Luxury and history rub shoulders at this Amsterdam hotel

Old-fashioned comforts in a modern setting, Stroopwafel waffle cookies for tea and magnificent sights of the historic Royal Palace, the Anantara Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky is tailor-made for a great escape reports Shweta Shiware

- Shweta Shiware

Vincent van Gogh stares at me from above. I stand for a long time in awe of the spiral constellations of the Dutch sky so blue it looks photoshopped. It was a perfect start to my journey in the historic, canal-laced, cycle-strewn Amsterdam, and home to the Van Gogh Museum.

We arrived late in the morning at Centraal Station from Paris Gare du Nord (a journey time of just over three and a half hours) and headed to the Anantara Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky. Its gilded revolving door is a portal into one of Europe's largest five-star hotels. The softly-lit reception area feels like a gallery with marble details and modern chrome sculptures sharing space with pops of red and black accents.

Situated in Amsterdam's oldest quarter, Dam Square, and directly across the Royal Palace and the new Dior store, it's a desirable address among well-heeled business travellers as well as young couples, friends and families with kids. For elderly holidaymakers or those with impaired mobility, there are ramps and elevators in place.

The Grand Story

The history of this grand dame harks back to 1865, when young Polish tailor Adolph Wilhelm Krasnapolsky opened a coffee house on the site that is today known as the Anantara Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky. As the café gained popularity, he added rooms for rent, purchasing neighbouring buildings through the years and remodelling them into a hotel. At present, it's an amalgamation of 55 canal houses stitched together, going from the Dam Square in the front to the Oudezijds Voorburgwal canal in the back.