In celebration of Pride Amsterdam and its famous floating Canal Parade, Booking.com is introducing the Pride Amsterdam Canal ‘SWEET’ Weekend. With a mission to make it easier for everyone to experience the world, no matter who they love or how they identify, and as General Sponsor of Pride Amsterdam, Booking.com is offering one lucky pair an unforgettable Canal Parade experience during the closing weekend of Pride Amsterdam from 4 to 6 August. The bookable two-night stay will be in the SWEETS hotel ‘Amstelschutsluis’ bridge house, located right in the middle of the Amstel river and in the heart of the weekend’s celebrations. In honor of Pride Amsterdam, the bridge house will be styled with a selection of portraits showcasing a range of famous faces from across the community, all taken by LGBTQ+ photographer Cyriel Jacobs, founder of Stunnin, the Netherlands’ first drag magazine.

A boat with a private captain will bring the two lucky guests to their one-of-a-kind suite on the water, where they will be welcomed by Peruvian-Dutch drag icon and Booking.com Travel Proud ambassador Envy Peru, who will give both guests a private make-up tutorial session, sharing her tips and tricks to create the ultimate Pride Amsterdam look. Once all the glitz and glam is applied, the guests will have an exclusive personal photoshoot with Cyriel Jacobs, with the Amstel river as the backdrop, to capture this once-in-a-lifetime experience. After some refreshments, the guests will be picked up by their private captain who will bring them to one of the very first Travel Proud certified properties, Sofitel Legend The Grand Amsterdam, where they will enjoy a couture exposition featuring iconic fashion items from some of the most famous Dutch drag queens, before dining at the property’s flagship restaurant Bridges. Day two begins with breakfast in bed and canal views, and then it’s off to the VIP viewing deck just across the water, the best spot in Amsterdam to take in all of the sights and sounds of the city’s colorful Canal Parade. 

As part of Booking.com’s mission to make it easier for everyone to experience the world, the company launched its Travel Proud program in 2021. Designed to support the company’s accommodation partners by providing them with free inclusive hospitality training to help them gain a better understanding of the specific challenges faced by LGBTQ+ travelers, as well as what can be done to make every guest feel more welcome, regardless of where they come from, who they love or how they identify. The program is available globally in English, Italian, French, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese and German, with training sessions available in all languages at least once a week. There are now over 35,000 certified properties globally on Booking.com, including more than 570 in the Netherlands, with welcoming Travel Proud stays available in 122 countries and territories and over 9,000 cities.

Arjan Dijk, CMO and Senior Vice President at Booking.com: “As a gay man, Pride Amsterdam is a moment that’s close to my heart and an opportunity for us across our rainbow communities to celebrate the progress we’ve made together. I’m also very conscious of the work that still needs to be done to create acceptance and equality for LGBTQ+ people everywhere, and this is something we seek to raise even more awareness for, including through our ongoing partnership with COC Nederland, among others. I’m extremely proud that Booking.com is playing a role in breaking down some of those barriers and bringing people closer together, no matter who they love or how they identify.”

Envy Peru, Booking.com Travel Proud Ambassador: “Whether I’m in or out of drag, I’m queer 100% of the time and recognize the challenges we still face across our community to feel truly welcome and included everywhere. I really believe in the work that Booking.com is doing with their accommodation partners and I’m delighted to be a Travel Proud ambassador for a second year in a row.  I’m also excited to help bring this once-in-a-lifetime experience to life and create some special Pride memories for a couple of lucky travelers.”

The two-night Pride Amsterdam Canal ‘SWEET’ Weekend is available for one lucky pair of bookers from Friday August 4 to Sunday August 6, 2023 for a total of just €20.23, in honor of this year’s Canal Parade. The experience will become bookable exclusively on Booking.com on July 31, 2023 at 10:00 CEST on a first come, first served basis.

For more information about the Booking.com Pride Amsterdam Canal ‘SWEET’ Weekend and to book it on July 31, visit: https://www.booking.com/hotel/nl/the-ultimate-canal-parade-experience.html

To reference insights and data from Booking.com’s latest research with 11,500+ LGBTQ+ travelers from 27 countries and territories, visit the company’s global media room.