The five-star deluxe Grand Hotel Amrâth Amsterdam is located in the former Shipping House, an imposing building exemplifying the architecture of the Amsterdam School. The hotel has 205 rooms, including 22 suites, 8 conference rooms, The Bar Lounge and a Spa & Wellness center. Grand Hotel Amrâth Amsterdam is located only 500 meters from Central Station, just minutes from the main connections to all parts of the city.
Grand Hotel Amrâth Amsterdam History
At the beginning of the 20th century, six shipping companies decided to join forces to build a common location from where they could sell tickets for sea voyages to the Dutch East Indies, Africa and other destinations. Prins Hendrikkade turned out to be the perfect location, because it was close to Oostelijke Handelskade, which was the pier from which commercial ships docked and departed. . The planned building was to exude splendor and strength. In 1912, architect Van der Meij was commissioned to design this symbolic structure.
Van der Meij drew inspiration from the Art Nouveau movement and gave a distinctly Dutch touch to the structure with lavish ornamentation and colorful embellishments that characterized this style, later known as the Amsterdam School. Van der Meij invited colleagues to work on the project, transforming it into a 'Gesamtkunstwerk,' or total work of art. The team of young artists freely applied maritime motifs, even in the smallest details. Waves, sea creatures and ships appear almost everywhere: not only in stained glass, sculptures and marble, but also in furniture and fittings such as carpets, chairs and wallpaper. It took three years to complete the first phase of the Scheepvaarthuis (Dutch for 'House of Navigation').
In 1916, the six shipping companies operated from the prestigious building they so desired as their home. Travelers could come here to book their voyages in suitably elegant surroundings. The most popular destinations were the Dutch East Indies (present-day Indonesia) and Africa, but ships also sailed from Java to New York, China, Japan and South America. Today the reservation counters are a reminder of how tickets were sold.
After World War II the shipping companies gradually moved out of the Scheepvaarthuis, and in 1983 the city's public transport company (GVB) moved into the building. The interior was renovated in the prevailing style of the time, with additions that included pastel ceiling panels, computer floors, and strip lighting.
In 1998, the municipality of Amsterdam put the building on the market. Real estate developer van Eijl saw an opportunity to transform this stately building into a distinctive and charismatic five-star hotel. He tasked architect Ray Kentie with the challenge of creating a design that would make everyone think this building had always been a hotel. To achieve this goal required a major renovation.
A year and a half of renovation and restoration work began in 2003 and
Finally, in June 2007, the Grand Hotel Amrâth opened its doors. Guests marveled at the discovery of authentic and historic elements and immediately received numerous awards. No wonder Grand Hotel Amrâth is "A world of luxury and art".