The InterContinental Amstel Amsterdam Hotel, commonly referred to as the Amstel Hotel, is a hotel in
Amsterdam
Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the capital and most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population of 907,976 within the city proper, 1,558,755 in the urban ar ...
, capital city of the
Netherlands
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, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
, on the east bank of the river
Amstel
The Amstel () is a river in the province of North Holland in the Netherlands. It flows from the Aarkanaal and Drecht in Nieuwveen northwards, passing Uithoorn, Amstelveen, and Ouderkerk aan de Amstel, to the IJ in Amsterdam. Annually, the ri ...
.
In 2007, it was the only hotel in the Netherlands on the list of ''World's Best Hotels'', and was ranked in 90th place.
The Amstel Hotel is part of the
InterContinental Hotels
Intercontinental is an adjective to describe something which relates to more than one continent.
Intercontinental may also refer to:
* Intercontinental ballistic missile, a long-range guided ballistic missile
* InterContinental Hotels Group (I ...
chain. In 2006 the building was sold to
Morgan Stanley
Morgan Stanley is an American multinational investment management and financial services company headquartered at 1585 Broadway in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. With offices in more than 41 countries and more than 75,000 employees, the fir ...
. In 2011 the Lebanese businessman
Toufic Aboukhater bought the hotel. In 2014 the hotel was acquired by Qatar-based
Katara Hospitality
Katara Hospitality, formerly known as Qatar National Hotels Company, is the largest hotel owner, developer and operator in Qatar. It is government-owned. As of 2016, the company owns properties in Qatar, Egypt, Morocco, the United Kingdom, Franc ...
, but is still operated by the
InterContinental Hotels Group
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), marketed as IHG Hotels & Resorts, is a British multinational hospitality company headquartered in Denham, Buckinghamshire, England. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the ...
Amenities
Restaurant
La Rive
La Rive is a former restaurant that was located in the InterContinental Amstel Amsterdam, Netherlands. It was a fine dining restaurant that was awarded one or more Michelin stars from 1993 to 2016. GaultMillau awarded the restaurant 18.0 points ...
had earned one or two
Michelin star
The Michelin Guides ( ) are a series of guide books that have been published by the French tyre company Michelin since 1900. The Guide awards up to three Michelin stars for excellence to a select few establishments. The acquisition or loss of a ...
s in the period 1993–2016.
History
Samuel Sarphati, a physician and
city planner
An urban planner (also known as town planner) is a professional who practices in the field of town planning, urban planning or city planning.
An urban planner may focus on a specific area of practice and have a title such as city planner, town ...
, took the initiative to build the hotel, although he died in June 1866 before the hotel opened. The architect was Cornelis Outshoorn. Originally it was planned to build the front of the hotel facing the present
Sarphatistraat
The Sarphatistraat is a street in the center of Amsterdam between Frederiksplein and Oostenburgergracht at the Cruquiuskade.
The street crosses the Amstel and forms an almost long connection between the southern part of the Grachtengordel and th ...
. Due to financial problems, only the wing along the Amstel was built.
Renovation
In late September 1992, the Amstel Hotel was reopened after a two-year renovation. During the closure, craftsmen, artisans and engineers restored the entire hotel, at a cost of over
ƒ70 million. The former 111 rooms were changed in 55 luxury rooms and 24 suites.
In 2017–2018, there was a major renovation of the facade and roof. Beside technical and safety improvements, it was also used to reconstruct the historical looks of the hotel. Both the original colour scheme and the once disappeared lions are now (2018) present again.
In October 2004 a test revealed the presence of
legionella
''Legionella'' is a genus of pathogenic gram-negative bacteria that includes the species '' L. pneumophila'', causing legionellosis (all illnesses caused by ''Legionella'') including a pneumonia-type illness called Legionnaires' disease and a mil ...
in the water system. As a precaution the hotel was evacuated and the guests transferred to other hotels. Several measures were undertaken to prevent a repeat of the incident, including the installation of special filters.
References
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Hotels in Amsterdam
Rijksmonuments in Amsterdam
Hotels established in 1867
InterContinental hotels