Walking through the picturesque Eastern district of Amsterdam, where the spacious stone paved streets are occupied by 17th century walk ups, trendy cafés and restaurants, Oost simply ticks all the boxes. From an incredibly diverse scene of art, UNESCO protected canals, museums and famous markets, the cultural hot spot set within a quiet communal neighbourhood offers a welcome change from the bustling pace of the centre.
Oosterpark for instance, located at the heart of the east, welcomes local families, students, joggers and bikers from all walks of life to enjoy a lively greenspace full of periodical monuments, chirping wild birds and natural ponds.
A perfect location for the newest edition of the Pillows hotel group, set within the natural landscape of the park, Pillows Maurits at the Park is a grand architectural gem, overlooking the canal along the eastern docklands.
Hotel
Arriving during the lunch hour, allowing time to take in the quiet residential neighbourhood and greenspace surrounding the hotel – Pillows Maurits at the Park feels more like a city sanctuary. Once a university for the human anatomy, the newly renovated building, dating back to 1908, is now a luxury five-star hotel, boasting of 88 luxury rooms, an urban spa, two bespoke restaurants and a Cuban style bar.
In honour of the buildings history, the engraved letters: ‘ONTLEEDKUNDIG LABORATORIUM’, meaning ‘Anatomy Laboratory’ still remain on the building front, secured by two friendly doormen, awaiting to greet and escort guests inside the hotel.
Upon arrival, your bags and luggage are checked in as you are led to the Living area – a contemporary space with floor to ceiling windows, plush carpets and views overlooking the park. With a Champagne reception upon arrival, the Living area is a space to enjoy your bubbles, hot or cold drinks, magazines and newspapers and time to settle in before checking into your room.
Attracting a wide range of international guests, the 4000sqm property has a warm and welcoming atmosphere, with friendly staff and an open door policy, making you immediately feel at home. Along with the hotel concierge – full of knowledge of exclusive places and cultural sites to visit, the hotel offers bike rental services so you can bike around the city like a local, and even a private garage with car charging stations for your electric vehicle.
From stained glass mosaic windows to the neutral tones of the exposed brickwork, at times it felt like walking through a museum, as the hotel kept a consistent theme of space and minimalism with the use of majestic art pieces to bring the space to life. Owned by a local Dutch Entrepreneur and avid art collector, the walls are filled with his personal pieces, ranging from local Artists like Dutch contemporary painter, Tjebbe Beekman to Amsterdam born, Constant, and limited edition Picasso prints.
Room
With a collection of rooms that can accommodate a family of five or more, and double rooms for two, bespoke service and luxury interiors are at the forefront of each room.
Our room overlooked Oosterpark in the new building – with a south facing room, large windows and a Juliet balcony. Luminated with natural light, the luxury double room welcomed us with sounds of the local radio playing on the small stereo box in the corner, along with all of the amenities of a quintessential five-star suite. There was also a stocked mini bar, teas, espressos and extra snacks for the evening.
In the wardrobe space is a hanging bag of fresh lavender, hotel robes and slippers, which were later laid out on the bed after turn down service, along with a custom poem between the pillows and their branded hand creams.
These small touches made the experience feel customised to the guest, and was a great addition to an already welcoming atmosphere.
Food and drink
Spring Café Brasserie
Spring Café Brasserie – the in-house restaurant offers a fusion of French and Italian Cuisine in the evening, and an A-la-carte breakfast in the morning.
The atmosphere in the evening was that of a city gastronomy, with dim lighting and soft jazz music playing in the background, along with an open kitchen where you could hear every sizzle and pan, seeing the chefs carefully plating up each dish.
For starters we ordered slow cooked scallops with pumpkin and gnocchi, and salad of Jerusalem artichoke with truffle and for the main we ordered the roasted cod with white beans and chorizo sauce, and the duo of beef filet and short ribs served with potatoes, carrots and red wine sauce.
Each dish was an experience, from the meat that melted in your mouth to the sweet combination of the pumpkin and scallops, you could tell each dish was carefully curated ensuring each bite lingered behind. You could see and taste the passion from the kitchen, and it was a beautiful experience to watch and enjoy each dish.
For dessert I recommend the tarte tatin with vanilla ice cream to share as a perfect ending to a long list of flavourful options.
Van Oost Restaurant
At the top of the hotel lies the world class Van Oost restaurant, offering first class menus with ingredients from all over the world.
For those who want an experience like no other, where your senses are stimulated with transcendent dishes made from rare ingredients, this restaurant is the place for you.
Fitz Bar
By evening, many guests took a short walk from the brasserie to the hotel’s in-house Fitz bar. An old Cuban inspired bar, with soft mixes of soul and jazz and, of course, world class mixologists. All that was missing was the aromas of cigar smoke, but instead, the sweet floral scents of the hotel fragrance mixed with fruity aromas of bespoke cocktails lingered in the air. With Paolo Conte’s ‘Via con me’ playing in the background, you had a feeling you were in a complete different location.
The bar is also home to world class mixologists, which includes a fellow Dutch champion.
Full of knowledge and great conversation, they create custom off menu beverages according to taste and preference, and I was pleasantly surprised of their generous mocktail menu, which means even without alcohol, the experience is just as great.
The spa
For those on the go, the in-house Urban Spa downstairs is perfect for quick treatments before meetings and during the day. With a bespoke hydromassage bed, made to target your areas of tension, to a gym, and a private sauna you can rent for the day, and even order room service to, there is a long list of amenities to your liking.
If you would like something more full on, you can order from a long list of traditional treatments ranging from pedicures to neck and shoulder massages by a therapist in their private treatment room.
To do
Whether you fancy shopping around the luxury clothing stores, or visiting the art district to buy art pieces, Amsterdam pretty much caters to a large spectrum of interests. I recommend visiting the A’DAM LOOKOUT, where you can experience panoramic views of Amsterdam.
In a nutshell
Pillows Maurits at the Park is a city sanctuary – away from the beaten track of the centre and into a world of relaxation, good food, nature and first-class service. In many ways you have everything you need under one roof, and whether you are visiting Amsterdam for business or on a city break, this hotel is a one stop shop for everything you need to make your experience one you will never forget.
Factbox
Address: Pillows Grand Boutique Hotel Maurits at the Park, Mauritskade 61, 1092 AD Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Phone: +31 20 80 202 00
Email: amsterdam@pillowshotels.com
Website: pillowshotels.com/amsterdam-mauritskade/
All imagery supplied by Pillows Maurits at the Park
