Guide · Schiphol · 2026-10-15
Hotels in the old church quarter, between the Warmoesstraat and the Oudezijds canals
The city's first streets lie between Centraal and the Nieuwmarkt, around a medieval church whose tower can be seen from most of them. The hotels there are small, old and lively, and a session in one of them takes a little more planning on a busy night.
Before the canal ring existed, Amsterdam was a strip of houses along a few canals on either side of the mouth of the Amstel. The eastern half of that strip is now the quarter around the Oude Kerk, the Old Church, whose great wooden vault has covered the same floor for centuries. The Warmoesstraat, once a street of prosperous merchants, runs along its western edge and holds many of the area's small hotels, with more along the canals of the Oudezijds Voorburgwal and the Oudezijds Achterburgwal.
What the rooms are like
Hotels here occupy tall, narrow houses, sometimes several joined together. The rooms are compact, the stairs are steep and some floors lean a little, which is part of the charm. Many cater for a young crowd on a short break, with a desk open late and a bar on the ground floor. A guest booking a session should mention the floor, the size of the bed and whether the street door is reached through that bar.
Crowds in the evening
This quarter draws visitors from everywhere, and from early evening the narrow canalside lanes fill with slow-moving groups. Walking back to the hotel can take far longer than the map suggests, so a guest who plans an evening session here should write before setting off rather than after arriving. The last stretch to your door can be slow on a busy night, and the thread is where any delay on either side gets mentioned.
From the airport
The quarter starts a few steps from Centraal, across the Prins Hendrikkade and down the Warmoesstraat, so most guests walk from the train. The cobbles are uneven and the pavements narrow, which is worth knowing with a large suitcase. A taxi can reach only some streets, as many lanes are closed to cars, and being dropped on the station side is often quicker.
A calm room in a loud quarter
A room at the back, or on an upper floor, is the simple answer to the noise outside. Close the window, keep the lights low and put on something soft. For a first booking half the fee goes ahead once the hour is agreed, and the deposit page sets out what happens if the evening runs late. Canal-house stairs and other surprises describes buildings like these in more detail.