Champagne & Diamonds for Christmas in Amsterdam

In a city notable for its nightlife, there’s something magical about morning in Amsterdam with the canal waters still and the sidewalks empty. Hardly anyone wandering about as we approached the pier on the Oudezijds Voorburgwal canal where our private saloon boat awaited, our captain in full dress uniform, navy blazer and brass buttons.

It was early on an autumn Saturday, the denizens of nocturnal Amsterdam still clubbing or sleeping soundly as we boarded De Lieve, a luxury saloon boat built in 1935. Saloon boats are to Amsterdam what gondolas are to Venice: lacquered and elegant, and one of the more luxurious modes of traversing the city’s waters. Some people booze through the night while others embark upon a champagne breakfast cruise. As the captain steered us into the canals, we raised a toast with a flute of Moët & Chandon, the house champagne of our host Anantara Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky Amsterdam.

In recent years, Amsterdam has become a destination as visited as Venice, with annual visitors numbering nearly 20 million. While gliding through the canals, it’s very easy to understand why so many people flock to Amsterdam—and champagne is even more delicious when served on a saloon boat at ten in the morning. Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2010, the canals of Amsterdam are the lifeblood of the city. There are more than 100 kilometers (62 miles) of canals, nearly all of which are navigable by boat, although on that splendid autumn morning, we had them nearly to ourselves.

Water has always been a conduit for Amsterdam’s phenomenal wealth, particularly during the city’s 17^th-century “Golden Age” when Dutch maritime and economic power ruled the world. Back in the Middle Ages, the city had a protective moat to safeguard the city; today, there are more than 1,500 bridges fostering connection between the city’s ninety islands. The port of Amsterdam is the fourth largest in Europe—and the Amsterdam Stock Exchange is the world’s oldest and the largest bourse in Europe. Trading and finance have been integral to Amsterdam’s history—and where there is lots of money, there are lots of diamonds.

For more than 400 years, Amsterdam has been the center of the diamond industry—and home to the 57-facet brilliant cut, as well as the Gassan 121, the 121-facet cut which originated at Gassan Diamonds. Champagne and diamonds are an addictive combination, particularly when wandering through Gassan Diamonds where a glass of Taittinger champagne is served with a diamond at the bottom of the flute. Or is it zirconia? Only the Gassan jeweler knows for certain—and only one guest in our party of six goes home with the real diamond which is made into a necklace as we tour the premises and witness the transformation of a rough diamond into a dazzling 121-facet diamond. 

Bewitched and bedazzled, we wandered into De Bijenkorf for another glass of bubbly atop Amsterdam’s counterpart to New York’s Bergdorf Goodman. Founded in 1870, De Bijenkorf (or the beehive in English) anchors one corner of Dam Square alongside its notable neighbors the National Royal Palace to the west, and Anantara Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky to the east. Known as the Dam by locals, Dam Square is named for its original function as a dam on the Amstel River, hence the name Amsterdam and Dam Square’s centrality to the city.

Nearly half of the hotels in Amsterdam are four- and five-star properties, which account for nearly half of the overnight stays in the city. Created from more than 50 canal houses, the five-star Anantara Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky Amsterdam bears the name of Adolph Krasnapolsky, the Polish tailor who opened a coffee house in 1856 that became so popular that Krasnapolsky rebuilt the property into a grand hotel. The 402-room property includes a grand café and a restaurant helmed by a Michelin-starred chef, as well as an award-winning cocktail bar, and a champagne lounge.

Champagne is always welcome in the White Room where Michelin-starred chef Jacob Jan Boerma oversees a tasting menu that complements the white and gold décor of the historic dining room which dates to 1885. Known for his integration of sour and spice, Chef Boerma teases the palate with combinations like red shrimp and coffee, razor clams drizzled with egg yolk and lemon balm, smoked eel and kimchi, and of course, a champagne intermezzo with kaffir, almond, and yuzu.

