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< Scandinavia & Benelux
When the Amstel opened its doors in 1867, it was instantly the grandest hotel in the Netherlands, and most Amsterdammers would still argue the case today. The building sits on the banks of the Amstel river like a wedding cake somebody forgot to serve, all white stucco and grand proportions, and its guest list reads like the minutes of a diplomatic summit: Queen Elizabeth II, the Empress of Japan, and a roll call of prime ministers who came for the discretion as much as the view. The InterContinental affiliation is a formality; the Amstel has never behaved like anything other than Amsterdam's own grande dame. 79 rooms and a terrace that turns river traffic into the evening's entertainment.
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