Hotel in Amsterdam, Netherlands
Hotel Not Hotel
150Pearl PointsAmsterdam's art-installation hotel. Book if unconventional.
About Hotel Not Hotel
Hotel Not Hotel is the Amsterdam stay you book when the room itself is the point. Guests sleep inside concept installations — trams, treehouses, wardrobes — in a communal warehouse setting in Oud-West. It's an easy booking with genuine novelty, but low privacy and ambient noise make it a poor fit for light sleepers or business travellers. Go for a signature enclosed unit or don't bother.
Should You Book Hotel Not Hotel?
If you're weighing a conventional boutique canal hotel against something genuinely different, Hotel Not Hotel is the Amsterdam property that changes the terms of the comparison. Where Canal House or Décor Canal House give you a polished heritage experience, Hotel Not Hotel offers something structurally unusual: guests sleep inside oversized objects — trams, wardrobes, gypsy caravans, treehouses — installed within a shared warehouse-style space in Amsterdam's Oud-West neighbourhood. This is the right book if you want a conversation-starter stay. It is the wrong book if you need blackout curtains, full privacy, and reliable soundproofing.
What to Expect as a First-Timer
The address is Witte de Withstraat 38, 1057 XZ Amsterdam, a residential street in Oud-West, a short tram or cycle ride from the Vondelpark and the main museum quarter. The neighbourhood is low-key and local, not canal-belt tourist central, which suits the property's character. First-timers should arrive knowing that the atmosphere here is social and open: communal areas are genuinely communal, and ambient noise from the shared space is part of the deal. If you're a light sleeper or travelling for a high-stakes business trip, weigh that carefully. For a couple or solo traveller who wants a story to tell, the trade-off is worth it.
Room Category: Which to Book
Without published pricing data, the clearest guidance is this: the most distinctive accommodation units, the larger, more enclosed installations like the tram or the treehouse, will almost certainly command a premium over the more standard pod-style options. For a first visit, prioritise one of the signature enclosed units. The whole reason to book Hotel Not Hotel over a direct boutique like De Pijp Boutique Hotel is the room itself, so don't undercut that by defaulting to the cheapest category. Check availability for the enclosed units first; if they're gone, consider whether a standard option here still beats a better-value conventional room elsewhere.
When to Book
Booking difficulty is rated easy, which means last-minute availability is more realistic here than at high-demand properties like Andaz Amsterdam Prinsengracht. That said, the specific signature units are finite, there are only so many trams and treehouses. If you have a fixed travel window and a preferred room type, book it 3–4 weeks out to avoid settling for a less interesting unit. Amsterdam's peak tourist season runs April through August; outside those months, availability is more forgiving and the property feels less crowded.
Practical Details
| Detail | Hotel Not Hotel | Canal House | Andaz Amsterdam Prinsengracht |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neighbourhood | Oud-West | Keizersgracht canal belt | Prinsengracht canal belt |
| Booking difficulty | Easy | Moderate | Moderate–High |
| Room style | Concept installations | Heritage boutique | Design hotel |
| Leading for | Curious solo/couples | Romantic canal stays | Design-forward travellers |
| Privacy level | Low–Medium | High | High |
For a broader picture of where Hotel Not Hotel sits among Amsterdam's options, see our full Amsterdam hotels guide. If you're planning around dining and nightlife, our Amsterdam restaurants guide and bars guide cover the neighbourhood well. Travellers arriving via Schiphol might also consider citizenM Schiphol Airport for a transit night before heading into the city.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is check-in like at Hotel Not Hotel?
Expect a self-consciously unconventional arrival experience that matches the property's concept: this is not a lobby-and-bellhop operation. The Witte de Withstraat address is a residential street in Oud-West, so the entry itself signals you're not walking into a standard hotel. No published check-in hours are on record, so confirm the process directly with the property before arrival.
How is the location of Hotel Not Hotel?
