On the NDSM wharf across the IJ from central Amsterdam stands a 1950s industrial shipping crane that once loaded cargo in the old docks. Rather than scrap it, its owners threaded three luxury design suites up its spine — the Faralda Crane Hotel, where you sleep 50 metres above the water inside a piece of working industrial history.
Why it made our list
It is, genuinely, a hotel in a crane. The three suites — Free Spirit, Secret, and Mystique — climb the tower at 35, 40, and 45 metres, each individually designed, and there’s a spa pool and a bungee platform on the roof. You reach your room by a lift up the crane’s leg, and the views over the IJ, the wharf’s street-art scene, and the Amsterdam skyline are like nothing else in the city. It’s the definition of a landmark stay: the structure is the experience.
What guests say
Faralda rates around 9.6/10 on Booking.com across its (necessarily small) set of reviews:
- The sheer novelty and the views are the universal highlight — guests call it unforgettable.
- People love the design of the suites and the rooftop hot tub.
- Honest cautions: there are only three rooms (book well ahead), it’s across the water from the centre (a short, frequent free ferry from Amsterdam Centraal), and heights are, obviously, part of the deal.
The consensus: a one-night, do-it-once landmark stay — go for the experience and the view, not as a base for sightseeing.
Good to know
- Price: suites from around $1,050/night.
- Best time to visit: late spring to early autumn for the wharf’s bars, markets, and festivals.
- Getting there: free NDSM ferry from Amsterdam Centraal (about 15 minutes).
- Suits: couples, design lovers, travellers who want the most unusual room in Amsterdam.
Details verified against the hotel’s official site at time of writing. Prices are indicative and change — confirm current rates and availability before booking.