Long Weekend, Long Overdue . Three best friends. Four decades. One Unforgettable Escape to Amsterdam.

We’d talked about it for years. Life got in the way. Work, five kids between us, logistics. Not a single hen night, no big birthday blow-outs. We’re a low-key bunch. But turning 50 finally nudged us into action. Three nights in Amsterdam, no itinerary, no pressure. Just proper time to reconnect. Art, food, wine, and the kind of laughter that starts before breakfast and rolls into the small hours.

WHERE WE STAYED

The Hoxton Lloyd: canalside calm with cocktails and character

We don’t travel unless it’s nicer than home, so we booked The Hoxton Lloyd, a former shipping HQ turned design-led hotel in the Eastern Docklands. Spacious rooms, cloud-soft beds, and bartenders who remember your drink. Downstairs, Lotti’s serves up big-hearted European dishes in a sultry brasserie setting, and there’s an actual windmill across the water. Far enough from the crowds to exhale, close enough to the buzz in ten minutes.

HOW WE SPENT OUR TIME

Forget the tick-box sightseeing. This was about presence. This wasn’t about squeezing it all in. It was about slowing down and catching up. Here’s what stood out:

Lazy mornings in Jordaan

Unreasonably good plant-based croissants from Saint-Jean Bakery. Then meander past leaning houses, flower stalls and design shops. Permission to get lost: granted.

Anne Frank House

It books up fast and yes, it’s worth it. Quietly unforgettable. Book early, go early.

A museum moment

The Rijksmuseum is spectacular — but don’t feel pressure to see it all. Seek out The Night Watch and The Milkmaid, then follow your feet. Whether you linger or leave, you’ll have had your moment.

Or head to Huis Marseille (calm, curated, photogenic) or the Rembrandt House for intimate etchings and less foot traffic.

The House of Rituals

Not just a spa, a sanctuary. This four-storey flagship is where indulgence meets intention. You step through the doors and the volume of the city drops. We booked treatments at the Rituals Spa (genuinely exceptional), where the beds are heated, the pressure is perfect and the touch is intuitive. Think Ayurvedic oils, Japanese rituals, and Himalayan salt. 

Afterwards, we floated through the building floor by floor: one dedicated to scent, another to homewares, and a boutique café serving matcha lattes. The whole space is softly lit and expertly merchandised, with touches of copper, silk and velvet. The fragrance floor is dangerously addictive, with testers laid out like a sweetshop. The body mists became an obsession. Even the packaging feels meditative.

Lunch at Moeders

Walls lined with framed family photos. Dutch comfort food. A warm nostalgic hug on a plate.

Vintage trawling at Waterlooplein Market

Old cameras, Bowie vinyl, silk scarves. Leave room in your case, even if you’re on hand luggage.

A secret courtyard escape

Behind an unmarked wooden door near Spui: Begijnhof. Silent, sacred, spellbinding.

Noord for a taste adventure

Take the free ferry to Amsterdam-Noord. Cheese tasting at Fromagerie Abraham Kef, wine flights at Chateau Amsterdam (warehouse chic without the attitude). Treasure hunters, try IJ Hallen, Europe’s largest flea market.

Dinner worth dressing up for

Seasonal small plates and orange wine at Café R. de Rosa hit the spot. But the night that lingered longest was at Jansz., tucked inside the Pulitzer Hotel. The lighting is low, the energy is high, and the room hums with quiet glamour. Crisp linen, aged wood, brushed brass. The kind of place where every table looks like it’s celebrating something.

We shared starters — burrata with roasted peach, sea bass crudo with citrus and dill — then moved on to silky pastas, perfectly cooked fish, and a wine list that never missed. Nothing felt fussy, but everything felt thought through. The staff were warm, funny and gloriously unhurried.

We loved it so much we came back next morning for breakfast in the Pulitzer Garden. Canal views, great coffee, the best scrambled eggs of the trip, and service like they expect and are happy for you to stay a while.

There’s an ease and elegance to Pulitzer hospitality that’s hard to fake. No gimmicks, just real attention to detail and a team who care.

Canals by night

Cliché? Maybe. Magical? Absolutely. One hour, one bottle, one stroopwafel. Everything looks lovelier from the water.

Final cocktails at Sins of Sal

Velvet sofas. A Flip-Flop Margarita. Mood lighting. Energy: immaculate.

WHY IT WORKED

Because Amsterdam lets you breathe.

Walkable, beautiful, effortlessly cool. This city is made for meaningful chats, not manic schedules. You’re surrounded by beauty, but never overwhelmed by it. Sitting by a canal in crisp air, nowhere to be, nothing to do, is its own kind of luxury.

This trip gave us space. Space to reflect, to belly-laugh, to remember who we were and celebrate who we’ve become. There’s something grounding about doing that in a place this picturesque.