Source:
https://scmp.com/magazines/style/travel-food/article/3014047/we-review-hotel-twentyseven-luxury-amsterdam-haven Leisure
We review Hotel TwentySeven – a luxury Amsterdam haven that takes you far from the madding crowd
The selling point of the refined 16-suite hotel, with Michelin-starred restaurant, whirlpool baths and steam sessions, is the sanctuary it offers guests despite being in the heart of the Dutch capital
The living room of the luxurious, two-storey Rooftop Loft Suite at Hotel TwentySeven in Amsterdam. Photo: Winnie Chung
Dam Square in the heart of Amsterdam is undoubtedly one of the busiest areas in the Dutch capital.
Situated on the doorstep of the Royal Palace, where state soirées are still held occasionally, and only a stone’s throw from major tourist attractions such as the flagship department store, de Bijenkorf, and Madame Tussauds, the area hosts busloads of tourists every day and can get rather overcrowded during peak seasons.
This is what makes Hotel TwentySeven the sanctuary that it is. A regal building just across the road from the Dam, the hotel by two-time winner of the Hotelier of the Year, Eric Toren, is arguably one of the most luxurious hotels in the city.
Stepping through the arched doorway and through the metal gates, I was whisked away from the madding crowds into a haven of quiet and solitude.
Hotel TwentySeven is situated in Dam Square, near Amsterdam’s popular main shopping area.
A member of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World, Hotel TwentySeven is part of the Koninklijke Industrieele Groote Club (which translates as “Royal Grand Industrial Club”), a historic building that dates from 1913.
The famous (or infamous?) club was built as a private meeting place for businessmen and tycoons during the Dutch boom days. The club still claims the two floors below the hotel – which takes up the 3rd to 7th floors – and remains very private, so, no, even hotel guests aren’t allowed in.
Stepping through the arched doorway and through the metal gates, I was whisked away from the madding crowds into a haven of quiet and solitude
Still, there’s plenty to explore on the four floors that house the hotel, which touts itself as “not a hotel” but a “destination”, with bespoke and butler services to impress even the hardest cynics.
I was warmly welcomed by the doorman and the concierge desk before being taken up to the 3rd floor check-in area.
The entrance to Amsterdam’s elegant Hotel TwentySeven.
Stepping out of the lift is like going back in time, and yet, strangely, also the future. While the exterior of the building is decidedly 19th century, the interiors by award-winning Dutch designers Wim van de Oudeweetering and Cris van Amsterdam still hold an Old-World charm and ooze a discreet elegance in the furnishings and the opulent velvet wall coverings from Pierre Frey, and yet still have modern touches here and there.
The layout of the floor is very much like a private residence. A stairwell, from which dangles a plethora of hanging lamps that change colours, takes up most of the common space.
The check-in area is essentially a customer service desk set between the hotel’s Michelin-starred Restaurant Bougainville and The Bar; with only 16 suites there isn’t a need for more.
The master bedroom of the Rooftop Loft suite at Amsterdam’s Hotel TwentySeven.
Each suite features very different layouts, adjusted around the existing structures, although the lavish furnishings and style of each room remain consistent.
I’m assigned the Rooftop Loft Suite on the 6th floor, a two-storey flat with two comfortable bedrooms. Naturally then, I was escorted to my suite by my assigned butler. Thank god for his strong arms because it would have been difficult to cart my heavy luggage (I was at the end of a business trip) up the narrow curved staircase!
The suite
The living room and staircase of Hotel TwentySeven’s two-storey Rooftop Loft Suite. Photo: Winnie Chung
I’m welcomed into the suite by a generous choice of coffees, speciality teas and liquors near the entrance. There’s even a proper wine cooler chilling some pretty impressive labels.
The suite’s living area on the ground floor is a cosy little corner with round windows offering a view of the Palace and Dam Square. The window’s soundproofing means you are cocooned from the outside bustle
The living area on the ground floor is a cosy little corner with round windows offering a view of the Palace and Dam Square. The windows have double-glazed soundproofing so you are cocooned from the outside bustle.
The designers have made full use of the odd nooks and crannies: there’s a little coffee table under the staircase and sometimes armchairs in unconventional places, but it all added to the homely appeal of the flat.
Each bedroom in the Rooftop Loft Suite has its own en suite with a shower that doubles as a steam room. Photo: Winnie Chung
Given that Amsterdam’s weather can be a bit gloomy, the living room probably could have done with a little more light in the evenings, but with a large upstairs bedroom, there wasn’t much need to be downstairs in the evening.
The two bedrooms – a smaller one on the lower floor and a bigger and brighter one upstairs, both came en suite, with large jacuzzi bath tubs and showers that double as steam rooms. The steam room comes in very useful as the hotel is too small to accommodate an in-house spa.
The large whirlpool tub, which is big enough to accommodate two people. Photo: Winnie Chung
Heritage buildings often present quite a lot of limitations to hotels, sometimes making it impossible to make changes to the layout or the structure. So while it was a surprise to find a whirlpool bath in the corridor to the downstairs bedroom, it added to the quaint fairy tale-like charm of the place.
The upstairs bedroom windows faced a white wall – not exactly the greatest view – but the huge television set in the room more than made up for it. Everything was controllable with the tablet computer by the bed, making it almost unnecessary to roll out of bed once you’ve settled in for the night.
The food
Breakfast in the one-star Michelin Restaurant Bougainville, which features a photograph of the late singer, David Bowie, on the wall. Photo: Winnie Chung
Since the one-star Michelin Restaurant Bougainville is the only restaurant on the premises, it also serves as the breakfast room. The L-shaped restaurant is not large and breakfast is usually a quiet affair, but we were always in good company, with huge photos of stars and models such as David Bowie and Cindy Crawford adorning the wall.
You could order just simple eggs or a substantial full breakfast from the menu with cold cuts, pastries and hot eggs.
However, in the evening, the restaurant comes alive, full and bustling with cheerful diners. Overseen by executive chef Tim Golsteijn, a five- or seven-course chef’s menu sets you back between €75 (US$85) and €100, minus additions and wine, and the food and service are well worth the star.
The Bar at Hotel TwentySeven, which serves some imaginative cocktails.
One of the courses comes too rare and bloody for me and I leave most of it uneaten. Within minutes, the eagle-eyed staff have already informed the chef who comes out and offers to change it for something else.
The Bar is also an excellent place to while away some time before or after dinner, with some imaginative cocktails from the bartender.
The service
Dinner at the one-star Michelin Restaurant Bougainville, which offers five- and seven-course chef’s menus. Photo: Winnie Chung
It’s always nice having a butler service, but since I find it disconcerting to have people unpack or pack for me, I don’t get the chance to make much use of my butlers – except for the most important task of carrying my suitcase up and down those stairs.
Everyone in the hotel is attentive and friendly. Given the stress on service, I thought guest services could have done a little better with more personalised recommendations, instead of just pointing me in the general direction of the tram station.
I’d also asked for dining recommendations and was provided a list of the hotel’s recommended restaurants with no further discussion. It was adequate help, although nothing I couldn’t have found on Google myself.
Conclusion
Numerous bright coloured lamps hang from the large central stairwell at the Hotel TwentySeven. Photo: Winnie Chung
Despite the little hiccups, it was a wonderful stay that made us feel enveloped in luxury.
One of Hotel TwentySeven’s strongest selling points is the sanctuary it offers in spite of being right in the middle of the action.
It is easy to get around and do all the things that tourists do and be able to extricate yourself from the hubbub and pamper yourself with a steam session and a whirlpool bath at the end of a busy day.