Review: The July - Boat & Co. Amsterdam

Why book The July - Boat & Co?

An affordable stay outside of the tourist traps of central Amsterdam, but close enough that you can experience everything the city has to offer, this new opening is likely to become a favourite for weekend breakers and those looking to experience the city at a slightly slower pace.

Set the scene

Ever-cool Amsterdam is becoming more than just a canalside weekend escape. As visitor numbers grow, travellers are looking to explore the outskirts of the city just as much as the iconic windy streets in the centre. In Houthaven, a newer neighbourhood set alongside the water (and Amsterdam’s first climate-neutral city district), there’s an impressive mix of old-meets-new architecture (think warehouse buildings alongside modern blocks), a large number of brunch restaurants and a comforting amount of locals wandering the streets. Nearby is Westerpark, which feels like a less busy sister of the more central Vondelpark, and makes for a wonderful place to stroll if you want to escape the tourists. It takes around 25 minutes to walk, or 10 minutes to cycle into the centre of Amsterdam from the hotel.

The backstory

The hotel is named after a woodwork company that was located on the site - Boot & Co - which was changed to Boat & Co. when the property opened in 2019. The hotel’s architecture takes inspiration from the industrial past of the neighbourhood, with materials traditionally manufactured to preserve the original vibe of the building. This means there’s a definite industrial vibe about the property, which sits on the waterfront and has enough room for its own underground car park.

The rooms

Aparthotels are not a new concept – in fact, it often seems like every new opening in Europe is taking advantage of long-stay travel and offering rooms with kitchenettes and living spaces. That doesn’t mean the extra space isn’t appreciated, and at Boat & Co. the rooms certainly don’t feel like a blank canvas; decor is colourful, with a warm palette of ochre, teal and salmon. Furniture is vintage and upholstered, and the statement headboards are wrapped in Christopher Farr fabric to add a chic finishing touch. When we stayed, the highlight was the huge bathroom – a rare thing to find – which had a walk-in shower, and toiletries from local brand Marie-Stella-Maris that smelt so good I ended up popping into the shop and buying some to take home.

We spotted a few finishing touches that we really appreciated, including a handwritten welcome note and plenty of books on the local area for bedtime reading.

What’s there to do

My personal opinion is that city hotels don’t necessarily need to offer an endless list of activities and amenities since you’ll likely be out and about during your stay. Having said that, there is a spa and gym at Boat & Co., which we didn’t try during our stay, but we did regularly catch the same names checking in and out of the gym as we signed our bikes, which I take to be a good sign. There’s also a very comforting, cool vibe in the large lobby/restaurant area, which fills with solo workers and relaxed business meetings during the day.

Food and drink

The food offering is a real selling point of the hotel. Served in the hotel's lobby/workspace/lounge area, the vibe is relaxed, and the place is spacious – particularly as the space sits in the centre of the property, with an open ceiling looking up towards the corridors. Vessel, the hotel’s restaurant, serves a simple evening menu that sadly doesn’t feel Dutch, but does have plenty of crowd-pleasers listed; the steak tartare, for example, was very memorable, while the pappardelle with tiger prawns went down particularly well. I’d also highly recommend indulging in a cocktail or two (the Clover Club was a favourite).

Breakfast was more inventive than most (the shakshuka and the pistachio croissant were a welcome change from most hotel offerings), but we’d have liked to have seen a few more options on the buffet-style offering for those in a rush.

Who goes there

There’s more of a local feel than most Amsterdam hotels here – it’s clearly a place where the Dutch come to have lunch, dinner or work for a few hours. Since it’s not as central as the city’s more famous hotels, you’re less likely to find families and will probably bump into a few young couples during your stay. For the most part, the crowd is cool and fun – much like the city itself.

We like

A real highlight of the stay, for me, was the ability to borrow a bicycle. It can be hard to get around Amsterdam without two wheels, and having access to bikes meant we could travel to the neighbourhood of De Pijp, for example, in less than 30 minutes.

The staff were wonderfully friendly and relaxed, from check-in to our final day, and showed a genuine interest in us and other guests. In general service was relatively informal, but that worked just fine for a stay where you’re regularly popping in and out.

Accessibility

Rooms are accessed via a lift, and there’s also a car park for guests, which is accessed via a ramp.

Sustainability

This is a real focus for the brand, with much of the hotel and furniture created using sustainable construction materials that produce zero waste (even the menus are made from tomatoes). Despite the (sometimes harsh) surroundings on the waterfront, there’s plenty of nature in this area, and the brand has worked to make homes for the many birds that hang around. For their efforts, the brand was awarded BREEAM “Excellent” accolade, meaning the building is one of the 10 percent most sustainable.