Minimalist Rotterdam hotel with Japanese & Scandi design aesthetic
Hotel âme / Rotterdam / Netherlands
I am an all-eater (or all-lover) when it comes to hotels. I don’t care if you give me an old castle or a contemporary urban boutique hotel. Or if you’d have me stay in a maximalist fantasy or a sleek, minimalist dream. I love them all. And speaking of minimalist…
This is Hotel âme. A minimalist Rotterdam hotel where the attention to details is beyond impressive. ”Ame” means soul in French and I think it fits well with this subtle, airy hotel because although its a minimalist it has a lot of soul.
The building that Hotel âme is situated in dates back to 1867. It is a 5 floor building with a Neoclassical facade, all in white. After the current owners took over this space (it used to be a bridge club. Imagine that!) and started the journey of transforming it into a hotel, they wanted to create a space where past and present gracefully would meet. They took inspiration from Japanese and Scandinavian design aesthetics and it is fascinating to see how closely connected these two areas are although located on opposite sides of the world.
All in all there are 14 rooms and they are all unique. When you book your stay you choose the room you want to stay in which I really like. The design in our room was paired down with grey, rendered walls, extremely high ceilings, huge windows and a serene look and feel. The main player in our room was the bathtub, placed in the middle of the room. Perfect if you like me, want some company when soaking.
Hotel âme is waiting to welcome you in, also if you aren’t staying at the hotel. There is a really cute shop and a great café open to all.
I am kind of obsessed with the bar/reception desk. The color of the tiles covering the sides are so right.
You can see the heritage of the building in this old, grand stair case.
Our room and our comfy bed. The ceiling height was ridiculous.
A bath tub in the middle of the room? Why not!?
Even though the style of the hotel is very minimalist there plenty of details to discover.
Some bath salt for your bath. And some magazines to keep you company.
There is an ambition at âme to minimize the footprint.
I am a huge fan of handwritten welcome notes. Love the personal touch.
Refillable bottles of in-room products from local brand Zenology, fits well with Hotel âme’s sustainable profile.
The shop, right next to the reception has so many great things to bring back home. And the space looks stunning too.
Breakfast has been served. Very continental to just have a croissant and coffee in the morning. I was totally pretending I was French.
Hotel âme is located right around the corner of one of the best areas of Rotterdam, the buzzing, vibrant Witte de With Straat. The bars and restaurants are super popular, especially on a warm Summer evening like this one.
If you turn right instead of left you’ll arrive at the Museum Park. One of the newest additions is DEPOT. The world’s first publicly accessible art storage facility. Love the mirrored faced.
Gotta love the Dutch. This huge Santa is standing right outside the hotel. And no, that is not some kind of Christmas tree he is holding. Yes, children. It is a giant butt plug.
RG inside info
This place is perfect if you…
…are a boutique hotel fanatic who loves to stay in the centre of the action but want your hotel to be a some kind of haven of tranquility. If you are a minimalist buff that wants to rest your eyes on subtle surroundings, this is totally your place.
My favorite thing about this place…
…is the shop. There are hotel shops and then there are hotel shops. This one is amazing with selected items that would look good in any home. I kind of wanted to buy the lot. And I also need to mention the coffee. Sooo good!
What not to miss when staying here is…
…to go and hang out with the locals on Witte de With Straat. It is rowdy, busy and great. It feels like all kinds of people come here which makes the area feel eclectic and exciting. If you are looking for something calmer, the Museum Park is on the opposite side of Witte de With.
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