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Grand Hotel Amrâth

COST: $$$$

<p>Built in 1916 as the Scheepwarthuis (the Shipping House), this landmark building is one of the city's finest examples of Amsterdam School architecture. In July 2007 it reopened as a five-star hotel, with every last detail either restored to its former state or meticulously reproduced. All the various elements combine to create a transporting experience, from the exquisite original upholstery in the Seven Seas restaurant and Indonesian teak paneling in the bar to the stained-glass ceiling located five floors above reception and the wall-mounted brass lamps in the rooms—almost all of which have 17-foot ceilings and vast paned windows with views onto the Binnenkant canal or the IJburg river. But with a chic clientele and buzzy atmosphere, this is hardly a hotel that's stuck in time.</p> <p><strong>Room to book:</strong> Brides and big spenders should angle for the tower suite. Three stories high, it occupies the octagonal turret dominating the hotel's front facade, with commanding 240-degree views over Amsterdam.</p> <p><strong>Insider Tip:</strong> The shipping magnates kept their cash in an enormous subterranean vault that's been converted into the restaurant's wine cellar. Book a private dinner, with flights hand-picked by the restaurant's sommelier, in the adjacent dining room.</p>