Witte de Withstraat 38 sits in Oud-West, a neighbourhood that trades canal-belt tourist density for a more local, residential feel. You're a short tram or cycle ride from Vondelpark and the main museum cluster, which makes it practical without being central. If canal views and immediate proximity to the Rijksmuseum matter to you, the Waldorf Astoria or Conservatorium will suit better.
When is the best time to book Hotel Not Hotel?
Booking difficulty is rated easy, meaning last-minute windows open more often here than at high-demand Amsterdam properties like Andaz Amsterdam Prinsengracht. That said, the most distinctive room installations are finite in number, so if a specific room type is the reason you're booking, don't leave it to the week before. Amsterdam's peak season runs April through August, when availability tightens across the city.
Which room category is best at Hotel Not Hotel?
Book the most enclosed, installation-style room you can get — that's the core reason to stay here rather than anywhere else. Smaller or more conventional room types at this property undercut the whole premise. No published pricing is available, so check the venue's official channels to confirm which categories are open before committing.
Do loyalty programs work at Hotel Not Hotel?
Hotel Not Hotel is an independent property, not affiliated with any major hotel group, so standard loyalty schemes like Marriott Bonvoy, IHG Rewards, or Hilton Honors do not apply. If points accumulation matters to your booking decision, the InterContinental Amstel Amsterdam or Waldorf Astoria Amsterdam are the chain-affiliated options in the city.
How does Hotel Not Hotel compare to nearby hotels?
Against the Waldorf Astoria, Conservatorium, or Sofitel Legend The Grand, Hotel Not Hotel trades prestige facilities and brand assurance for a more singular concept: the rooms themselves are the product. It makes sense if the installation experience is the point; it does not make sense if you want a spa, consistent service standards, or canal-facing rooms. For first-time Amsterdam visitors who want frictionless comfort, the Conservatorium is the stronger default.
Location
Witte de Withstraat 38, 1057 XZ Amsterdam, Netherlands
Compare Hotel Not Hotel
| Venue | Booking Difficulty |
|---|---|
| Hotel Not Hotel | Easy |
| Andaz Amsterdam Prinsengracht | Unknown |
| InterContinental Amstel Amsterdam | Unknown |
| Sofitel Legend The Grand Amsterdam | Unknown |
| Waldorf Astoria Amsterdam | Unknown |
| Conservatorium | Unknown |
Side-by-side comparison to help you decide where to book.
Also Consider
- Andaz Amsterdam Prinsengracht, Notable alternative
- InterContinental Amstel Amsterdam, Notable alternative
- Sofitel Legend The Grand Amsterdam, Notable alternative
- Waldorf Astoria Amsterdam, Notable alternative
- Conservatorium, Notable alternative
Hotel Not Hotel competes on a different axis than most Amsterdam hotels, which makes direct comparison awkward but useful. If you want a canal-facing heritage property with full hotel service, Andaz Amsterdam Prinsengracht is the stronger choice: it has the design credentials, the location, and consistent service depth. For a grand historic stay with real institutional polish, Sofitel Legend The Grand Amsterdam or InterContinental Amstel Amsterdam are in a different tier entirely, both in price and in service expectation. Hotel Not Hotel is not trying to compete on those terms.
Against mid-range design-forward options, the comparison sharpens. Conservatorium offers more conventional luxury with strong design bones and better privacy; it's the right call for someone who wants a distinctive stay without the communal trade-off. Waldorf Astoria Amsterdam sits at the top of the market in canal-house format and is a different proposition altogether. Hotel Not Hotel is best understood as the option for travellers who specifically want the installation-room experience and are comfortable with a social, lower-privacy environment.
On booking ease, Hotel Not Hotel has a clear advantage over most of its Amsterdam peers. If you're flexible on dates, you can often secure a room here with less advance planning than canal-belt properties that fill quickly in peak season. The trade-off is that the best units, the ones that justify booking here over a straightforward boutique, go first. Book the room category you actually want, not the fallback, or the case for choosing Hotel Not Hotel over a more comfortable conventional option falls apart.
Explore Amsterdam
Save or rate Hotel Not Hotel on Pearl
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.