Treat yourself like your best friend and a world will open up for you. It may sound a bit silly, but just try it and see what comes your way. Feeling pressured? Then take a night away with... yourself. Not with your partner, not with a friend or your mom, just by yourself. After a few pretty hectic weeks, I felt like recharging for a night, solo. On the advice of friends, I chose an industrial, urban, and vintage hotel in Amsterdam West.

Sometimes you enter a place and immediately think: sigh. It feels nice here. It has nothing to do with the size of the space, the furnishings, or the luxury. It’s more about the ‘energy‘. They also call it feng shui. I took one step into Hotel de Hallen and I felt it, the good vibes. I have no idea if it’s due to the monumental building itself (an old tram depot) or the staff, but it all just felt damn good.

When I arrived in the room, I immediately had a want-to-turn-it-on-NOW feeling about the bath, the floor felt nice under bare feet, and thanks to the softest box spring I have ever felt in my life, I immediately started looking for another bed when I got home. I was just around the corner from De Foodhallen, so I had a little dim sum in the evening and then I crawled into bed, grumbling. Anyway, you can hear my enthusiasm. It’s quite nice, becoming friends with yourself. I can recommend it to everyone. If you want to get away for a night soon: Hotel de Hallen is where you want to be.