Cozy and colorful lakeside inn with loads of character just outside Amsterdam

De Durgerdam / Durgerdam / North Holland / Netherlands

Words are interesting. Take a word like ”exotic”. It is easy to connect it to some faraway place with unknown cuisine with different spices or nature that is totally different from the one you are used to back home. But exotic can also be applied to a white wood-clad hotel by a lake in The Netherlands. In what way? one might ask. The exotic factor here is that this rural boutique hotel in the small village of Durgerdam is actually a mere 7 km from downtown Amsterdam. Basically you drive through a tunnel and over a bridge and the hustle and bustle of this busy city suddenly feels a million miles away.

So what is this place? Durgerdam is an old fishing village. The location was excellent when this was the entry into Amsterdam. It all changed when they constructed the Afsluitdijk in the 1930:s in order to prevent the constant flooding, separating the IJsselmeer from the North Sea and created another waterway to Amsterdam. Since then Durgerdam has mainly been a quiet residential village with perfect commuting distance into the city. Until now. It seems that De Durgerdam Hotel is bringing new life into this cute, sleepy village.

De Durgerdam opened in the beginning of 2023, although the first inn opened on this site already back in the 17th century. When you approach the hotel it is easy to think that this whitewashed wooden building would house a hotel with a New England shabby-chic look full of lighthouses and model sail boats. But you can’t be more wrong. It might be discreet on the outside but trust me when I say that it is very unexpected and rich on the inside. The color scheme is all about full-bodied, musty hues combining rusty red with warm terracotta, where a moss green velvet sofa is leaning against (what looks like an unfinished) ochre colored wall.

This hotel came about thanks to investor- and hospitality company, Aedes, based in Amsterdam and owned by Paul Geertman (this is also the partner company behind the development of both Soho House Amsterdam as well as Hoxton Amsterdam). This is the first hotel that they have created and are running and you can feel that the you stay here. He hired two designers from world-renowned Eindhoven Design Academy, Duijf and Langenhhuijsen of Buro Belen to take on the design of the place, and I can say that I am in love with the result. It took 3 years to complete the build and it was worth every hour of that. I know I love to use the word unique, but this design is unique.

There are 4 rooms in the main building and 10 in the newly built annex, hidden just behind. The rooms have fairly low ceilings and darker color scheme which makes them feel warm and cozy. There are a number of quirky details like the tulip shaped head board, small heart shaped cut-outs in the cupboard doors and my favorite design element, the rusty red tiles in the bathroom. You can tell I am all fired up about this hotel looking at how long this entry is. And I haven’t even mentioned the wooden jetty where you can have a drink in the sun or take a swim from. The restaurant, the breakfast… Ok, just go there and experience it all for yourself instead.

The discreet but still very welcoming entrance to the hotel.

The reception is right in the middle of the restaurant, next to the bar.

I am obsessed with the color scheme at De Durgerdam. Unique hues that makes the hotel feel so comfortable, like a warm embrace.

With every hotel there is always one photo that ends up being my favorite. From De Durgerdam it is this one.

Downstairs is a hidden snug, a library where you can cozy up with a book and a drink.

If you exit through the library you are at the back of the main building…

…right in front of the annex where our room was situated.

The design is a magical combo of a traditional seafarers home paired with some contemporary elements. You have got to love a bed throw just casually tossed on the bed.

Some complimentary home made schnapps for a stiff welcome drink.

The TV is cleverly hidden behind in a turquoise cupboard. How cute are the heart-shaped cut-outs?

The part I liked the best in our room was the bathroom. The combo of rusty red tiles against the warm terracotta walls and the yellowish marble floors is unlike anything I have ever seen before when it comes to bathroom design.

Morning has broken and we are heading down to the jetty for…

…a morning swim. My favorite thing about this place is that you can go for a dip, right in front of the hotel. Just like M is doing in the photo.

After bath. M is sitting on the jetty dreaming of what to order…

…for breakfast. We both had scrambled eggs and croissants sitting outside looking out over the water.

The hotel has bikes to loan from local company Veloretti. You have to go for a bike ride when in the NL. It is against the law not to.

The one-lane village of Durgerdam is really cute. So very Dutch.

The cute wooden houses lined along the sea front. And in the distance behind the row of houses, Amsterdam is waiting for you.

RG inside info

This place is perfect if you…

…love cities and all they have to offer but you prefer to stay in a calmer setting where you can breath more easily. If you like your hotel to be small, affable and with unique design where you can go for a dip after a busy day roaming around in the city, trust me, you will love De Durgerdam.

My favorite thing about this place…

…is the location. I can’t get over that this quiet little hamlet is only 7 km from downtown Amsterdam. In reality it feels like 70 km - at least. I love the calm, residential vibe and at the same time knowing that wonderful Amsterdam is a short, scenic bike ride away.

What not to miss when staying here is…

…to get up early in the morning and go for a morning dip in the IJmeer, if the weather permits, that is. We had a magical morning where we had the jetty all to ourselves and the water was absolutely calm with a pale Summer sun above us. Another must is to borrow bikes from the hotel and go for a ride. Bike riding when in the NL is mandatory.

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