Our stay at the Hotel Pulitzer was met with both anticipation and expectation. I had read a lot of good things about this
Hotel Pulitzer Aerial View
hotel and the idea of staying in a hotel comprised of 25 restored 17th and 18th century historical canal houses appealed to me. I mean really, in Amsterdam, you have to stay in a canal house at least once. Right?
Located between the Prinsengraat and Keizergraat canals, in what is a residential neighborhood, we made the Hotel Pulitzer our home for three days in late August. It’s away from the hubbub of the stag parties, the young “get high party crowd”, yet close enough to walk to most of the sites and attractions that Amsterdam has to offer. For those who aren’t up to the walking there are four tram routes near the hotel that will take you towards Centraal Station and Dam Square; the famous Centrum area.
Front Entrance on Prinsengraat (Click to Enlarge)
We arrived at the hotel at 8:00AM, after a 6.5 hour flight. We knew there was an extra charge (50 Euro) to check in early (before 9:00AM), so our plan was to check in, check our luggage with the bellhop, and then go enjoy a cup of coffee and fresh orange juice at Barney’s Coffeeshop. We figured by the time we got back our room would be ready. So, you can imagine we were pleasantly surprised when not only was our room ready, but they also waived the fee. Since they let us check in early, and our room came with breakfast, they invited us to go to the restaurant that, “breakfast was being served”. Oh yea, things were starting out pretty good.
The breakfast was satisfying and pancakes were the best I’ve ever tasted. I paired them up with fresh berries, and a double espresso. That became a staple for our three day stay. As much as I enjoyed my stay at the Pulitzer, if the breakfast wasn’t included in the room rate, then I would have eaten elsewhere. It’s not worth the 30 Euro per person that they charge for it.
We stayed in a Junior Suite which occupied the entire top floor of one of the canal houses. Getting to our room was like
Our Room - Junior Suite
going through a maze. Up six stairs, then down three stairs, then get on the elevator, then go up six more stairs; that’s when we reached our room. This may seem cumbersome, but it’s wasn’t. Our room overlooked the courtyard and had an entrance hall, a kitchenette, dining area, living area, a modern and nice sized bathroom, and the most comfortable bed I have ever slept on in a hotel. Sleeping in this bed was like being enveloped in soft cotton and feathers, and gently rocked to sleep. We both slept like babies. Because our room was on the top floor, the ceiling was low and the beams exposed, which added a feeling of authenticity to our experience. In the past the rooms on the higher floors and those facing the courtyard served as bedrooms and kitchens. The lower ceilings kept these rooms warm in the winter.
Needless to say, I loved my stay at the Hotel Pulitzer and would consider staying there again when I return to Amsterdam.
About Terri Lundberg
