Amsterdam is a very cool place: you know this, I know this. People who’ve never visited Amsterdam know this. Amsterdam’s coolness is arguably its defining characteristic, give or take all the canals. (And canals are cool anyway.) When spending a weekend in Amsterdam, you don’t want some soulless chain or godforsaken dive: you want a hotel as creatively vibrant as the city itself. Allow us to gently point you in the direction of art’otel Amsterdam. It’s visible from Centraal Station and less than thirty minutes from the airport so getting there won’t be an issue. Everything else is a joy.
Whenever a hotel concept starts sprouting up in multiple cities, you can rest assured someone is doing something right. There are art'otels in Rome, Berlin, Cologne, Zagreb and London – in fact London has two, Hoxton and Battersea. Obviously we’re biased but these are all cities you very much want associated with your hotel; saying that, art'otel is a hotel you very much want associated with your city.
Let’s stick with Amsterdam. There’s an agreeably underground vibe to the exterior: while the hotel sign shining atop the building makes locating the place easy, the entrance itself is extremely unobtrusive, a quiet little door that I suspect many guests miss on their first pass. You feel a little as though you’re entering a nightclub, a vibe which continues into the foyer. Here your attention will be taken by the lights display beamed onto the string curtains covering the stairwell. Then you realise the three reception desks are shaped like red heads.
It's mighty trendy inside
Here's a great little feature: if you're staying for more than a night, you can opt out of having your room cleaned. Not only will it benefit the environment, you'll receive a complementary bottle of wine or meal in the restaurant! Plus you won't be disturbed by room service at a weirdly early hour of the morning. (I've had a couple of pre-9am knocks in my time.)
All art'otels have a signature artist whose work decorates the space. In Amsterdam that artist is Dutch sculptor is Atelier Van Lieshout. He has 120 works in the hotel, all inspired by the theme ‘Course of Life’ – from the faceless figure reclining in the foyer to the gigantic skull squatting en route to the bar. See if you can take a photo of them all; bonus points if they’re in chronological order.
I anticipated the funky decor – clue’s in the name, after all. I didn’t anticipate the literal art gallery in the basement, 300sqm showcasing local artists and exhibitions, entirely free of charge for guests. Book a stay before 22 March 2025 and you’ll experience a celebration of Amsterdam’s 750th anniversary curated by Amsterdam Street Art. The gallery can also be hired for events and parties – one way of guaranteeing attendance for the office away day.
Spot the station through the window?
The rooms are as stylish as you’d expect, equipped with mood lighting, flat screen TVs, Marshall speakers, coffee machine, work desk – you feel as though you’re staying in the bachelor pad of a successful DJ. The most impressive element of mine was the view, overlooking the canal and the train station: I could have spent hours watching people go about their daily (and nightly) business. (Although “staring out the window” is a terrible answer to the question, “how did you spend your time in Amsterdam?”.)
Need to prepare yourself for the day ahead, or sweat out the previous evening? There’s an indoor swimming pool, sauna and very swanky gym. Bicycle hire is also available if you want to explore the city like a local. (When in Rome…) And you’ll need that cardio after an evening at Arca, the resident bar and restaurant…
Arca
Let’s start with the bar. Arca’s signature Course of Life cocktail menu offers different creations inspired by our lifespan – the further along you go, the more complex the mix. (The theme of course reflects the surrounding artwork of Atelier Van Lieshout. For a hotel so buzzing with life, there is something quite memento mori about art'otel Amsterdam. All the more reason to enjoy yourself!)
The menu starts with Early Years, a lovely light tequila concoction, right through to Lasting Memories, made with cherry Heering and Sandman port. My Splash evokes the first dip in the ocean, essentially a dirty martini with foam (very cool); the VIP was First Date, bourbon, more foam but popcorn foam! Yeah, you'll want a second date, although remember not to follow up too soon. It looks desperate. Plus there's an ocean to swim in.
Once you’ve sampled the generations, move to the adjacent restaurant for Portuguese plates from the award-winning Henrique Sá Pessoa. You can order a la carte, a three-course set menu or the full six-course tasting extravaganza (complete with paired wines!). We went for the set option although you shouldn’t go wrong with any.
The first of many dates...
Tuna taki on a bed of pickled vegetables is so fresh it should be remade as a 1990s sitcom starring Will Smith. Even better is Cogumelos Pica-Pau, mushrooms and pickled vegetables served in the most delicious jus, strong and rich and guaranteed to have you demanding more bread for mopping it up. You’ll demand more bread anyway, if only for its accompanying Guinness butter (as addictive as it sounds).
We had the option of two mains: rice, roasted pumpkin and cottage cheese or roasted iberian pork loin. Uncharacteristically, I went for the vegetarian option and enjoyed a warm, flavoursome dish, very generous in its portion size. (Often not the case in set menus, he says bitterly.) The Portuguese creme brulee didn’t reinvent the dish but nor did it need to – it’s creme brulee, an all-timer of a desert. My friend’s barley parfait looked a funkier option but he’d finished it before I could try some – which I suppose tells you plenty.
Arca is situated on the other side of the lobby, meaning my attention was captured throughout the meal by the light installations on the aforementioned string curtains. They were quite spectacular; over the course of the evening I saw wolves howl at the moon, trams drive across the room, all manner of colourful shapes form and dissolve. (There is a very obvious Amsterdam joke here, which I will refrain from making.) It was a unique and memorable experience – similar to art'otel itself.
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