Backstage Hotel

Popular with rock bands (and their groupies), the Backstage Hotel offers comfortable rooms, a rockin’ atmosphere, and rates that are generally affordable. And as nearly 3,000 bands have stayed here since it opened, we think it’s struck a chord with a certain type of traveler to Amsterdam.

First, the boring basics: The two-star hotel is located on the Leidsegracht canal near the performance-space and bar-heavy Leidseplein. (It’s just one block from the legendary Melkweg concert space.) The hotel’s 22 rooms are outfitted with standard amenities: a fan, telephone, safe and free Wi-Fi, but also more high-tech ones like LCD TVs and iPod docking stations. All but six of the rooms are equipped with a private bathroom.

These details, however, are almost incidental at the Backstage, where the entire focus of the hotel has been thrown into the rock theme. From the reception and bar area to the guestrooms, the hotel hardly misses a beat. Rooms are decked out with snare drum light fixtures and high-wattage vanity mirrors. Tables, headboards and cabinets resemble flight cases that bands use to pack and transport their equipment. Autographs hang about on signed posters, albums and, in some cases, the wall itself.

Meanwhile downstairs, the bar area features a piano and pool table, and hosts a popular open mic night for new singers and songwriters every Tuesday night. A chalkboard advertises shows happening around town. Breakfast is served here (on the covered pool table) for €9.

Given the Backstage’s dedication to all things rock, it obviously won’t be for everyone. For starters, anyone looking for a “standard” and “quiet” hotel should definitely think twice (but you probably stopped reading a while ago, anyhow). If, however, you’re excited by the possibility of hanging out in the bar with some touring musicians, the Backstage might just be the perfect fit.

Note: As is the case with most of the hotels we recommend in Amsterdam, the Backstage's staircase is dauntingly steep, and the hotel does not have an elevator.