From bikes to board games: the best family-friendly hotels in Amsterdam

A budget hotel with boutique style and strong green credentials. Ecomama has a warm, welcoming atmosphere, delightfully imaginative design and good food. It’s run with a creativity of thought that puts it in a category of its own and plenty of facilities for guests to enjoy, from bikes for hire and board games to a book exchange and activity evenings (film nights and family-style dinners cooked by a staff member). Other family-friendly touches include a large kitchen for guests to cook their own meals in, plus a Family room that comes with a fold-out couch for the little ones. A sturdy buggy is also available to borrow.

A relaxed, low-key hotel in the well-to-do Oud Zuid neighbourhood within easy reach of the main museums. Interiors are decorated in a refreshing contemporary style; the atmosphere is warm and welcoming. Staff are exceptionally friendly which creates a home-from-home atmosphere. There are a number of large Family rooms (triple rooms, two with kitchenettes), some with access to a small garden area. Although there are no interconnecting rooms, small corridors and adjacent rooms make it feel more like a house than a hotel. Cots are available for free, and extra beds are available.

A simple hotel in an old Amsterdam house close to nightlife hotspots, De Pijp and the main museums. The hotel offers no services (not even breakfast or a reception desk), but for families simply wanting a clean room and convenient location, it is an affordable option. There are four triple rooms (uncommon in Amsterdam), cots can be provided, and children are made to feel welcome. The owner lives just around the corner, and she or another staff member is contactable by mobile, during waking hours. There’s a notice board with local café recommendations, and staff can help with practical info, such as where to find laundry facilities.

This modest canal house, the three-star outpost of super-opulent Hotel Twenty Seven, echoes its luxury sister’s rich décor and possesses the same top level of service. It sits in a pretty part of town, a short walk or tram-hop from most major sights. There’s no restaurant, but it does serve a good breakfast (an extensive buffet and eggs to order). Larger rooms can be gloriously light and spacious: families could opt for Room 337, which sleeps four, with windows on two sides and partial view of a garden. Room 104 is another good option for four, with ample room and a door onto a small garden patio.

Yay’s Zoutkeetsgracht comprises well-equipped, modern apartments in a renovated 17th-century salt warehouse, located in a quiet neighbourhood of the former Western Docks. There are bikes for hire and a free bike tour (walking in winter) is tailor-made for those who want to go, every Saturday. There is no restaurant or bar, but each apartment has pretty much everything you need to help you feel at home. A number have two bedrooms, making them a good choice for families. Friendly staff are local Amsterdammers with a good knowledge of the city – check-in includes a helpful rundown of locations of supermarkets and other local amenities. You also receive an excellent booklet of shops and eateries.

A former Royal Dutch Navy officers’ quarters gained a new life – though retains something of its military look – as a hip hotel. The location (beside an historic dock, in a military terrain) makes for something a little different; the Maritime Museum is next door, and you’re a few minutes’ walk from the NeMo science museum. Some of the spaces that made up the officers’ mess (the bar, restaurant, games room with billiards table) serve the same function today. There’s also plenty of open space outside for families to enjoy. And although there are no interconnecting rooms or family rooms, there are many singles, suitable for older children.

A park-side hotel in a former orphanage, with a few original 19th-century features, now set into a tranquil, minimalist design. A glass-walled café-restaurant offers imaginative, healthy meals and a superb breakfast (think smoked fish, mini-waffle, fruit and smoothies alongside cook options). Rooms continue the low-key white style of the main areas – some are natty duplexes with tall windows and separate sleeping and seating areas. Several look onto the park, others onto garden courtyards. They vary in shape and design, but most have plenty of space, with adequate places to relax. Families should note the well-equipped play area in the park just outside the door.

The imposing 1920s Shell laboratory building now houses a convivial, traditional youth hostel that’s given contemporary zing by colourful artworks, and its surrounds in hip city quarter Noord. Children are welcome and family rooms (double bed and a bunk) are available. The open-plan, multi-levelled communal area makes it easy to get space and privacy, and there’s a play area, a pool table and board games. The breakfast buffet is good-value and a filling starter to the day, adding salads, hummus, a hotdog station, baked beans and roast mushrooms to the usual array of breads, cold meats, cheese, cereals, fruit and yogurt.