Day 15 – Back to Amsterdam
We started the day in Vilamoura and took and Uber to the Faro airport. We caught one of the few direct flights from Faro to Amsterdam. Our flight was mostly college-aged kids who clearly had come to the Algarve for the warm weather and the nightclubs. We got to Amsterdam in the early afternoon and Ubered to our hotel. We didn’t really have an agenda, other than to stay at a new hotel that we hadn’t stayed at before, the W Amsterdam. It’s very centrally located near the middle of the canal district, next to the Royal Palace of Amsterdam and Dam Square.
Needless to say, we were surprised as we got into town that there was some serious energy in the air and on the streets. It was Pride weekend in Amsterdam! We have a lot of LBGTQ friends and colleagues and consider ourselves and our business to by LBGTQ allies, so it was only fitting that we would end our vacation here and on this weekend.
First the hotel. It’s very interesting and really great, if you can get a decent price. The hotel is split into what I’ll call the “old” building on the western side of the street (more stately, larger common spaces, Michelin-star restaurant & bar (The Duchess) and the “new” building on the eastern side of the street (smaller rooms, rooftop restaurant (Mr. Porter), bar and club, music until the wee hours….where the parties at). In combination, the two offer everthing you might want in a hotel: good rooms, great location, food and drink options, rooftop vibes, spa and pool amenities, etc. If you can get a room for less than $450, it’s one of the better 5-star options around. Unfortunately, sometimes the price is in the $700s, in which case we’d recommend the Andaz, Pulitzer or Conservatorium.
Pride is a festival held all over the world, in places that embrace the LGBTQ community: LA, NYC, Sydney, Rio, Miami, London, Amsterdam, etc. The weekends for each city differ, so it was pure coincidence that we were there for it. There were clearly a lot of activities, based on the crowds on the streets and the number of storefronts, restaurants and bars with rainbow flags flying proudly. The epicenter was at Dam Square, where they fenced off the square, built a stage for the DJs and dancers and surrounded the outer perimeter with food and drink kiosks. We ended up hanging out for a few hours, having a few drinks, enjoying the music and the energy. A really fun time.
Back at the hotel, we rested for a bit and then headed to the rooftop bar & restaurant, Mr. Porter, to catch the sunset and grab some dinner. Really good on all accounts: great drinks, great service, excellent food and a really fun vibe. After dinner, we headed across the street to The Duchess for a nightcap and then it was off to bed.
Post-script: The following day was a travel day. Back to LA via Portland. No issues and we got home at a reasonable time. Overall, an amazing trip! Look for more details in the weeks to come on our website!
That’s a wrap on European Summer 2019!