From the water
Here on the left hand side, almost the whole street belongs to the Waldorf Astoria Hotel. Inside, the buildings are connected and levelled up, but from the outside it looks like separate buildings, because we are under the protection of UNESCO and we are not allowed to change even the colour of the façade. The most expensive room, the presidential suite, which is not on the website, costs here in high season twenty four thousand euro per night. But the good thing is that breakfast is included.
The story behind it
The Waldorf Astoria occupies six connected canal palaces on the Herengracht dating from the 17th and 18th centuries, carefully restored to preserve their historic interiors.
Behind the facades lies one of the largest private gardens on the canal ring. The hotel shows how Amsterdam’s grand merchant houses have found a second life while keeping their character.
On your cruise
This is stop 15 of 23 on the Friendship route. Before this you passed The Gentlemen's Canal, and the boat continues towards The Seven Bridges. Your skipper will point it out as you pass — keep your camera ready, because from the water you see details that are easily missed from the street.
Want to see it in person? All our cruises follow the heart of this route, and with a private cruise you can even ask your skipper to linger a little longer at your favourite spots.
