Beyond the red lights: 7 essential Amsterdam experiences

3. Stay in a converted canal house
The best way to sleep in Amsterdam is at a converted canal house. You'll be in the middle of town, situated on one of the city's famed waterways, in surroundings considerably more charming than some of Amsterdam's boxy, purpose-built hotels. We stayed at the Pulitzer Hotel, which is a series of 25 linked canal houses dating from the 17th and 18th centuries. The Prinsengracht canal side of the hotel has snug but luxurious rooms with wooden floors, and some exposed brick walls from when some of the buildings were used as warehouses. In the rooms overlooking the posh Keizersgracht canal, expect higher ceilings, wall-to-wall carpeting and roomier accommodations. On the ground floor, art lines the walls and, when the airy courtyard gardens aren't beckoning you outside for morning coffee or an afternoon drink, the clubby Pulitzer's Bar - packed with after-work drinkers - promises stronger stuff in a rarefied atmosphere.
Pulitzer Hotel
Prinsengracht 315-331
Tel: +31 (0)20-523-5235
www.starwood.com

4. Go on a canal boat ride
It sounds touristy, but taking a ride on the canal system is the perfect way to see the striking houses that line its edges. It also gives you a chance to peek into the moored houseboats. I took the Pulitzer Hotel boat for an after-dark cocktail cruise, when the lights of the city sparkled on the water and an evening hush hung over the canals. The Canal Bus cruises the waterways during the days and evenings in the summer, and a day pass allows you to jump on and off, as it stops at museums and attractions around town. The company also runs jazz and dinner cruises.
Canal Bus
Weteringschans 26 1 hg
Tel.: (+31) (0)20 623 98 86
www.canal.nl, info@canal.nl