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In Europe's most out-there liberal city, you know even its slickest new five-star hotel will have a naughty edge.

The Park Plaza group's modern venture, art'otel, does not disappoint - featuring a sperm display in the courtyard and a phallic nuts and bolt piece above the beds - in the classiest way possible.

The Amsterdam luxury hotel is based in Dam Square, within walking distance from St. Nicholas Church and The Old Church. When we walked in through its grand exterior, we were greeted warmly by receptionists who were standing behind desks resembling giant red heads. The art begins.

The receptionists and other hotel staff are also brimming with local knowledge and recommendations

Later that evening we dined at 5&33, art'otel's kitchen, bar, library, lounge and art gallery. At dinner, they serve food cooked by former Soho House chefs.

We sampled melt-in-the-mouth cured meats and crumbly cheeses, salty zucchini fries and padron peppers, a tasty cod and mushroom dish and several others, as we chatted for hours over a couple bottles of bubbly.

With a roaring fire installation keeping us warm beside our shiny black table, the setting was cosy as well as cool.

Even the hotel's most cavernous spaces ensure they contain elements that invite intimacy.

In 5&33's library, which adjoins the restaurant, the chairs are big enough for two and an interactive installation sensitive to touch invites tactile play.

Its smoking room for nicotine fiends (ahem, cigarettes only) has a classy, demure atmosphere complete with mood lighting, cigar display and the scent of expensive perfume mixed with tobacco fumes. It's kitted out in ornate lounge chairs - made entirely from hard, bright orange plastic. They are, shockingly, extremely comfortable.

Later that evening we dined at 5&33, art'otel's kitchen, bar, library, lounge and art gallery

We sampled melt-in-the-mouth cured meats and crumbly cheeses, salty zucchini fries and padron peppers

Architectural and design elements were considered; the fire separating the restaurant and the sitting room

In the rooms, there are flat screen TVs with cable channels, complimentary wifi, and speaker systems on request.

The beds are huge and incredibly comfortable, providing a reviving night's sleep away from the chaos of the city just feet away. Tall windows filter out the sound from the streets but let all the light in - whenever you choose to pull the curtains open.

The en-suites have heavenly rainfall shower heads, designer toiletries and mirrors that stretch across a whole wall - perfect for groups of friends or couples who like to take their time getting ready.

If you need advice about the hotel or if you're ready to brave the outdoors, the concierge is there with useful tips about transportation, reservations, and the latest happenings in and around Amsterdam.

But special knowledge is not confined to the concierge - the receptionists and other hotel staff are also brimming with local knowledge and recommendations. 

More than once I mistook the doorman for the general manager, much to his amusement.

In the rooms, there are flat screen TVs with cable channels and complimentary wifi - pictured, Art Room XL

The beds are huge and incredibly comfortable, for a reviving night's sleep - pictured, Art Room

The en-suites have heavenly rainfall shower heads, designer toiletries and mirrors that stretch across a wall

Included in the standard price is a daily complimentary breakfast featuring everything you might expect from a quality British or continental menu, except more premium products like smoked salmon and avocado, which cost extra.

Room service is also available if you've had a particularly heavy night or wake up feeling especially decadent one morning. 

If you make it down to the breakfast buffet, the setting is much the same as at dinner with polished black surfaces, a roaring fire and candles.

In addition to a restaurant, art'otel Amsterdam features a gym, an indoor swimming pool, a Finnish sauna, a solarium and a beauty salon, which we made plentiful use of to cure our hangovers.

There's also a huge, erotically-charged art gallery promoting the work of established and emerging artists, which makes perfect viewing for a rainy afternoon.

At breakfast, the setting is much the same as at dinner, polished black surfaces, a roaring fire and candles

This hotel aims to inspire guests to share this passion for all things cultural with breathtaking features

Earthy colours and fabrics clashed with polished concrete, making for a sleek and high class image

Disparate architectural and design elements are fused together, making the interior truly harmonious.

Separated by a fire, the earthy colours and fabric of the sitting room clash with the polished concrete of the restaurant, making for an extremely sleek and high class image.

art'otel would make fashionistas, businessmen, artists and travellers alike feel comfortable, intimate - and in awe. 

This hotel prides itself on hiring an outstanding teams of art lovers who adore hospitality. It aims to inspire guests to share this passion for all things cultural with breathtaking features such as a two-storey art curtain, the huge gallery, and even a stimulating events programme. 

There's also an erotically-charged art gallery for a rainy afternoon

It features suggestive art all over such as a sperm display in the courtyard