Hotel Estheréa is a four star hotel located in the heart of Amsterdam, directly on the Singel canal (Google map) in a row of historic canal houses. The interior has been recently renovated, and the lobby is gorgeous and very welcoming -- with coffee, hot chocolate, and treats always available. The room we stayed in, a standard double, was rather small, but very modern, well-decorated, and had a great view of the canal. The one downside to staying at the hotel was that we had to leave our key at the front desk every time we went anywhere.

A few shops south is the breakfast & lunch spot Broodje Bert, which is where we went instead of splurging on the hotel's breakfast buffet. I recommend the 'Ernie' breakfast.

Around the corner is a bar named Gollem, with a very large and impressive selection of beers, mainly Belgian, available as bottles or on tap. There are a couple of cats in residence. Across the street from Gollem is a beer shop, also with a very large selection, if you are looking for cold beverages to pack in a picnic.