Starwood’s W Hotels Brand Makes Dutch Debut

By Ioana Neamt, Associate Editor

Amsterdam, The Netherlands—W Hotels Worldwide, a subsidiary of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc., has opened its first property in the Dutch capital October 22^nd.

Located just steps away from the Royal Palace and Amsterdam’s Dam Square, the 238-key W Amsterdam Hotel is owned by Europe Hotels | Private Collection and was designed by Office WINHOV and Baranowitz Kronenberg Architects.

The hotel spans across two historic buildings in the heart of Amsterdam: one used to house the former Telephone Exchange, while the other was previously the home of KAS Bank. The Exchange Building incorporates 172 guestrooms, with the Bank building’s 66 rooms scheduled to open in early 2016.

W Amsterdam Hotel incorporates WET DECK—the city’s first rooftop pool—and SPG Keyless, the hospitality industry’s first keyless entry system that allows guests to use their smartphones or wearable devices as keys.

Starwood’s new hotel also features a state-of-the-art fitness center, a spa, meeting and event space, and the XBANK exhibition gallery. With the opening of the W Amsterdam, Starwood now operates three hotels in the Netherlands, including the Sheraton Amsterdam Airport Hotel Schiphol and Hotel Des Indes, A Luxury Collection, The Hague. The company is also planning to open the Element Amsterdam hotel in early 2016.

“Amsterdam has emerged as a world leader in design, music and fashion, all of which have long been passions of W Hotels and our global travelers,” Anthony Ingham, global brand leader of W Hotels Worldwide, said. “As one of Europe’s most popular destinations, we are excited to welcome guests and locals alike to an energetic space full of unexpected moments.”