The core philosophy of Anantara is rooted in the Sanskrit word meaning “without end,” with the understanding that life is a journey. At Anantara Spa, the concept is put into practice with stress release treatments that utilize the benefits of magnesium for a healthy immune system. After which the choice is either a good night’s sleep—or a nightcap at The Tailor.

For those who seek cocktails as customized as a bespoke suit, The Tailor is tailor-made for discerning drinkers. Designed in honor of the Polish tailor who created the hotel, the award-winning bar is furnished with haberdasher references and bartenders who are known as tailors. Each evening at the Tailor commences with a lobby ritual during which two pyromaniac mixologists create a flaming cocktail which is then shared with guests. Liqueurs at the Tailor are sourced from Wynand Fockink, one of Amsterdam’s most historic distilleries, located next door—and one good reason why The Tailor was the winner of the National Cocktail Competition in 2021.

With more than four hundred rooms and suites, Anantara Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky Amsterdam offers multiple perspectives on the city of Amsterdam. Rooms that face onto the Dam are lively with nightlife and a treetop perspective of the National Monument; guests seeking a quiet night’s sleep are granted a rooftop vista of Amsterdam’s skyline. All rooms feature Nespresso machines, pillow menus, bathrobes, Amouage toiletries, and best of all, especially on those post-buzz mornings, push-button rainforest showers. No hassle with the hotel shower: one button and you’re good to go, refreshed and ready for breakfast in the hotel’s iconic Wintergarden.

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One of Amsterdam’s most beautiful rooms, the 19th-century belle-époque conservatory has been the site of numerous celebrations, including royal weddings and state functions. With seating for 600 guests, the Wintergarden features a glass ceiling, wall frescoes and mirrors, and a tessellated black-and-white tile floor that should have been featured in a Hollywood musical from the 1930s starring Fred and Ginger. The breakfast buffet is as sumptuous as the room, complete with chocolate fountain, juice bar, and, of course, champagne.

Springtime in the Netherlands has always been associated with tulips, and from March to May, Anantara Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky Amsterdam partners with floral experts for its Tulip Experience which includes a private tour via luxury limousine to the tulip fields outside the city. Surrounded by one million plants, guests enjoy a private champagne lunch served by an Anantara butler in the tulip fields.

For another angle on Amsterdam, the five-star Tivoli Doelen Amsterdam Hotel rises above the Amstel River like a five-layer wedding confection of cream, gold, and red. One of the most historic hotels in Amsterdam, the 81-room property has hosted numerous illustrious guests such as the Beatles on their first European tour, and Empress Sissi of Austria whose favorite bonbons await guests upon arrival. A listed building and a registered landmark, the Tivoli Doelen is equally notable as the building in which Rembrandt’s 17^th-century masterpiece The Night Watch first hung—and the hotel honors the artist with a suite named in his honor.

Rembrandt also haunts the hotel’s restaurant Omber, named for the artist’s favored color and designed with Rembrandt’s palette in mind. At the bar, “jenever” from Wynand Fockink is served with herring in honor of the artist’s favorite snack. High atop the Klovenierscanal, the suites at Tivoli Doelen offer a bird’s-eye view of Amsterdam’s medieval center and a splendid perspective on Amsterdam Pride’s Canal Parade annually celebrated on the first Saturday in August.

For a truly magical winter in Amsterdam, few events are more mesmerizing than Amsterdam Light Festival which originated from the Christmas Canal Parade in 2009. Since then, Amsterdam Light Festival has illuminated the city’s canals with brilliant site-specific artworks by international light artists from around the world. Each edition of Amsterdam Light Festival runs for seven weeks from the end of November through January, attracting millions of visitors to Amsterdam for the holiday season.

At Anantara Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky Amsterdam, the festive season celebrations include champagne and caviar in the Champagne Room along with Afternoon Tea at Grand Café Krasnapolsky and advent calendars filled with 24 handmade bonbons. Gala dinners and Christmas and New Year’s Eve celebrations transform the White Room and Wintergarden into holiday wonderlands. Who knows, if you’re nice and naughty, you just might find a diamond twinkling at the bottom of your flute.