I've found it. The absolutely perfect lakeside, luxury-for-a-reasonable price, just-opened, historic (1670), stunningly renovated B&B, and the kicker is that it's only 11 minutes from the center of Amsterdam! Inn on the Lake is a breathtaking property, inside and out, for only €130/night (minimum 2-night stay), or €150 single night, including a gourmet breakfast.

And, for a limited time, owners Pamela (British) and Karel Van der Schaar (Dutch) have a special offer for spring and summer, through their association with Erfgoed Logies, an umbrella organization for the most fabulous historic lodgings in Holland, www.erfgoedlogies.nl. For an all-in-one-price of €200/person, you get a 2-night stay with a 3-course arrival dinner (Pamela is a superb cook, by the way; dinners at the Inn are a royal treat in themselves), a boat trip on their private 'sloep' through the Amsterdam canals, or a car trip to the nearby fishing villages of Monnickendam and Marken, a special walking tour through Broek in Waterland, where the Inn is located, and a bus/tram ticket for literally an 11-minute journey into Amsterdam, and of course a full-course breakfast (the smell of fresh croissants beckons). And, as if that weren't enough, for only €24.50 the hosts can provide a very stylish picnic basket or 'hamper', as the Brits say, complete with salads, quiche, bread, fruit and a bottle of wine. The hamper fits on the back of a bike, which you can conveniently rent just down the street.

Need I say more? Well, I will anyhow. Rooms at Inn on the Lake are exquisite. There's my favorite Black & White room (the Honeymoon Suite), with a gorgeous view of the lake and a Villeroy & Boch designer claw-foot tub in the center of the room for those oh-so-romantic nights, the Red Room, the Blue Room, and the Taupe Room. All rooms have 5-star amenities, including rain-style showerheads, state-of-the-art private bathrooms with heated floors, Vi-spring beds that are to die for, flat-screen TV, mini-bars and digital safes. Each room has been adorned with luxurious fabrics from Ralph Lauren, Designers Guild, Nobilis, and G.P & J. Baker. Even the lighting is stunning.

The village itself, Broek in Waterland, is the picture-perfect Dutch village with winding streets and postcard-worthy houses -- designated as 'historic monuments' from a bygone era. Four hundred years ago this was the first stop for the ships carrying their cargo of tobacco, wines, sugar and many other products for trading with the Dutch. The village is very well preserved, and a dream to wander through and photograph. Pamela tells me that the well-known book, Hans Brinker or the Silver Skates, by Mary Mapes Dodge, was based on this village. The B&B sits smack on the village square, just opposite the church. In fact, the Inn was the vicarage in former days.

Inn on the Lake is the perfect getaway and hideaway. Go and be swept away. Go and be pampered. Go.

(Note: Don't miss two very special galleries in the village: Erik Renssen's at Roomeinde 10, with his Picasso-esque style, www.renssen-art.com, and photographer Olaf Klijn's gallery, just down the street at #13, www.olafklynphotography.com.)