Lightship Amsterdam is a bright red ship anchored in Amsterdam’s harbor, and you can actually spend the night here! It’s a small, boutique hotel, giving travelers the chance to spend a peaceful night away from the city center while connecting to Amsterdam’s maritime history. It’s definitely not a traditional Amsterdam hotel, which is exactly why we think it’s worth knowing about if you’re looking for a more unusual place to stay.
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What Makes This Boat Hotel in Amsterdam So Unique?
This isn’t a hotel designed to look like a boat. It’s an actual converted lightship dating back to the 1950s. Lightships were essentially floating lighthouses, positioned in the water to mark hazards and guide other vessels safely through difficult waterways. But now, Lightship Amsterdam has retired from its former duties and now offers visitors a unique place to stay outside of Amsterdam’s city center.
We especially love that a stay here feels more remote and private than your typical Amsterdam hotel. Amsterdam is known for its tiny rooms, and after the hotel experience we had last time, where we were practically tripping over each other, we’d much rather stay on a unique ship with room to open our suitcases! Plus, it’s not in a touristy area at all.
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Where Is Lightship Amsterdam?
Lightship Amsterdam is located in Amsterdam’s harbor, away from the city’s historic center. That’s why we think Lightship Amsterdam is perfect for return visitors to Amsterdam. If you’re a first-time visitor with only a couple of days to see all the sights, this hotel will probably feel too far out for you. But if you value space, peace, and quiet, and converted hotels, you’ll love staying here.
For us, the location is less of a drawback if you’re booking Lightship specifically for the experience. This is the kind of hotel where the unusual setting is part of the reason to stay, rather than simply choosing the most convenient location for sightseeing.
One thing that is really important to note is that even though this hotel is a bit far from the city center, you won’t have to walk all that way! The hotel is a short walk from a free ferry that will take you over to the city center.
The boat is also just a 17-minute walk from A’DAM Lookout, where you can swing over the edge of a building while taking in the city below you. It’s the ultimate thrill! You can read all about it here.
Lightship Amsterdam Price and Booking Information
The price to stay at Lightship Amsterdam is pretty affordable, with room pricing shifting depending on your dates and room type. But on average, rates start in the low-to-mid €200sSummer weekends and popular travel dates can book up quickly, so it’s worth checking availability early. We personally think the best time to visit is spring through early autumn.
Rooms aboard Lightship Amsterdam are compact but still more spacious than many of the typical Amsterdam hotel rooms. You won’t get the amount of space you’d expect from a large luxury hotel, but that’s not really what you’re booking here. The appeal is waking up aboard an actual lightship and having an experience that would be impossible to recreate in a standard hotel. If you’re traveling with a lot of luggage or prefer a large room, keep the size in mind when booking.
If you have the option to choose between rooms, consider the views and layout rather than simply booking the cheapest available option. And because you’re staying outside the historic center, leave yourself some extra time for transportation when planning your sightseeing days.
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Is Lightship Amsterdam Worth It?
It’s not the hotel to book if your top priorities are a huge room, five-star amenities, or being steps from Amsterdam’s main attractions. You’re paying for the experience of staying somewhere you simply can’t replicate at a traditional hotel. For a short Amsterdam trip, it could also be a fun way to make the hotel itself part of the trip, rather than treating it as somewhere you only return to at night. We think this is the most unusual hotel in Amsterdam, and definitely worth a stay during your trip.
Looking for more unusual places to stay? Check out our Explore and Book page for more memorable stays around the world.
