The iconic building that once housed Amsterdam’s premier music conservatorium has completed a sophisticated transformation into the city’s most unique and fashionable hotel. Design Hotels™’ new member, Conservatorium Hotel Amsterdam combines luxury, lifestyle, and heritage with an exceptional level of personalised service. Thanks to the vision of owner Georgi Akirov, the meticulous metamorphosis was overseen by designer Piero Lissoni. Focussing on a mix of old and new with a locational emphasis has resulted in a careful layering of classic and contemporary styles. Lissoni sought to pay homage to the building’s history while adding his own inimitable touches such as the glass-covered atrium and ubiquitous exposed beams.The property, which is part of the new luxury hotel collection The Set, pays tribute to the Amsterdam Conservatorium’s legacy as soothing classical music selections echo through its vaulted ceilings. Several communal dining outlets such as the Conservatorium Brasserie & Lounge and Tunes Restaurant & Bar by Schilo, offer guests the opportunity to enjoy convivial outings and discover new local flavours and culinary talents. The 129 rooms and suites provide a respite for the weary while the Akasha Holistic Wellbeing Center promises to replenish and refuel in the most inspired of settings.
Italian Touches
First designed by revered Dutch architect Daniel Knuttel at the turn of the 19th century, the Conservatorium’s well-known structure served as a major bank for 77 years before becoming Amsterdam’s premier music conservatory from 1983–2003. Intrigued by its architecture and past, Lissoni uses the building’s historic backdrop to create a hybrid of modern heritage. The original lofty ceilings have been left intact in almost half the rooms and transformed into stunning duplexes with large windows and exposed structural beams. A spectacular element is the courtyard covered entirely in glass, which is indicative of much of the hotel’s design, creating a wonderful contrast between the old and the new, between the classic and the modern.
Musical Heritage
Music also plays a big part in the hotel’s aesthetic and connects the building’s past with its present. For instance, the Concerto Suite boasts a Steinway Baby Grand piano.
Location and rates Conservatorium Hotel Amsterdam has a prime location in the cultural centre of the Museumplein, next to the Stedelijk Museum, the Van Gogh Museum and the Rijksmuseum. The hotel is situated opposite the Royal Concertgebouw and parallel to the prestigious shopping district of P.C. Hooftstraat and the famous Vondelpark.
SOURCE: Design Hotels™
Bookings through www.designhotels.com.
