Two buildings, one hotel — a former Dutch bank and a 1920s telephone exchange joined across Spuistraat. Rooftop pool, Michelin-starred Duchess, and the loudest design hotel in the city.
"A bank and a telephone exchange knitted into one hotel by way of a rooftop pool. The W is loud, central, and has the only Michelin star in Amsterdam attached to a steakhouse-rotation lifestyle hotel."
W Amsterdam opened in 2015 in a configuration unlike any other W in the brand's portfolio — two separate buildings, opposite each other on Spuistraat in central Amsterdam, joined by a tunnel beneath the road. The Bank Building, the larger of the two, was the headquarters of KAS BANK, the Dutch national clearing bank, until the early 2000s. The Exchange Building, smaller and across the street, was a 1920s telephone exchange. Architects Office Winhov and Baranova restored both buildings and gave the W its defining personality — corporate brutalism on one side, Art Deco craft on the other, joined by a rooftop pool that is one of the few city-centre rooftop pools in northern Europe.
Across the two buildings there are 238 rooms and suites, ranging from compact Wonderful rooms to two-storey Extreme Wow Suites with private terraces. The Bank Building rooms have higher ceilings and the original vault-like proportions; the Exchange Building rooms are quieter and have the more historically interesting features. Design touches reference Dutch bank-vault aesthetics — heavy doors, brushed steel, deep colours — combined with the W's signature lighting and contemporary art programme. Bathrooms are good but rooms are smaller than the Mandarin and Conservatorium standard. Light sleepers should request rooms away from the rooftop pool, which can carry sound after midnight.
The Duchess restaurant occupies the former main banking hall — vaulted marble ceilings, original Art Deco columns, and a kitchen led by chef Ramses Lansink that has held one Michelin star since 2018. The cuisine is European with Dutch ingredients, and the room is one of the most architecturally striking restaurant settings in the city. Mr Porter, the steakhouse on the rooftop above the pool, handles the casual dinner side of the property and is one of the better steak rooms in the country. The Duchess Bar, attached to the restaurant, is the cocktail programme; The W Lounge handles the daily aperitivo crowd.
The rooftop pool, on the eighth floor, is the W's defining amenity — a heated pool with a bar, sun loungers, and unobstructed views over the Royal Palace and Dam Square. Day passes are sometimes sold to non-guests, which keeps the pool busier than guest-only alternatives. The Away Spa is functional but not the destination. The location, on Spuistraat at the corner of the Singel and a five-minute walk from Dam Square, is the most central of any Amsterdam five-star — for guests whose Amsterdam priority is being at the centre of everything, this is the booking.
For an Amsterdam bachelor or bachelorette weekend, the W is the most appropriate five-star booking in the city. The rooftop pool, the central location, the Mr Porter steakhouse for the group dinner, the Duchess Bar for late drinks, and the proximity to the Red Light District and the Jordaan nightlife make a two-night programme practically self-organising. Book a Spectacular Suite for the group base; the rest of the booking flexes around it.
The rooftop pool at sunset, with the Royal Palace and Dam Square in the background, is one of the city's more cinematic proposal settings. The Duchess restaurant for the dinner that follows handles the food side. The W concierge organises proposals frequently and competently — particularly for guests who prefer the contemporary aesthetic over the canal-house alternative.
For couples whose anniversary preference runs design-forward rather than heritage, the W is the right alternative to De L'Europe or the Mandarin. Book a Wow Suite, dine at the Duchess on the milestone evening, and use the rooftop pool for the morning programme. The hotel is louder than the canal-house alternatives — light sleepers should plan accordingly — but the design itself does the celebration work.
Spuistraat 175
1012 VN Amsterdam
The Netherlands
Central Amsterdam, 5 min walk to Dam Square
238 rooms across two buildings
Wonderful Rooms from €263/night
Spectacular Suites from €600/night
Extreme Wow Suite from €2,400/night
Check-in: 3:00 PM
Check-out: 12:00 PM
Open year-round
Rooftop pool with city views
The Duchess (1 Michelin star)
Mr Porter steakhouse
Two converted heritage buildings
Away Spa & fitness
Open year-round
Peak: April (King's Day), summer
Best value: November–February
High-speed WiFi throughout
Strong signal in rooms and lounges
Smart-room technology
From €263/night. The most affordable city-centre five-star with both a rooftop pool and a Michelin star — and the loudest of the lot.
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