Hotel de l’Europe breathes old-fashioned style and class. Apart from the latest electrical devices and modern comforts like steam showers and flat screen TVs, it seems like time stood still here. The doormen in high hats, countless chandeliers and heavy curtains inside all add to the feeling of the kind of luxury that doesn’t exist in many places any more. Extra facilities include a pool, sauna, two restaurants, a terrace overlooking the river Amstel and the relaxed Freddy’s bar, named after Freddy Heineken, the man behind the beer and a regular at the hotel when he was still alive. The vivid location, in between the university and the Canal Belt, put most tourist hotspots within walking distance. Another unexpected plus is the hotel’s tolerant approach towards smokers, as one of the few hotels left in Amsterdam to still offer smoking rooms.