The Toren

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OOZING BOUDOIR CHIC from its sprawling beds to its signature double jacuzzi tubs, The Toren is just the place for naughty nights in Amsterdam. Preening in plushest silks and velvets, it revels in the theatrical.

Step inside this pristine townhouse to hints of bordello-bold: think wicked blacks, deepest purple, ripened plum and burnished gold. This is romance on a plate – intimate and sumptuously sinful.

Set among a grand row of elegant, 17^th century merchant houses lining the Keizersgracht canal, The Toren is a beautifully restored pair of townhouses (three doors apart) that have been clearly been lavished in TLC by the family owners.

Jacuzzi tubs for two

Rooms are made for together-time, and our Special Deluxe quarters sported deliciously dark shades of black, burgundy and smoky grey, with a huge jacuzzi tub for two just yards from the bed. With dishes of chocolates and strawberries waiting to be nibbled and some bubbly waiting in the minibar, our late afternoon sightseeing plans were promptly abandoned in favour of a decadently long soak.

Squeaky clean from our monsoon shower, we surfaced in time for cocktails in The Toren’s sheltered courtyard garden – a perfect urban oasis ringed by graceful Dutch townhouses. With its cool gazebo and flickering oil lamps, it was just the place for a Mojito or two.

Decor at The Toren has been designed to seduce, and designer Wim van de Oudeweetering has mixed sleek and sexy with ease: leitmotifs of charcoal, purple and gold are set off with lookalike alligator skin, dimpled metallic silver and corrugated gold wallcoverings.

Gorgeous teardrop chandeliers, exquisite original cornices and ornately carved mirrors set things off to a T. While the open-plan bathrooms means there’s no place for the bashful, they come with double sinks and separate walk-in showers, plus lots of bubbly stuff and robes.

While we didn’t manage to master our in-room espresso machine, there was plenty on offer at breakfast next morning in the stylish bar cum breakfast room, with its lofty windows, striking artworks and Baroque style velvet covered chairs. Service from the hotel’s young and hospitable staff was first rate.