Spend the Night in a Canal House

One-star Hotel Brouwer has only eight rooms, but all eight overlook Singel Canal. This canal house hotel is the perfect place to soak up the Amsterdam experience and feel like an Amsterdammer. In fact the hotel is two beautifully restored interconnected houses. This is your chance to spend the night in a canal house!

Sea Captain Nicolaes Swaen

The house has a long history that starts in the 17th century. In those days it was known as Huis de Swaen, the house where Nicolaes Swaen lives. Swaen translates as Swan and is an appropriate name because Mr Swaen was a sea captain. He worked closely together with Michiel Adriaanszoon de Ruijter, the admiral who captured the Spanish fleet and established supremacy of the Dutch Republic at sea. Mr Swaen had offices downstairs, living quarters on the first floor and storage space on the upper floors. In the 19th century the house was converted into Hotel Het Blauwe kruis (The Blue Cross) whose name indicated that alcohol consumption was not allowed on the premises.

Hotel Brower Then

The present-day owner’s grandfather bought the hotel in the early 20th century. Under grandfather’s ownership all twenty rooms were supplied with running water. He also replaced the wafer-thin walls by more sturdy ones so that snoring people no longer disturbed other guests at night.

Hotel Brouwer Now

These days the twenty rooms have been reduced to eight, with en-suite bathrooms. All rooms are different in size and style and have been named after famous artists; Van Gogh, Vermeer, Escher, Frans Hals, Rembrandt, Mesdag, Breitner and Mondriaan. The Escher room is the most popular room. It has the largest bathroom with a shower, bath, toilet and two wash basins. The Van Gogh room has a smaller bathroom and only a shower, but this room has lots of windows. All rooms have twin beds.

Creaky Dutch Staircases

Narrow, steep, creaky stairs spiral up to the upper floors. The tiny lift comes in handy after a long sight-seeing day. This is an extra feature because most canal house hotels don’t have lifts.

Location

The hotel’s central location means that Centraal Station is only a couple of blocks away. Anne Frankhuis, the Red Light District and Dam Square are at walking distance. The museum district and Leidseplein club area are a short tram ride away. Other creature comforts such as restaurants, fast food outlets, shops and ATMs are nearby.

Address

Hotel Brouwer

Singel 83

1012 VE Amsterdam