© Office Winhov

Having experienced an unprecedented tourism boom these past two decades, Amsterdam‘s hospitality landscape has gone leaps and bounds, seeing new hotels popping up left and right, also in the highest segment. And while the city’s scenic Canal District has its limitations for newcomers, expansion of upscale lodgings has taken place elsewhere, and sometimes in locations previously deemed as highly unlikely. In the latter category falls the newly opened five-star Pillow Hotel Maurits at the Park in Oud-Oost, a largely blue-collar residential area which has seen an accelerated gentrification in recent years. Occupying a red brick university building erected in 1908 by Dutch architect Bernard Springer (1854-1922) and a new annex, it’s straddled alongside the verdant greens of Oosterpark.

The property, designed by acclaimed Amsterdam-based architecture practice Office Winhov, features just 88 guest rooms and suites, and almost all are enveloped by the park’s lush and abundant foliage. The interior design, created by local architecture and interior design practice Studio Linse, is sophisticated and modern yet homey, and is captured by a palette of warm subdued colours that effortlessly matches with the building’s architecture. Needless to say, the attention to detail extends to the rooms of Pillow Hotel Maurits in the Park. Each room features plush carpets, inspiring art by Dutch artist Raphael Hermans, and comfy king-size beds made with bed linen crafted from soft Egyptian cotton. Obviously, the amenities are top-notch, meeting all requirements of today’s modern traveller, and include free WiFi, Smart HD TV, mini bar, Nespresso coffee machine and luxury bathrobes and slippers.

Further boosting the sense of luxury are a gourmet restaurant, a more laid-back café, and last but not least, a rooftop bar. The restaurant, dubbed VanOost and helmed by celebrated chef Floris van Straalen, celebrates cosmopolitan cuisine through cutting-edge flavours created with locally sourced fresh ingredients. The setting is warm and inviting, featuring a magnificent setting with fifteen-metre high ceilings and exposed wooden beams and an open kitchen. Spring is a modern all-day café and brasserie on the ground floor where seasoned chef Luigi Di Benedetto works his magic. Modern and elegant, it’s a fitting backdrop to savour a wide range of dishes which are inspired by both Italian and French cuisine. Reminiscent of the Roaring Twenties, including even a slither of decadence, is cocktail bar extraordinaire Fitz’s. An intimate mixology haven captured by a sultry dark wooden backdrop with coffered ceiling and matching velvet-clad sofas and chairs, the menu lists cocktails from across the planet and tasty bites.

And when weather permits, Fitz’s rooftop pop-up bar opens its doors, adding sweeping views to the jolly banter. Given its extraordinary location and ample space, Pillow Hotel Maurits in the Park is ideal for holding events whether for business or pleasure. The hotel offers three lofty, beautifully furnished and fully equipped salons where meetings or other events can be held in various configurations. And when work is done, or alternatively, if the pleasure has been a tad too overwhelming, there’s always the Urban Spa. Set up as a self-pampering retreat from the city’s hustle and bustle, it’s equipped with the latest technology to offer a soothing range of massages and beauty treatments, including manicures and pedicures, massages, and waxing, but also features a privatised sauna, hydromassage bed and even a gym.

Pillows Hotel Maurits at the Park
Mauritskade 61 (Oud-Oost)
1092 AD Amsterdam
Telephone: +31 20 8020200

© Office Winhov and Pillows Hotels