St. Christopher's at the Winston

St. Christopher’s at the Winston, or, as we like to call it, the "Winston Museum of Contemporary Art," is a branch of the St. Christopher’s Inn hostel chain. It’s located on one of the oldest and noisiest streets in Amsterdam. Don't be embarrassed if the thought of sleeping in the heart of the Red Light District gives you the jitters. At least stop by and check the place out. It's a tourist stop in its own right.

In a land where art-themed hotels are becoming increasingly popular, the St. Christopher’s at the Winston can consider itself a trendsetter, as it holds the distinction of being the first hotel in the Netherlands that offered specially designed "art rooms."

Each of the seven floors (there's an elevator) has a different theme that begins in the hallways and carries into the bedrooms. Paintings and pieces of art, which were created expressly for the hotel, adorn the walls and boast varying degrees of originality, functionality and normality. All singles and doubles have some art theme going on, while larger rooms are normal—or as normal as the Winston gets.

For instance, there's Tough Mother's Floor, home to Maria's Room, an immaculate space furnished entirely in white. The Heineken Room is also up for grabs, with its green-bottle themed décor. If that doesn't give you a buzz, try out the High Tech Chamber, Honeymoon Suite or Smirnoff Button Room.

During our last trip to Amsterdam, we spent three fun nights in the hotel. The more outrageous of our rooms was papered with vintage dominatrix kink photos. The room was darkish, red all over and papered with photos of women with whips, weights and other women. It's that kind of place.

Rooms range from private singles to eight-bed dorms and all rooms have private bathrooms.

In the summer, the Winston opens its courtyard, allowing guests to lounge with a book or grab a drink at the 24-hour bar. The hotel's management also runs the club next door where you can dance all night without ever getting too far from your "piece" of art.