5 Reasons to love W Amsterdam

One hotel, two buildings, five (at least) reasons to get excited!

It’s not often you get to stay at a hotel located in not one but two buildings, but W Amsterdam is so much more than that. Housed in a telephone exchange building from the 1920s and a former bank from 1908, between the Singel Canal and the Royal Palace, the hotel is an interesting mix of heritage and contemporary style, of high-end peaceful hospitality and the city center’s buzz.

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Within a 300-meter walk to Dam Square, lies W Amsterdam’s classy microworld, featuring elegant interior design pieces, two signature restaurants, 238 rooms and suites and a rooftop lounge bar with a pool which is hard to beat.

And though there are many reasons to love it, there are 5 attention-grabbing highlights to get you excited!

5 reasons to love W Amsterdam:

The two buildings

Guests of W Amsterdam get to pick their side. On one hand, there is the former KAS Bank, primarily located in the heart of the Dutch capital and a determinedly edgy design spot turning traditional upside down. W Bank features glamorous suites with stunning views on the city or on the canals, a unique culinary experience at The Duchess Michelin-star restaurant, the design shop X-Bank and the multi-award-winning Away Spa. A classy air and fine elegance make for a light and welcoming atmosphere.

On the other hand, there is the edgy and playful Exchange building, offering glam and vibrant moments. On the 6th floor of the building the night never ends and the pulse is set high with a full calendar of exclusive W Happenings at the rooftop. The rooms feature innovative design and stylish details while the pool lounge gets you in a party mode. A tough decision, really!

The Duchess Restaurant

Inspired by the splendour and eminence of the Belle Époque, the restaurant The Duchess is definitely one of the hotel’s highlights. Located in the former KAS bank building it provides guests with the elegance of traditional London hospitality balanced with Viennese grandeur. The royal nature of The Duchess is captured in the refined flavours from Southern France and Italy, known as Nouveau-Niçoise Cuisine. The custom-made Molteni kitchen is an impressive centrepiece fit for a royal, where exquisite dishes are created alongside decadently delicious desserts. Meanwhile, the majestic marble bar of The Duchess revives the heydays of a historic cocktail era with punches and refreshments inspired by the roaring twenties and thirties, while the exclusive Mariage Frères tea and champagnes are to be enjoyed in the elegant Tea Room during afternoon tea, featuring an array of delicate sweets, macaroons, éclairs, truffles and cotton candies.

The jaw-dropping rooftop and view

W’s reinterpretation of the traditional lobby, W Lounge, is the highlight for all arriving guests at the hotel. Located on the sixth floor of the Exchange building, W Lounge offers unparalleled 360-degree views over the city. W Lounge features a distinctive set of stairs that flow into the bar and echo the iconic steps of Dam Square on the streets below, but the show stopper is obviously the 22-meter rooftop pool that remains heated in the winter for the guests to enjoy. All in all, it makes for the perfect Amsterdam cocktail bar for everyone who is curious about everything that is ‘new and next’ in the world of mixology, offering a wide variety of cocktails.

The innovative design

Open plan living spaces, colorful energy and modern furnishings. Baranowitz Kronenberg has realized the design of the five-star W Amsterdam hotel drawing influence from the telephone exchange building by delving into the city’s photographic archive. The architects found that the telephone wires and electricity lines played an integral part in the building’s setting, and thus decided to reference this function throughout the interior by using five kilometers of brass tubes. They used the same references for the transformation of the former KAS bank, a national monument that follows the classical typology of bank buildings, with vaults on the ground floor and basement, a monumental hall on the first floor, and offices above.

The hotel rooms boast vibrant decor, state-of-the-art technology and visionary amenities. Intricate and abstract details, big windows, large mirrors, glass outside walls, concrete and colorful fabrics as well as luxurious sheets and amenities make for a modern concept of comfort and hospitality for eclectic visitors

And … the edgy XBank concept store

This is a truly one-of-a-kind concept store and art exhibition space set in the historic bank building. A 450-square-metre store is a destination for the best in Dutch art, fashion and design and a meeting place for the local creative community.

Labels ranging from high-end names to emerging Dutch designers present unique goods plus the stories behind them. As an art exhibition and event space, X BANK hosts both small-and large-scale expositions, lectures and gatherings that are open to the public.