Conservatorium Hotel

"Perfectly positioned between Amsterdam’s Big Three museums and the city’s chicest shopping street, the Conservatorium (once a music conservatory) combines original fin-de-siècle splendour (decorative tiles and brickwork) and witty references to its past life (a chandelier made of violins) with sleek, clean-lined contemporary design by Italian interior architect Piero Lissoni. Many of the rooms are duplexes under original high ceilings, mostly tightly minimalistic but comfortable and warmed by colourful touches. A vast, bright atrium lounge includes an excellent brasserie, while the smart Taiko restaurant upstairs offers superb Japanese–influenced cuisine. The Akasha spa ranks among the best in town, in or out of a hotel." - Amber Port

"Of the No. 5 Conservatorium, one voter wrote: 'I’m usually a fan of historic, more traditional hotels, but the Conservatorium made me a believer in contemporary hotels. Its central space is breathtaking, and our suite was elegant, unique, and perfectly designed.'" - Travel + Leisure Editors

"What's the scoop with this place?The imposing building was once a former bank and then a music conservatorium. After staying empty for five years, Italian architect Piero Lissoni has now transformed it into chic hotel, where the focal point is the glass-enclosed lobby. Nice. What’s the crowd like?Cosmopolitan sophisticates. The good stuff: Tell us about your room.Both the guestrooms and bathrooms feature clean lines and soothing natural tones like beige and gray, with an occasional sprinkling of colors like scarlet or vibrant yellow in the form of a nightstand tabletop or barrel chair covered in soft leather. How about the little things, like mini bar, or shower goodies?Fine toiletries by British perfumers Floris. Room service and food: How is it?Chef Schilo van Coevorden and team serve lavish dishes like lobster salad with green asparagus and black quinoa ($35) in the gasp-worthy glass-enclosed lounge. Anything stand out about other services and features?The spa, named the Akasha Holistic Wellbeing Centre, is divided into four different areas inspired by natural elements. Bottom line: worth it, and why?The location, with the Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh Museum on one side and designer shopping on the other, feels worlds away from the seedier side of Amsterdam. The Conservatorium Hotel is the first Dutch hotel awarded with a Green Globe certification, and you'll see sustainable practices throughout the building, from eco-certified spa products to the organic restaurant." - Meredith Bethune

"From Amsterdam’s old music school to a conservatory of a different kind; the Conservatorium is a radical repurposing of the city’s Sweelinck Conservatorium building, transforming its soaring institutional spaces and ornate century-old construction into a contemporary design hotel, one with plenty of personality and plenty of space to express it in. And the fact that it’s one of very few luxury hotels in the city center certainly doesn’t hurt its case." - Mark Fedeli