An once-in-a-lifetime experience for true art lovers, Lute Suites combines a feast for the palate with a truly all encompassing design masterpiece. The history of Lute Suites says it all. It began in 2003, when renowned Dutch chef Peter Lute chose the site for his signature restaurant. An early guest of Chef Lute, cutting-edge designer Marcel Wanders was inspired to create Lute Suites in the adjoining seven free-standing structures of the former gunpowder factory. The result is a true work of art. Each suite is uniquely designed by Wanders: one bathroom, for example, features a gleaming porcelain tub reminiscent of a prehistoric egg, while another suite is dominated by a flower-patterned wall hanging.

And then there's chef Lute himself, whose menu changes daily: a first-course dish might consist of asparagus with pata negra, a Spanish smoked bacon, and a main course of Anjou pigeon cooked with truffles and duck liver.

With the suites situated on the banks of the Amstel River, you'll want to explore by boat; why not ask the hotel to fix you up with a tour complete with private chef?