Priced on the same night, 2026-10-10: InterContinental Amstel Amsterdam by IHG is $95 a night less. They are 2.1 km apart.
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At virtually identical rates (600 vs 603 USD), this comes down to what kind of luxury you want rather than value. The Pulitzer is 225 rooms threaded through a row of connected 17th-century canal houses on the Prinsengracht; the InterContinental Amstel is a single grand riverside palace with a pool, spa bath and sauna the Pulitzer doesn't have. If wellness facilities matter, book the Amstel; if you want to feel Amsterdam in the walls around you, book the Pulitzer.
The Pulitzer is stitched together from twenty-five adjoining canal houses, so no two corridors run quite straight and you're forever going up half a flight or through an odd little archway. The design plays that up rather than smoothing it out: exposed beams and brick sit next to contemporary Dutch furniture, vintage telephones, and DS & Durga toiletries in the bathrooms. It reads less like a hotel and more like a very well-funded eccentric's house on the water, with Restaurant Jansz. doing modern-Dutch cooking downstairs. The crowd is design-literate, often here specifically because it isn't a conventional five-star box.
Design-minded travellers who want a boutique, characterful stay woven into Amsterdam's canal architecture.
The InterContinental Amstel occupies a grand 19th-century building on the Amstel River, the kind of formal, symmetrical riverside pile that reads as institutional luxury: high ceilings, classic proportions, and rooms with panoramic water views. Inside it leans traditional-meets-modern rather than eccentric, with an indoor pool looking onto the river, a spa bath, steam bath and sauna, plus a weekend Afternoon Tea that signals exactly the kind of guest it's built for. It's polished, formal, and built for people who want a known quantity in grand surroundings rather than a design story.
Guests who want a full-service grand hotel with wellness facilities and river views, in a more classically formal register.
The Pulitzer, despite matching the Amstel on price, has no pool, hot tub, spa bath or sauna on its facility list, so anyone wanting to swim or steam has to look elsewhere.
The Pulitzer is the more beautiful and specific place to actually be in, because its structure comes from real 17th-century houses rather than a single grand facade, and that irregularity gives every room a different, unrepeatable character.
| Pulitzer Amsterdam | InterContinental Amstel Amsterdam by IHG | |
|---|---|---|
| Price, same night | $723 | $628 |
| Guest rating | 9.4/10 | 9.2/10 |
| Reviews | 1746 | 416 |
| Stars | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ |
| Facilities on our list | 6 | 7 |
| Distance apart | 2.1 km |
“Location, unique rooms and helpful staff.”
“True old world charm with beautiful lobby, wood paneled elevator, and fresh flowers in the hallways.”
Pulitzer guests seem happier overall, praising staff helpfulness and unique charm with only minor gripes, while Amstel guests love the beauty but note service slowness and understaffing.
“Great but still room for improvement”
Location, design, helpfulness off staff, original décoration, spatious room
as in many other hotels not enough attention paid to the number of plugs to charge multiple devices. Boiling water device spilling out water making electricity breakdown.Queue for table at breakfast
“Excellent”
Beautiful Hotel. Excellent staff. Great location. Can walk to everything. Loved all the history of the canal houses that are now the hotel.
Location
Small bedroom
“Lovely”
Breakfast service was slow and the food not up to the standard of an hotel of this excellence
“Exotic Old world charm feel”
It was beautiful and luxurious
Short staffed at reception long waits
Luxury Accommodation in Historic Canal Houses Unique Blend of Traditional and Modern Design The Pulitzer Amsterdam offers 225 distinctive guest rooms and suites that seamlessly blend traditional and modern Dutch design elements. Guests can indulge in DS & Durga toiletries, vintage telephones, and even a bike repair set, adding a touch of nostalgia and…
Check-in — · Check-out 12:00 PM
Luxurious Riverside Retreat Iconic Views and Modern Comforts Indulge in panoramic views of the city and the Amstel River from our tastefully decorated rooms and suites. Enjoy a blend of classic charm and contemporary amenities like flat-screen TVs and iPod docking stations. Wellness and Culinary Delights Unwind at our health club's indoor pool with stunning…
Check-in — · Check-out 12:00 PM
Rates are live for 2026-10-10, one night, two guests, fetched together so the two are comparable. Facilities and reviews are from each hotel's own listing. The honest take is written by our AI from the listing, the reviews and what is widely known about each hotel. HotelDupe earns a commission if you book, which never changes the verdict. All comparisons