Former newspaper HQ in Rotterdam turned modernist design hotel

Slaak Hotel / Rotterdam / Netherlands

I don’t know if it is a coincidence or if it is some kind of trend, but this is actually the second hotel I have stayed at in the Netherlands that used to be a newspaper office (Also check Volkshotel in Amsterdam). This one is called The Slaak and is located in the Dutch second city, Rotterdam.

100 years ago the first issue of the Voorwaarts (”Forwards”) newspaper was created here and from 1945 and onwards Het Vrije Volk (”The Free People”). The building is called Het Slaakhuys and since 2010 it is listed as a protected national monument.

When it was decided to transform this into a hotel, it became something of a challenge. Not only due to the fact that the building was a national monument but it was more of a philosophical dilemma. This used to be the centre of the anti-capitalist movement and would it be morally ok to transform this this into a discreet luxury hotel? The solution to this problem? To make it as open to the public as possible with plenty of social spaces for locals and guests to hang around in.

The Slaak is located on the edge of Kralingen, a vibrant up-and-coming neighbourhood of edgy Rotterdam. All in all there are 74 rooms and what is unique here is that the desk is the focal point and not the bed, which is the case in most hotel rooms. This is due to the past of the building and that the designers behind this masterpiece wants to inspire us to create rather than only consume.

The design has a clear connection to the 50’s with colors and patterns that honors the aesthetic of that period. A lot of different greens and yellows combined with timeless materials such as wood, brass and shiny marble. And the newspaper heritage is present in every single corner.

This cool 50’s building is a listed national monument. It is easy to see why.

M is looking unsure if he belongs. He does! At Slaak everyone is welcome, not only hotel guests.

Love this graphic corridor with patterned wallpaper and carpet.

Our bed with the solid wood wall framing the funky bed.

The 50’s nostalgia was fully present in our room but with contemporary blended into the mix.

I love the design of the bar/lobby area. Especially the massive windows and that there were loads of real plants.

Patterns, patterns… Everywhere interesting patterns.

The past of this building shows up in every single corner of the hotel.

Rotterdam with the mighty Maas river and the eclectic sky line.

Love this old railway bridge over the river. The brutalist, industrial design.

RG inside info

This hotel is perfect if you…

…have done Amsterdam and you are ready for something new and totally different. Rotterdam has very little in common with the capital. This used to be a gritty city dominated by the harbor that was totally demolished during WWII. When rebuilding they have let architects play around which makes this a very eclectic and different city.

My favorite thing about this hotel…

…is that they dare to break the design pattern of almost all other hotels where the bed plays the lead role in the room. Here it is the desk with a wish that we should be inspired to write and be creative during our stay. And I was. I wrote a blog post. :-)

The quality booster…

…is that there is a REAL gym on site. Not only a small room with a treadmill and a couple of weights but a proper one.

What not to miss when staying here is…

…to find yourself a bike and explore this exciting city. There is so much to see especially when it comes to interesting (not always beautiful) architecture. And if it all becomes too much, Kralingen Forest is just around the corner from the hotel which is the green lung of Rotterdam.

If you like this hotel you might also like…

Volkshotel, Amsterdam, Netherlands

Max Brown Midtown, Düsseldorf, Germany

V Hotel, Amsterdam, Netherlands