Developed and run by Dutch hospitality group Aedes (Soho House Amsterdam, the Hoxton Amsterdam), De Durgerdam is a 14-room boutique hotel inside a restored 17th-century building that was once an inn for fishermen (Durgerdam was a fishing village until the 1950s). Designed by Amsterdam-based Buro Belén, details pay homage to the village’s past, like this wall hanging in the communal area (there’s no real lobby) that’s made from shredded boating ropes.
The hotel is filled with cozy nooks, like this one surrounding a wood-burning stove. Bespoke tiles in various colors from The Netherland’s oldest ceramics company, Royal Tichelaar Makkum, are found throughout the hotel. While there’s no real lobby, downstairs in the main building is a library with seating and an honor bar—and a large selection of curated books.
The ground-floor restaurant and bar De Mark also functions as a de facto lobby, with a décor that recalls the village’s fishing industry past and that brings the IJmeer lake, seen through the restaurant’s front windows, in. The piece by artist Ingo Maurer hanging above a central communal table recalls a fishing net dripping with water. A 1645 painting by Dutch master Pieter Jansz van Berendrecht hangs on the wall.
The De Mark is effortlessly stylish, and thanks to a menu by Richard van Oostenbrugge and Thomas Groot of Amsterdam’s two Michelin star Restaurant 212, it has already become a destination for the city’s fashionable set, serving modern comfort food with a seasonal, local flair.
Upstairs in the main building are three one-of-a-kind suites and one large room. Because the building is so old, nothing is cookie cutter and the team did their best to preserve as many of the original, landmarked details as possible. All Hypnos beds feature handcrafted, bespoke wooden headboards and soft velvet throws that catch the light just so—housekeeping was carefully trained on how to toss the blanket.
Suites also feature separate sitting areas, some with woodburning stoves, as well as comfy window seats and other reading nooks. Handcrafted cabinets hide storage space and the minibar. Special edition light blue KASSL raincoats hang on hooks by the door, just in case.
Bathrooms also feature bespoke tiles from Royal Tichelaar Makkum in either sepia or forest green and brown veined marble sinks. A few of the suites have soaking tubs while others have rainfall showers. All feature full-size Zenology bath products. Although the bathroom spaces in the historic building are somewhat small awkward, the designers managed to take full advantage of every opportunity for storage, with thoughtfully placed tables, towel racks, and hooks.
Behind the original inn building is a newer building with a peaceful garden. Some rooms here have outdoor sitting areas looking out on the canal.
Rooms in the new building are more uniform (no wooden beams or oddly shaped doorways here), but still feature a similar design and color palette as those in the original main building. Each room features a small crystal decanter of homemade liqueur as welcome amenity for guests.
Top Takeaways
Location: Durgerdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
The Vibe: A meticulously designed sanctuary inside a historic inn on the water that’s just a 15-minute car ride from central Amsterdam although it feels hundreds of miles away.
Our Favorite Thing About the hotel? The original, well-trod crooked 17th-century staircase leading up from the lobby restaurant to four loft-style rooms.
Food + Drink: De Mark is the all-day lobby restaurant and bar by Richard van Oostenbrugge and Thomas Groot of Amsterdam’s two Michelin star Restaurant 212. At breakfast all guests receive coffee, juice, and freshly made flaky croissants with creamy golden butter and homemade jam, with the option to add on items like yogurt parfait, scrambled eggs with herbs, and French toast while they look out on the IJmeer lake just outside. All-day bar snacks like an in-house smoked beef sausage, a ricotta mushroom dip served with chicory, and local Dutch farmer’s cheese will tide you over until dinner, a bit of a more upscale affair attracting city dwellers who come just for that. The menu is made up of modern comfort dishes made with locally-sourced ingredients, with inventive dishes like a tomato tartare, white asparagus with tiny Dutch shrimps, and a dover sole stuffed with morels. Craft cocktails include a Rhubarb Mule and North Sea Spritz.
Any Neighborhood Recs? Although it’s technically part of Amsterdam, Durgerdam is really just a tiny, one-street residential village built atop a dike. There’s a charming harbor and a saxophone shop called Amsterdam Winds. Or, you can hop on one of the hotel’s bikes to explore some of the surrounding farms, canals, and villages. Ransdorp has a famous “stumpy” church, which dates back to the Middle Ages and in Holysloot, there is the charming Schoolhuis Café, which serves tea, coffee, and homemade cakes and pies, plus a lunch menu of sandwiches, salads, and toasts, plus cheese and charcuterie boards.
Amenities: Rooms with cozy window seats, a well-stocked minibar with complimentary teas, coffee, homemade liqueur, and addictive shortbread cookies, yoga mat and dumbbells, Wi-Fi, TVs (that you can hide behind a cabinet door), and some with fireplaces and KASSL raincoats; a cozy library filled with books and an honor bar with a wood-burning fireplace; bikes to borrow; swimming or sailing in the IJmeer lake outside.
What’s Nearby? The bustling city of Amsterdam is just across the water and easily accessible by car, bike, or boat.
Rooms: There are 14 rooms in total, with four in the original 17th-century building and the rest in a newer building added on behind the original.
Pricing: Rates from $336 per night
Closest Airport: Amsterdam Airport Schiphol
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