You can read my itinerary of what to do in Amsterdam HERE, but this post is going to focus on one of my favourite hotels in the city – The Pulitzer.
I stayed for the first time earlier this year, and I absolutely fell in love with the rooms. It’s situated right in the heart of the most picturesque area of the city, and I woke up each morning looking out over the canals from my absolutely perfect cosy room. I can’t wait to show you more of it!
Location of The Pulitzer
The Pulitzer is located in the 9 streets area of Amsterdam. This area is a slightly less busy area of town filled with coffee shops, little restaurants, boutique shops and LOTS of canals. It’s the most beautiful area of Amsterdam visually, and because it’s quiet at night with no major roads or clubs, it’s also a good night’s sleep. It also means there are loads of great eating places within walking distance, from tasty breakfast spots to special dinners.
Full Guide to the Area: HERE
The 9 streets area is in close walking distance to all the main sites in Amsterdam, including Anne Frank’s house, canal boat tours, The Rijksmuseum, Dam Square, The Red Light District and many more. It means it’s the perfect place to stay when visiting the city….as long as you’re not here for the bars and the clubs, in which case something in the city centre may be more appropriate.
Accommodation at The Pulitzer
The accommodation at The Pulitzer is nothing short of incredible. The moment I entered my room I felt a huge sense of cosiness and it was pure comfort for my three night stay. As I was on a solo stay, I booked in to a single room, but it still came with a queen bed, a desk area and a lovely white marble bathroom with a huge shower.
However, the absolute pinnacle of the room was its view out over the canal. Waking up to that view each morning and seeing sunrise over the water was so magical. It was special and I could have holed up in my room for weeks, working, reading, resting and relaxing.
There was a daily room clean, and the room was spotlessly clean and attended to. Each day I received a complimentary bottle of still water, bottle of sparkling water, and pack of 5 stroopwafel which made for a nice desert each day!
Food and Drink
The hotel has a bar, called The Pulitzer, which serves amazing cocktails. I arrived to a garden party in the hotel grounds and had a couple of drinks; they were lovely!
The hotel also has a restaurant called Jansz which serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. It’s not cheap and with breakfast costing EUR42, I only ate there on one day (before I realised the price!) and then went to the coffee spot across the way. The food I had was amazing though, with the banana pancakes, followed by fruit and yoghurt, probably the best breakfast I had in the city.
Finally, there is also a casual bar just behind the lobby. When my flight home was delayed (shock), I spent 3 hours sitting here watching the world go by with some good value drinks. I also had the tortellini pasta to keep me going – however, again, it was super expensive at EUR26. This is fine for a big meal in a capital city, but I got six, yes six, small bits of pasta. It barely made a dent. I did see burgers and fish & chips around me which looked like great portions though so think I just picked badly. As a side note, I had the fish and chips as a room service dinner when I arrived and it was really tasty and decent value at EUR18.
Service, Amenities and Experiences
Service at The Pulitzer was good but not exceptionally great. Whilst staff were friendly and polite, they didn’t really go out of their way to make a stay feel that personal.
The hotel itself has lots of areas to sit and relax in, and its loveliest feature is its garden amongst the canal houses – creating a really lovely space to sit and eat/drink in the sunshine.
The hotel also offers some unique experiences. Firstly, it owns a boat called The Belle which is available for private tours of up to 12 guests. You’ll be taken by a knowledgeable captain through the heart of the city along the canals to see some of Amsterdam’s most iconic sights, and you can also enhance your cruise with champagne, snacks or a bespoke picnic.
The hotel is also made up of a number of canal houses knocked through. In each room is a board telling the story of the relevant canal house in which the room is situated, which was a really lovely touch. The history of the hotel is, in itself, an attraction and makes it an absolute prime location.
The Pulitzer is also one of only a few hotels in the area to offer spa treatments. The spa is situated just around the corner from the hotel and it’s called The Beauty House, and it offers a whole host of treatments from nails to massages. I didn’t have a treatment, but if I do go back, I’ll give the spa a go.
So what do you think of The Pulitzer? Would you like to stay here? I adored my room in the hotel, one of my favourite in any hotel anywhere in the world, but I do think the service and restaurant prices let it down for a 5* hotel and for the price charged. It’s still beautiful though, and I probably will stay there again on my next visit to the city – stay safe and happy travelling!
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