
| RAI Amsterdam | Convention and exhibition centre on the Europaplein · 6 min from nhow, 14 from citizenM |
| Zuidas (Gustav Mahlerplein) | Business district of office towers around Amsterdam Zuid station · 9 min from citizenM |
| Amstelpark | Park laid out for the 1972 Floriade, with a rhododendron valley and the Riekermolen windmill · 10 min from nhow |
| Concertgebouw | Amsterdam's main concert hall, on the edge of Museumplein · 25 min from citizenM |
| Museumplein | Square with the Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum and Stedelijk Museum around it · 28 min from citizenM |
| Albert Cuyp Market | Long-running street market in De Pijp · 29 min from nhow |
Frequently asked questions
Is Amsterdam-Zuid a good area to stay for sightseeing?
The RAI and Zuidas part of Amsterdam-Zuid is practical rather than picturesque. Metro 52 from Amsterdam Zuid or Europaplein runs under the old city to Rokin and Centraal Station, so sightseeing is easy, but you will not have canals outside the door. It suits trade-fair visitors, business travellers and people with an early flight best.
How far is the RAI in Amsterdam-Zuid from the city centre?
From the RAI in Amsterdam-Zuid it is about 10 minutes by metro to Rokin in the old centre and about 12 minutes to Centraal Station. Metro 52 leaves from Europaplein, a few minutes' walk from the convention centre, and tram 4 from Station RAI also runs to the centre.
How do I get from Schiphol Airport to Amsterdam-Zuid?
Take a direct train from Schiphol. Amsterdam Zuid is one stop away, and Amsterdam RAI station is about 10 minutes by train. In Amsterdam-Zuid, citizenM Amsterdam South is about 7 minutes on foot from Amsterdam Zuid station, and nhow Amsterdam RAI is about 4 minutes from Amsterdam RAI station.
Which hotel in Amsterdam-Zuid is closest to the RAI convention centre?
In Amsterdam-Zuid, nhow Amsterdam RAI stands right next to the RAI convention centre, about 6 minutes on foot, with Amsterdam RAI station 4 minutes away. citizenM Amsterdam South is about 14 minutes on foot from the RAI, closer to Amsterdam Zuid station and Beatrixpark.
Compare other areas on where to stay in Amsterdam.
