(free) Not your typical chain hotel: Why this new Amsterdam stay stands out

There are more colours in the lobby than my two hands can count: pink, green, blue and the rest of the rainbow. But it's far from gaudy. The hotel is stylish and playful - more in line with a boutique stay than a multinational - taking its colourful cues from the streets of Amsterdam. Through the street-facing window, I can see the top of a row of wonky homes, each painted in the same hues I'm surrounded by. It's intrinsically Dutch without leaning on the famed Delftware's blue and white or national orange. For a hotel of its mid-priced kind, the attention to detail and deviation from the standard "business" style are welcome reprieves.

Walking along the canal opposite the hotel is an extreme sport. Bicycles zip past and a tiny Microlino car comes racing up the bike lane. Both care little for pedestrians or regular, road-using cars. Cyclists are at the top of the pecking order here: something I learn fast after a few near misses. Perhaps taking one of the barges with fellow tourists around the canals would have been a more peaceful way to explore the lively De Pijp neighbourhood. But nothing says "I'm in Amsterdam" more than being swept up in the tidal wave of two-wheeled transport.

From the sixth floor, I watch as the traffic flows by. My "superior room with panoramic canal view" does what it says on the box, and I have an uninterrupted view of the waterway and street below through the floor-to-ceilings. Much like the lobby, the room is cheerful with colour and sumptuous velvet finishes. Checkered artworks - a nod to the geometric works of the late Dutch artist Piet Mondrian that hang in the nearby museums - feature heavily, too. It sounds chaotic, but the room is a textbook example of functionalism and rationalism, free of frou-frou unnecessaries, with just a sitting area, luggage storage, a small minibar and a simple (but wildly comfortable) bed.

There's no bacon on the breakfast buffet. I'm told it's a purposeful omission in a bid to provide guests with more wholesome options. Most are happy to tuck into the vegan sausages or muesli, but if you must, you can order a few rashers and some scrambled eggs from the a la carte menu. For other meals of the day, there's a self-service 24-hour pantry area in the lobby. Salads, wraps and sandwiches are replenished daily, but for something more substantial, it's best to get out and explore.

Across the canal is the neighbourhood of De Pijp, where Middle Eastern, Asian and other European countries join the Dutch in the culinary and retail spaces. Stroopwafel stalls and cute coffee-slinging cafes (not to be confused with marijuana-selling "coffee shops") are interspersed with Vietnamese and Surinamese restaurants and the markets that line Albert Cuypstraat sell everything from clogs to kaftans. Delve into more culture at the Museumkwartier, where you'll find the Rijksmuseum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vestibulum rhoncus convallis dictum. Quisque luctus auctor sapien et fringilla. Donec vestibulum dignissim lorem sed ornare. Donec ornare vel neque sodales tristique. Donec mattis, ex at luctus lacinia, mauris est ultrices metus, id egestas nulla metus non tortor. Nulla lacinia vestibulum eros vel fermentum. Sed molestie congue nulla, at faucibus mi. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Donec luctus et nisi id volutpat. Ut elementum commodo metus quis porta. Nulla facilisi. Sed aliquet, mauris ut dignissim laoreet, nisi lectus congue dolor, in euismod felis tellus eu lectus. Vestibulum ante ipsum primis in faucibus orci luctus et ultrices posuere cubilia curae; Donec dictum tristique vestibulum.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vestibulum rhoncus convallis dictum. Quisque luctus auctor sapien et fringilla. Donec vestibulum dignissim lorem sed ornare. Donec ornare vel neque sodales tristique. Donec mattis, ex at luctus lacinia, mauris est ultrices metus, id egestas nulla metus non tortor. Nulla lacinia vestibulum eros vel fermentum. Sed molestie congue nulla, at faucibus mi. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Donec luctus et nisi id volutpat. Ut elementum commodo metus quis porta. Nulla facilisi. Sed aliquet, mauris ut dignissim laoreet, nisi lectus congue dolor, in euismod felis tellus eu lectus. Vestibulum ante ipsum primis in faucibus orci luctus et ultrices posuere cubilia curae; Donec dictum tristique vestibulum.

The writer was a guest of the hotel.