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Plenty of hotels make green claims, but the sustainable hotels in Amsterdam worth booking can show a certificate to back them up. Every hotel below holds a current third-party sustainability certification, sits within walking distance of the canals and is rated 9 or higher by Booking.com guests.
These picks suit travellers who want a characterful, small-scale base in the historic centre, from a Michelin-starred former almshouse to a row of canal houses filled with signed books.
Sustainable Hotels in Amsterdam
Every hotel here holds a current third-party sustainability certification (Green Globe or Green Key) shown on its Booking.com listing, is rated 9 or higher by Booking.com guests, has real character (a converted historic building, a design-led interior, a modest number of rooms) and is within an easy walk of Dam Square or the canal belt. We read the reviews so you donโt have to: what guests love, and the one thing they complain about.
- Top Pick: The Dylan Amsterdam, a 40-room Green Globe hotel on the Keizersgracht
- Good Value: Monet Garden Hotel Amsterdam, Green Key certified with canal and garden views
- Luxury: De LโEurope Amsterdam, a Green Key grand hotel on the Amstel since 1896
- Classic: Ambassade Hotel, 16 canal houses on the Herengracht with Green Globe certification
- Where to Stay: the best areas for a sustainable stay in Amsterdam
The Dylan Amsterdam
Address: Keizersgracht 384, Amsterdam
Area: Canal Ring, with the Nine Streets around the corner and Dam Square a short walk away
Guest rating: 9.2/10 on Booking.com
The Dylan has just 40 rooms and suites, each designed in one of four distinct styles, on a site with nearly four centuries of history. Jacob van Campen built a stone theatre here in the 1630s, and after it burned down in 1772 the site became a Catholic almshouse until 1998; the hotel opened a year later behind Van Campenโs surviving doorway. Its location score of 9.9 is the highest of any hotel on this list.
The hotel also has a secluded courtyard garden used for summer dining, Bar Brasserie OCCO for casual meals and Restaurant Vinkeles, which holds two Michelin stars and sits in an 18th-century bakery.
Guests love: attentive, well-trained staff (rated 9.6) and the turndown service, rooms that feel individually designed rather than standard, and a location that lets you walk everywhere.
Watch out for: the price. Value for money is its weakest score at 8.1, and a few reviewers found entry-level rooms compact or the corridor soundproofing thin.
Sustainability: Green Globe Certification.
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Monet Garden Hotel Amsterdam
Address: Valkenburgerstraat 76, Amsterdam
Area: Waterlooplein, 400 metres from the Dutch National Opera & Ballet
Guest rating: 9.1/10 on Booking.com
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Monet Garden is a boutique hotel beside the canals on the eastern side of the centre, and most of its rooms look over either a canal or the garden. Rooms come with walk-in rain showers and Nespresso machines, and the bar has a fireplace, local beers and Dutch gin and tonics. It was the lowest-priced of our four picks when we compared the same dates, which is why it takes the Good Value spot.
The location is quieter than the streets around Dam Square but still central: Rembrandtplein is 800 metres away and the Royal Theatre Carrรฉ about 900 metres. Guests who want to be close to the action without hearing it at night tend to rate this trade-off highly.
With more than 3,700 reviews, the pattern is clear: guests consistently praise the friendly staff (rated 9.6), spacious and comfortable rooms, especially those facing the canal, and a generous breakfast with fresh waffles. The recurring complaint is the open, doorless shower, which tends to wet the bathroom floor, and a few mention limited space to unpack. The hotel holds Green Key certification.
De LโEurope Amsterdam
Address: Nieuwe Doelenstraat 2-14, Amsterdam
Area: Old Centre on the Amstel, under 10 minutesโ walk from Dam Square
Guest rating: 9.3/10 on Booking.com
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De LโEurope has hosted guests on the Amstel since 1896, on the remains of a late medieval fortress, and the Flower Market is only 200 metres away. With 107 rooms, more than half of them suites, it is the largest hotel here, but it still feels personal thanks to its concierge and butler service. Each room displays Dutch Masters replicas chosen in partnership with the Rijksmuseum, and bathrooms are finished in Carrara marble.
Food is a big part of the appeal. Restaurant Flore holds two Michelin stars and a Michelin Green Star for sustainable gastronomy, and Freddyโs Bar has live jazz on Thursday evenings. There is also a wellness centre with a swimming pool.
Reviewers single out the service, the concierge team and the riverside position in the heart of the old city. The most common complaint is cost, with a few guests finding their room smaller or the view less impressive than the rate suggested. De LโEurope holds Green Key certification.
Ambassade Hotel
Address: Herengracht 341, Amsterdam
Area: Canal Ring, a 9-minute walk from the Anne Frank House and 700 metres from Dam Square
Guest rating: 9.2/10 on Booking.com
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Ambassade has operated as a hotel since 1953 and spreads its 56 rooms and suites across 16 historic canal houses on the Herengracht. CoBrA artworks hang throughout the public spaces and rooms. The Library Bar holds more than 5,000 books, all signed by authors who have stayed at the hotel.
It is the most classic canal-house experience on this list, a short walk from both the Jordaan and the Nine Streets. It also suits travellers who would rather spend on the Rijksmuseum than on a hotel spa.
Guests consistently praise the warm, helpful staff (rated 9.6), the location (9.7) and breakfast at the canal-facing windows. The trade-off of a building made from old canal houses is stairs and split levels, and some rooms are small. Ambassade holds Green Globe certification.
Where to Stay in Amsterdam
Canal Ring and the Nine Streets: The classic first-visit base, with 17th-century canal houses, small independent shops and the Anne Frank House within walking distance. It suits couples and anyone who wants to step out the door straight onto the canals. The Dylan and Ambassade Hotel are both here.
Old Centre: The oldest part of the city, around Dam Square, the Flower Market and the Amstel, is the most convenient for sightseeing and close to Amsterdam Centraal. Streets facing the main roads can be lively at weekends, so ask for a quieter room if you are a light sleeper. De LโEurope sits on the river here. Direct trains to Belgium leave from Centraal, and three of our Brussels boutique hotels hold green certifications.
Waterlooplein and the Jewish Cultural Quarter: On the eastern edge of the centre, this area is calmer in the evenings and close to the Jewish Museum and the Waterlooplein market. It suits travellers who want quiet nights within walking distance of Rembrandtplein. Monet Garden Hotel is here.
Jordaan and the Museum Quarter: The Jordaan, just west of the Canal Ring, is a residential neighbourhood of narrow streets, cafes and weekend markets. The Museum Quarter, around the Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh Museum, suits art lovers and families. None of our certified picks is in either area, but both are an easy walk or short tram ride from the Canal Ring hotels.
Sustainable Stays in Amsterdam
- The Dylan Amsterdam and Ambassade Hotel hold Green Globe Certification.
- Monet Garden Hotel Amsterdam and De LโEurope Amsterdam hold Green Key certification.
- Direct trains run from Schiphol airport to Amsterdam Centraal, and all four hotels are walkable or a short tram ride from the station, so you wonโt need a taxi.
Continuing through the Low Countries? For a smaller medieval city, see our boutique hotels in Bruges.
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Hotels are chosen on guest reviews, Booking.com review scores, style and central location. This post contains affiliate links to Booking.com; if you book through them, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
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