Top Boutique Hotels to Book for an Overnight Stay in Utrecht

Smack bang in the centre of town, the Nox has transformed a 17th-century gentlemen’s club into a 23-room boutique hotel. The rooms celebrate all things lunar and are decorated with calming colours so you’ll sleep like a baby – with Chromecast and bluetooth speakers adding a techy touch to your luxury stay. Opened in October 2020, the hotel is proud of its sustainable credentials, and the vertical garden at the rear of the building contributes to Utrecht’s green city centre.

You can find the Hunfeld among the historical buildings in the city centre, blending in with the architecture of the 19th century. Starting life as Utrecht’s first men’s fashion store, the hotel took its name from owners Grove & Hunfeld. Mixing modern touches with original features, this boutique hotel is achingly hip, with mid-century modern furniture and super friendly staff. The rooms range from small bedrooms to suites, plus there’s one apartment – so all options are covered.

Situated in a bustling central square, Brass has done an immaculate job of converting a historic building into a luxury retreat in the city centre. With six unique bedrooms providing tastefully decorated accommodation with contemporary art and quirky period furnishings, there’s a tranquil vibe here. The eclectic luxury continues with the cosy Restaurant Brass, where you can enjoy all-day dining, or book “the kitchen table” for a more private space.

On the colourful Kanaalstraat, in Utrecht’s bustling Lombok area, this converted monastery opened as a designer hotel in 2019. Individually furnished rooms fuse original features – beams or brick arches – with airy, wood-floored rooms that range from a monastic single to a split-level space for three couples. The lofts are ideal for longer or more luxurious trips, complete with sitting rooms, kitchens, and a private penthouse terrace. Sample Utrecht waffles with poached-pear ice cream in the vaults or cloister courtyard of Brasserie MONK. Alternatively, venture out for falafel burgers and Turkish pizza in the narrow, cobbled streets nearby.

In the city’s medieval, canal-ringed heart, just steps from gothic St Martin’s Cathedral and the soaring Dom Tower, this boutique hotel and restaurant fills an 18th-century building with tasteful style. Guests are welcomed into funky bedrooms of wood and stone, with plants placed around. The restaurant is a similarly bold domain of stylish glass and glowing lamps. Chef Rick Gresnigt’s menu is fresh and popular – put us down for the truffle risotto and crispy smoked beef with Cerisa cherries.

Here’s your golden opportunity to stay in a 17th-century mansion, resplendent with stepped gables and stone swans. The location is stunning, on the tree-lined banks of the idyllic Vecht River, 6km (4mi) north of the Dom Tower. The nine rooms are totally individual – you might check in to find sloping beams, wooden shutters and chandeliers, or vaulted basements and mezzanine floors. Outside, there’s a fairytale riverside garden with fountains, roses and a Japanese maple. Bistro Belle, in a quaint cottage next door, has tables overlooking the water.

Adventurous travellers pick this place for its bargain pods and bunk rooms. This hostel-hotel is located in a fascinating building: an old waterside church with a bell still hanging in the belfry, and an organ over the galleried communal dining room. Despite the low prices, you can expect luxurious touches like cosy lighting, crisp white sheets, organic shampoo and underfloor heating in the bathrooms. The location is handy for the station as well as for the picturesque canals and cobbled walkways of Binnenstad neighbourhood. There’s also a popular all-day restaurant in the church’s atmospheric, high-ceilinged nave. Tuck into global favourites alongside home-brewed beer, home-distilled gin, vodka and juniper-flavoured jenever.

This charming, centrally located hotel stands roughly midway between two of Utrecht’s most famous landmarks – the Dom Tower and Museum Catharijne Convent – on a bustling street that runs parallel to the city’s Oudegracht canal. The hotel features 27 individually designed, well-furnished rooms, with space for solo travellers or couples. The hotel also offers several suites elsewhere in the city that are housed inside cellars along Utrecht’s canals, with ample space for families or groups. Breakfast is included in every booking, and the hotel has bike hire services.

Housed inside a 19th-century townhouse, with an eye-catching curved roof and stunning facade, this cosy boutique hotel lies around 1km (0.6mi) away from Utrecht’s bustling city centre in a peaceful neighbourhood surrounded by parklands. There are 45 stunning rooms available at the hotel, equipped with luxurious beds and interior amenities and facilities befitting a four-star establishment. The hotel also features several additional perks aside from its lodgings, including a charming bar and private garden, where guests can recuperate after spending the day exploring Utrecht.

Located underneath Utrecht’s most iconic landmark, the Dom Tower, it’s difficult to imagine somewhere with a better location than Hotel Dom. Like many other spots in Utrecht’s city centre, the hotel itself is rich in history, and its suites, restaurant and bar are spread inside a monumental building that dates back to the 18th century. The hotel divides its suites into three different categories, with each suite inside the hotel boasting luxurious elements that will make guests feel right at home – including king-size beds and stunning ensuite facilities.

During the 19th century, the mansion that houses this 36-room boutique hotel was converted into an eye hospital by famed ophthalmologist Franciscus Donders, whose groundbreaking work paved the way for many other developments within this branch of medicine. In honour of Donders’ research, Eye Hotel has fitted its rooms with artwork and objects related to eye care, such as large optometry charts and anatomical models. Aside from the decor, each room in the Eye Hotel features comfy beds made by a local design studio, desks and ensuite facilities – so you’ll have everything you need to enjoy your stay in Utrecht.

Anyone who has visited Utrecht has probably noticed the hobbit-hole-like cellars that line the banks of the city’s inner canals. Though they appear small, these centuries-old cellars usually run quite far underground and nowadays contain homes, shops and businesses – including several suites and apartments managed by Hotel26. Due to their proximity on Utrecht’s medieval waterways, these cavernous, fully furnished lodgings are perfect for anyone who wants to discover the city’s vibrant history or experience life on the canals.

The building that houses Mother Goose has stood in central Utrecht for well over 400 years. The building has changed hands many times over the centuries, moving between private residents, a mattress company, then eventually a group of squatters, who were evicted from its premises in the early 21st century. It has since been converted into a modern boutique hotel with 23 luxury bedrooms, complete with exposed stone walls and other elements that illustrate its long history. The hotel’s stunning rooms and suites range from smaller accommodation equipped with essentials, to apartment-sized lodgings that are ideal for longer stays in Utrecht.

Located on the northern banks of Utrecht’s medieval Oudegracht canal, this cosy boutique hotel offers guests the opportunity to rest, recuperate and socialise in beautifully designed spaces that are tailored around green living. Ranging in size, each room at Mary K is individually designed and features hand-picked, vintage interior items that match perfectly with the hotel’s welcoming, down-to-earth vibe. Guests at Mary K are treated to an organic, healthy breakfast every morning, made from locally sourced or fair-trade ingredients. What’s more, the hotel maintains an environmentally conscious approach and actively tries to reduce its carbon footprint whenever possible.

Set inside a 14th-century monastery that has served as a sanctuary for monks, knights and even emperors over the centuries, this stately hotel honours its long history by providing guests with the highest standards of hospitality. You can rest inside one of 121 stately rooms or suites – furnished with an impressive array of luxury items and amenities – but the hotel also boasts two restaurants, with charming waterside terraces, and a wellness centre. It stands just outside the bustle of central Utrecht, allowing you to experience life in the inner city while still having space to relax away from the crowds.