As one of the world's more outstanding boutique hotels, the Dylan Amsterdam might as well be invisible because it blends in to its canal quarter neighborhood--almost too well. But once guests pass through a magnificent seventeenth-century stone arch on the Keizersgracht and enter a private courtyard where the city’s commotion seems to disappear all swell breaks loose.
Inside, white marble, black lacquer, sculpted moldings, antique paneling and contemporary furnishings produce something rare: historical atmosphere without museum-piece stiffness.
Dutch designer Paul Linse and Studio Linse have shaped the hotel’s current identity around muted colors, rich fabrics and custom furniture. Its 41 individually designed rooms and suites follow four schemes: warm Amber, copper-toned Loxura, minimalist Loft and quietly elegant Serendipity.
Earlier interiors involved Dutch firms FG Stijl and Remy Meijers; Studio Linse also directed the recent renovation of the Serendipity wing. The result is decor with discipline—every lamp, chair and texture appears deliberately chosen.
This amazing setting has supplied drama since 1638, when architect Jacob van Campen’s stone theater opened here. Vivaldi conducted its orchestra in 1737. Fire destroyed the theater in 1772, sparing its celebrated entrance. The rebuilt property then served a Roman Catholic charity and almshouse for 225 years. It became the Blakes luxury hotel in 1999 and was renamed The Dylan in 2004—making the hotel 27 years old, although its surviving gateway is nearly four centuries old.
The Dylan is privately owned and operated by The Dylan Hotel Group; its individual investors are not publicly identified. It belongs to Leading Hotels of the World, not a conventional chain. Nightly rates generally run about $600 to $2,400, depending upon room and season, occasionally exceeding $1,000 for entry categories during peak dates.
September and early October offer the best combination of mild weather and fewer crowds; April is preferable for tulips despite heavier tourism. The hotel is also home to Vinkeles, its two-Michelin-starred restaurant, set within an atmospheric 18th-century bakery overlooking the secluded courtyard garden.
Original bread ovens remain part of the setting, while contemporary French-inspired cuisine under executive chef Jurgen van der Zalm provides arefined finish to any Dylan experience.
Beyond the hotel’s historic gateway awaits another of its great attractions: Amsterdam’s Nine Streets. Known locally as De Negen Straatjes, this picturesque district occupies the western Canal Belt between the Singel and Prinsengracht.
Its nine short streets cross the city’s four principal canals and are lined with narrow canal houses, independent boutiques, vintage shops, galleries, cafés and intimate restaurants. Several street names—Bear Street, Wolf Street, Deer Street and Skin Street among them—recall the neighborhood’s 17th-century trade in animal hides.
The Dylan stands on Keizersgracht within this celebrated quarter, placing guests minutes from some of Amsterdam’s finest shopping, dining and canal scenery. The Anne Frank House, Jordaan and Dam Square are within walking distance; the Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh Museum are easily reached on foot or by a short tram ride.
No comments:
Post a Comment