Pillows – a small grand hotel by the park
in short…
quiet boutique hotel in a historic university building
cosy city hideaway close to the canal belt
coffee in bed with a front row view of Oosterpark
The feeling of snuggling into freshly starched, soft, gently rustling hotel bed linen is simply wonderful.
Outside, heavenly peace, only the rustling of the trees in front of the window – it is hard to believe that the Pillows is not a wellness hotel on the edge of a forest, but a fine, small and supremely comfortable city hotel in the middle of Amsterdam.
ocated right on the edge of the canal belt, it is super central yet beautifully quiet with a view of the green Oosterpark – simply dreamy!
The small Pillows chain has several hotels in Belgium and the Netherlands.
Each of them is housed in a historically significant building.
In Amsterdam, we stay at the Pillows at the Park in a turn-of-the-century university building that has been lovingly restored and skillfully reinterpreted in a modern way.
There is a spa area with a sauna (although in our room, the bathtub with a view of the park is almost spa-like itself).
An incredibly cozy "Living Room" is reserved for hotel guests, forming a natural extension of our lovely room.
The Pillows is an urban oasis that, in its understated beauty, reminds us a bit of the Hotel Wilmina in Berlin, which we love so much.
It is a place where the hustle and bustle of the capital falls away from us as soon as we step through the door.
Anyone who, like us, sometimes comes to Amsterdam with their own car knows that it can be quite stressful to wiggle through the narrow streets of the old town.
It is even more difficult to find a parking space. Especially since it is always sensible not to move around the city by car afterwards.
At the Pillows, everything is already deeply relaxed - just drive up, hand over the keys, and we don't have to worry about a thing.
Admittedly, all this luxury comes at a price, particularly in the highly coveted Amsterdam.
So perhaps some might rightly ask – why stay somewhere so expensive if we’re going to be out and about all day discovering the city?
Of course, everyone decides that according to their own preferences and budget.
We personally find the Pillows to be our perfect place to stay for a visit in winter for exactly this reason.
The days are short, sometimes windy and cold and even the bravest city explorers need longer breaks.
In the morning, it’s perfectly fine to have a coffee in bed before it finally gets properly light.
And a hot cup of tea by the Christmas tree, when the canals are steaming in the afternoon mist, feels incredibly homey.
When we’re ready to head out again, it’s less than ten minutes by bike (which the hotel conveniently lends out) to the wonderful Restaurant 21.
And the Roef or the Cottage are also just a pleasant stroll through the park away.
We feel that such comfort may certainly be worth its price.
