Hello, I’m back from France and Mykonos! It’s been amazing, so be prepared for lots of travel tips the coming weeks. Moreover, I still have some tips from my trips to Paris and Santorini in May I haven’t shared with you. That’s the thing about travelling, you experience and see so much in a short period of time. The day before I jetted off to the South of France, I spent the night in the INK Hotel in Amsterdam and had dinner at their restaurant Pressroom. I loved it! The story of this hotel is quite interesting, as is the design. So let’s just dive right into it.
Rewriting luxury
The INK Hotel Amsterdam is situated in the building that used to house the Dutch newspaper “De Tijd”, hence the name of the hotel. It was the epicenter of where stories were created and published in ink. The rich history has been the inspiration for the hotel’s concept. Ink, story telling and publishing permeates the hotel’s unconventional design, gastronomy, and interpretation of luxury. The four star lifestyle hotel redefines luxury as: ‘freedom of time‘. How? They have e.g. flexibility in check-out time, or you can grab a coffee and breakfast on-the-go. To carry out that philosophy, they came up with the perfect slogan: The INK Hotel, where stories are yet to be written. The hotel counts 149 rooms, including 11 suites, and is part of the MGallery by Sofitel, which is a collection of boutique hotels with character, dedicated to lovers of life, literature and culture.
Interior design celebrating heritage
The interior design of the INK Hotel Amsterdam, by architects Concrete Amsterdam, is packed with details and design objects that celebrate the building’s heritage. First there are the authentic details like the leaded glass windows, and the replica of a 16th-century-Pieta discovered on the walls in 1985. Then there are all the big and small design details that hark back to the building’s past: paintings by artists from the Dutch School, an extensive collection of books, vintage typewriters, jars with pens, ink pots, and paper rolls. The restaurant is called the pressroom, and the different rooms and suites are grouped by editorial functions, another conceptual detail I could appreciate.
Room design details
After a quick check-in I was directed to my room. I had the honour to sleep in a “Chief-editor suite”. As a welcome gift I received Dutch stroopwafels (cookies), and a box of chocolates with a personal note attached.
The room was super chic with a dark colour palette combined with brass. Focal point was the washtable and vanity that also serves as a room divider with a big round mirror, glass, brass and plenty of storage space that was accessible from both sides. Design pendant lamps spruce up the vanity nook. The bed with an oversized leather headboard and again brass touches was comfortable and aesthetic. On top of the headboard shelf, accessories like wooden print letters and an hour glass remind you again of the hotel’s heritage.
Another striking feature of the room is a floor to ceiling covered wall with chalk board style map of Amsterdam’s must-see monuments, buildings and streets. The descriptions are funny and informative at the same time and are the work of artist Jan Rothuizen.
The Restaurant: Pressroom
The restaurant and bar – Pressroom – is a place to work and eat. It has a brasserie style menu during the day, and is open to the public to log in and do some remote working. In the evening the bar mixes up some of the best cocktails in the city. The restaurant is definitely one to try, but more about that tomorrow in a separate blog post.
For more information and reservations visit their website: INK Hotel Amsterdam
