Always wanted to visit our home town, Amsterdam? Today, our contributing editor, Felicia, shares the best family friendly hotels in Amsterdam and what great things you can undertake with your kids in Amsterdam.

So here I am, back at our home base, Amsterdam, after six wonderful months of traveling the world with my family. Our kids Alba (5) and George (3) absolutely loved being on the road with us, and we are all having a rather hard time adjusting to the normal routine again. However, being a TRVLBEES member ánd contributing editor makes me relive lots of our travels, adventures and great finds, and I cannot wait to share these with you.And what better place to start than Amsterdam, our home city?

When traveling to Amsterdam with your kid(s), both accommodation and location are quite important. You’ll want to be able to either walk or cycle everywhere, plus the hotel needs to be family friendly without losing its charm of course. Let me share two of the best family friendly hotels in Amsterdam:

Pulitzer hotel

• The Pulitzer Hotel – one of the best family friendly boutique hotels in Amsterdam

  This would be an excellent choice (to say the least) for a stay with the kids, as it is both charming and family friendly. Located on the Canals of Amsterdam, near the Anne Frank house and the charming ‘9 Straatjes,’ the Pullitzer is located in an ideal city-center spot. After a day of exploring Amsterdam’s buzzing streets, the private courtyard makes you feel like you’ve entered a serene, little green haven, where you can enjoy an afternoon tea, cake, or even an Acaí bowl. Not to mention the the renowned Pullitzer bar and on-site restaurant Jansz, a nonchalant, yet upscale all-day dining hotspot that serves carefully-crafted dishes. In other words, the adults are covered!

  

  Swings at the Pulitzer patio

But not just the parents will feel spoiled at this stylish, yet sophisticated accommodation. The Pullitzer team treats them as Very Important Kids, welcoming them with a stuffed animal in the room, and everything imaginable to perfect their stay, such as coloring books, a special Children’s tv-network and, last but not least, pancakes for breakfast! The Pullitzer offers Family Packages and babysitting/child services upon request.

Definitely one of my favorites!

• Hotel JLN076 – one of the best family friendly hotels in Amsterdam

  This hotel is another kid friendly gem. Being right in the middle of Amsterdam’s fashion district and in very close vicinity of the famous Vondelpark, it proves to be a great hotel to stay with your family. Persuading your kids won’t be hard- just mention the pancakes for breakfast, watching cartoons from the bubble bath and the many playgrounds and shallow pool in the Vondelpark! Oh, and did we mention the 2-minute walk to the Museum Square, where they’ll find another playground, a skateboard park and waddle pool that changes into an ice rink during winter?

Besides staying at a great hotel, exploring and roaming Amsterdam is obligatory during your trip. The city is perfect for either biking or walking, and we always let the kids bring their scooters – makes moving around so much easier and quicker! Should they get tired, you can always hop on a tram…easy does it when traveling with children, right?

Amsterdam is actually jam packed with cool things to do, both for kids and adults, but I will let you in on some of our most favorite activities.

• Believe it or not, but we visit Artis every single week. Really! This zoo (from 1838) is great in so many ways; it offers little cars to make moving around a lot easier with your little one(s), it has several beautiful little gardens where you can rest for a bit while sipping a great cappuccino from one of the mobile coffee stations, or enjoy an ice cream. The kids will love sliding down the huge giraffe and checking out the playground right in front of the restaurant. Still hungry? Order some typically Dutch ‘poffertjes’ along the way- lunch is excellent in neighboring ‘De Plantage’, where you can also sit outside and watch your kids running up and down the huge waddle fountain. Always a hit!

• Located in a huge green futuristic ship like building right at the waterfront, the NEMO Science Museum aims (and succeeds!) to make both science and technique accessible and fun for kids. The building houses loads of experiments and exhibitions and attractions change regularly so you will never get bored. The huge roof terrace is open to everyone and offers a restaurant; you can also bring your own snacks and picnic outside; during summer the kids can waddle in the shallow pools, while you sit back and enjoy the wonderful views.

• Despite being one of the busier tourist attractions in Amsterdam, the Van Gogh Museum is an enjoyable and unique must-see. Located on the buzzing Museum Square, this activity will not just provide the adults with an afternoon of fascinating insight into the history and works of Holland’s most renowned artist, the kids are also guaranteed to have a great time learning and playing during a scavenger hunt around the museum.

• Fourth but certainly not least: The Pure Market in the eastern part of the city. We love getting on our bike and spend several hours tasting, roaming and treasure hunting here! A large part of the stalls is (international) food related; the rest is a mix of flowers, pottery, clothing and vintage items. Stock up on the most delicious products, let the kids ride the cool old-fashioned carousel and taste some oysters, Surinam food or Chilean empanadas. We never go home with an empty stomach…

Want to see more family friendly hotels in Amsterdam, visit the TRVLBEES platform here.

Written by Contributing Editor Felicia da Costa.