Newspaper HQ turned into fun, eclectic and unique Amsterdam hotel
Volkshotel / Amsterdam / Netherlands
Amsterdam does not suffer from a shortage of hotels. There are so many cool places to lay your hat (temporarily) regardless if you are coming to party your brains out, love design hotels or if you are on a tight budget. I always think the best thing to do is to chose an area where you want to stay (actually this applies to all big cities) and then start your hotel search from there.
One area that is growing in popularity is the east and the reason is the vibrant nightlife with great bars and restaurants. And it is right in the centre of this buzzing area where you’ll find the Volkshotel.
The Volkshotel is like the name suggests, a hotel for the people. This used to be the headquarters for the Volkskrant newspaper before it was transformed into a 177-key hotel. This is one of those hotels that aren’t only for the people that stay here but is also a popular place among the locals. This open attitude is something that makes this place unique. This is a hotel where there is life 24/7 and locals and travelers come together to eat, drink, work, sleep and play. All of this is made possible through the communal work spaces, the Canvas restaurant and Doka bar.
The interior has been created by Design Studio Müller van Tol and they have done an excellent job in connecting the newspaper heritage into the design scheme so we don’t forgot how life begun for this fascinating sixties building. And you have got to love a hotel that has a fish dressed in a chef’s outfit holding a giant popsicle above the entrance.
Glass and concrete. So sixties!
Always take the stairs. It says a lot about the hotel if they take their design all the way or not.
High ceilings and strict lines softened by a playful lamp feature.
Fun, cheeky design in our bedroom.
The extra bed of our room hidden in a cupboard.
How not to love the in-room products?
I am a huge fan of this brutalist concrete look.
The entrance to Canvas restaurant on the 7th floor, with great view of the city.
The co-working spaces at Volkshotel, right next to the reception helps to make this place to buzz all day along (ok, not so much when I took this photo when it was completely empty…)
RG inside info
This place is perfect if you…
…have done Amsterdam and want to experience something different. A place where it is easy to connect with locals and not only meet other tourists in town for a weekend of hedonism.
My favorite thing about this place…
…is the uniqueness. It is a very unique hotel thanks to the design. Another thing that I really appreciate is the cost of staying here. You get a lot of design for your buck at Volkshotel. I like when design hotels are accessible for all, not only the rich few.
What not to miss when staying here is…
…to hang around in the east. Don’t just jump on a tram into to town but make sure you walk the residential streets of this area and experience a totally different city than the downtown, tourist-laden centre.
If you like this hotel you might also like…
Slaak Hotel, Rotterdam, Netherlands
Michelberger, Berlin, Germany
Freehand, New York City, NY, USA
