Soho House Amsterdam

Amsterdam is large and full of fabulous hotels. There are grand and stately old Dutch masters, rich with European heritage and charm; smaller boutique abodes tucked between the row houses (or comprised of adjoining ones), and scores of well-known brand properties for visitors of all tastes. But Soho House, overlooking the city’s Singel canal, masterfully proves there’s always room for one more – especially one so fabulously unique. 

Centrally located around the corner from Dam Square, it occupies the historic Bungehuis building (a 1930s former office building that was later owned by the University of Amsterdam and sports some striking over-the-door typography), and follows the same through line as most Soho House properties: a private, members-only club, with hotel rooms for members and non-members alike (rates will vary), and a ground-floor restaurant – in this case, the buzzy Italian stronghold, Cecconi’s – which is open to the public. 

I typically find myself in Amsterdam at least twice a year to visit family, but it’s quite a rare treat to stay in a hotel on those occasions. So when a chance to check out – and check into – one of Soho House’s gorgeous 79 rooms presented itself, I jumped at the opportunity. 

On the chilly March night that I arrived at the property, after an exhaustingly long day of travel, and a boisterous dinner at my sister’s home with her three excitable youngsters, I was thoroughly knackered. Sensing this, the warm and receptive staff checked me in quickly and helped me make my way up to the third floor, where my room awaited me.

I had booked a ‘Big Monumental’, however I never imagined just how luxuriously spacious it turned out to be. There was a welcoming and stylish sitting room upon entry, that led into an even more sizable bedroom, where, at the foot of my King-sized bed, sat a freestanding copper bathtub. My idea of heaven. The style was retro-leaning and warm – the perfect cozy welcome for my late-night arrival. I quickly did some light unpacking, and climbed into bed. 

The next morning, after a long and blissfully quiet slumber, I made myself some coffee and surveyed the room more fully. The decor, provided by their own in-house design and interiors firm, Soho Home, recalled the chic Art Deco era from which the building hailed. 

Following a late breakfast of house-made granola with berries, and a delicious but virtuous-feeling acai bowl, I settled into one of the private club’s quieter rooms to put in an hour of work before setting off to meet my sister again. As a non-House member, it was an especially notable perk to be able to share in access to the private spaces (which also includes a screening room and an Instagram-worthy rooftop pool) while there as a hotel guest. 

It was blisteringly cold that afternoon as I headed out to my sister’s on foot, but the weather made the perfect excuse to grab a hot coffee, and enjoy Amsterdam’s many snack offerings along the way: pastries, french fries stuffed into cones, toasted sandwiches and doner kebabs, too. The stop at my sister’s was a quick one, mostly to get some face time with her kids before that evening’s dinner back at Cecconi’s – just the adults. Needless to say, we were excited.

Within an hour of rushing back to the hotel and changing outfits for dinner, sister and fratello-in-law were at my door, looking pretty dolled-up themselves. They ooohed and ahhhed over the fabulous room, where we debated cracking into the extensive minbar offerings for a private fête of our own before our reservation. 

We opted instead for drinks in Cecconi’s relaxed front lounge area facing the rest of the venue’s lively and gorgeous dining room, lush with greenery draping from the ceiling. 

Fratello and I each ordered classic negronis, while sister tried the ‘spaghetti western’, a fun and inventive take on a whiskey sour. The rest of our dinner that night could best be summed up as a series of delicious judgement calls: the light, crispy calamari; a small mountain of milky burrata, and a satisfying artichoke salad for all to share, before the others playfully jousted over whose entree was better: her lobster spaghetti (my personal favorite), or his veal milanese. 

My branzino, meanwhile, was the perfect balance of briny olives, bright lemon, and red peppers. It was a delicious and especially memorable meal. And the icing on the cake: only having to ‘travel’ up three floors via elevator afterwards, where my bath and bed awaited – along with another exceptional night’s sleep.

The next morning was an early one comprising a light breakfast of green juice and granola—and a pot of bracing coffee too, of course—before joining my sister at her regular weekly yoga class at Equal, a franchise specializing mostly in hot yoga, with several locations throughout Amsterdam and Utrecht. After a week-plus of traveling and feeling constantly on-the-go, the meditative, slower-paced class delivered exactly what my body and muscles had been craving. 

I returned back to Soho House to shower and reluctantly pack my bags before that afternoon’s check-out; truly, I didn’t want to leave such a fabulous hotel, where I felt so attentively cared for, but also at complete ease…a hard balance to strike! Thankfully I had one more treat in store to extend my mini retreat: a relaxing manicure and pedicure at the Cowshed spa, which shares the building’s ground level with Cecconi’s. 

For the next few weeks, all I had to do was look at my finely shellacked hands to be reminded of my stay as one of the best ways to experience the excellence of Soho House, and its various perks and amenities, without having to be a full-time member.