Amsterdam meetings: Time to go Dutch

New hotels and cultural attractions have made Amsterdam a compelling option for events, says Michelle Mannion This is an important year for Amsterdam. Not only is the Dutch capital celebrating a number of anniversaries – its world-famous canal ring, named a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2010, is 400 years old, and institutions such as the Concertgebouw music hall, the Felix Meritus art and science centre and the Artis Royal Zoo are celebrating big birthdays – but 2013 has also seen the relaunch of some of its most celebrated museums. In April, the mighty Rijksmuseum reopened after a ten-year renovation, while the Van Gogh Museum – itself 40 years old this year – followed in May after its own revamp. Not only that, but the same month saw huge celebrations in Amsterdam and across the Netherlands as Queen Beatrix abdicated the throne to her son, Willem-Alexander. So it’s perhaps fair to say there is a feeling of renewal in the air – but that’s not the only reason why now is a good time to consider Amsterdam for your events. The past couple of years have seen the city add to its top-end hotel haul with the opening of properties such as the Andaz and the Conservatorium, while new venues include the striking Eye Film Museum and the revamped Het Scheepvaartmuseum. The Sofitel Legend the Grand, home to 1,400 sqm of meeting space, was fully refurbished two years ago (for a review, click here), while Waldorf Astoria and Hyatt Regency properties are due to arrive next spring and in 2015 respectively. Add to that a well-connected airport, in Schiphol, good European rail links and impressive infrastructure – not to mention the beautiful historic centre, rich cultural offering and laidback vibe – and it’s unsurprising that it is a top-ten International Congress and Convention Association city. Here are some venues to consider. Andaz Amsterdam Prinsengracht Hyatt’s luxury boutique brand arrived in the city in October last year. In an enviable location on Prinsengracht canal, the Andaz is housed in a former public library that has been given a stylish, imaginative transformation by Dutch designer Marcel Wanders. Its function space is split across the property’s two adjoining buildings, which have an “Alice in Amsterdam” inner garden in the centre. The largest venue, the 130-capacity Studio One, looks on to the garden (which cannot be used for events because of residential restrictions) and is an attractive space with wooden flooring and colourful panelling. It connects to the 100-capacity Gallery, in which a live cooking station can be set up, so you could stage drinks in one section and dinner in another, for example. There are three rooms for small meetings, the most striking of which is the vibrant Delft Blue room, lined with original and imitation Delftware and accommodating 12 delegates boardroom-style. Many of the 122 guestrooms offer canal views, and the property has an excellent restaurant with a semi-private dining space for ten, and a spa. See businesstraveller.com/tried-and-tested for a review. Prinsengracht 587; amsterdam.prinsengracht.andaz.com The Dylan Around the corner on Keizersgracht canal, the 40-room Dylan hotel is a classy choice. It’s on the site of a 17th-century theatre whose stage was once graced by Vivaldi – a fire in 1772 destroyed all but the stone entrance, after which it was rebuilt to house the Catholic Old and Poor People’s Office, before becoming the Dylan in 1999. A standout feature is the tree-lined inner garden – surrounded by the townhouses that make up the property, it’s a pretty, private venue for gatherings of up to 250 people, and can be covered and heated in winter. In combination with the adjacent indoor Long Gallery, 350 guests can be accommodated (up to 450 if you do an exclusive buyout of the property). Other options include the skylit Ariana room, which holds 110 delegates theatre-style and can be used with the adjoining Courtyard room, and the 35-capacity Regent’s room. Michelin-starred Restaurant Vinkeles can be hired for dinners of up to 38 guests (a minimum spend applies) – private dinners for eight can also be served in Josephine’s boardroom, or a group of four could board the hotel’s 19th-century boat “The Muze” to enjoy a six-course Vinkeles meal while touring the canals. The individually designed guestrooms and suites are stylish and well equipped. Keizersgracht 384; dylanamsterdam.com Renaissance With some 16 meeting venues totalling more than 1,500 sqm of space, the 402-room Renaissance offers some of the city’s largest hotel conference facilities. It also has some of the most distinctive – over the road from the main property, and connected by underground walkway, the Koepelkerk is a former 17th-century Lutheran church once sketched by Vincent Van Gogh that now functions as a flexible event venue. The soaring domed space, still featuring the original 1830 Batz wooden organ, can host 400 people theatre-style or 500 for drinks, with more capacity available in the balcony and semi-circular meeting area upstairs. The church courtyard can be used for al fresco gatherings. Back in the hotel, a dedicated ground-floor area houses a number of meeting spaces for nine to 150 delegates. The property was fully refurbished in 2009, has its own traditional “brown café” and Mediterranean restaurant, and is well located for Amsterdam Centraal station. Kattengat 1; renaissanceamsterdam.com Doubletree by Hilton Amsterdam Centraal Station Part of UK chain Mint (once City Inn) when it opened in May 2011, this new-build next to the station swiftly became a Doubletree following the sale of Mint to Hilton Worldwide owner the Blackstone Group. The 553-room property looks on to the Oosterdok (eastern dock) and historic centre to the front, and across the River IJ to Amsterdam Noord (North) to the back – its 11th-floor Skylounge offers great views, and its southern section and balcony can be hired for 150 people. The first floor is dedicated to meetings and has seven rooms that divide into smaller spaces to make a total of 15. They have floor-to-ceiling windows and hold between ten and 216 delegates, and the whole level can accommodate up to 750 people divided over different areas. For larger events, the hotel can partner with nearby venues such as the Muziekgebouw aan’t IJ concert hall, NEMO science museum, Passenger Terminal Amsterdam and former stock exchange Beurs van Berlage. The property has ample underground parking, a 150-seat restaurant, and its own Starbucks. Oosterdoksstraat 4; amsterdam.doubletree.com Het Scheepvaartmuseum Also on Oosterdock, the National Maritime Museum is housed in the grand Lands Zeemagazijn (the Arsenal), built in the 17th century as a storehouse for the Admiralty of Amsterdam. In 1973 it became a museum, showcasing 500 years of maritime history. Following a major renovation, it was relaunched in October 2011. One of the most striking additions is the glass-and-steel ceiling that covers the inner courtyard – inspired by the compass lines of old sea maps and lit by 868 LED lights at night, it has transformed the courtyard into a spectacular venue for dinners and parties (for 700 and 1,000 guests respectively, evenings only). Available 24/7 are three light-filled adjoining Chambers (one has access to a terrace on the docks) and a boardroom, holding between 40 and 120 delegates theatre-style. Or for a real seafaring experience, stage your dinner in the East Indiaman moored on the docks – a copy of the Dutch East India Company ship, the Amsterdam, lost on her maiden voyage in 1749. Its hold and main deck can both accommodate 100 diners, while the upper deck takes 250 for a reception (evenings only). Tours of the collection, which includes some 300,000 globes, model boats, instruments and maritime paintings, can be arranged. Kattenburgerplein 1; hetscheepvaartmuseum.nl Eye Film Museum Take the free ferry across the River IJ to Amsterdam Noord and you won’t miss the Eye Film Museum. The striking waterfront building was opened by Queen Beatrix in April 2012. Its collection spans more than 40,000 homegrown and international films, 700,000 photographs and 70,000 film posters – some of which are on display – along with interactive exhibits. Eye’s four cinemas can be hired when not in use for public screenings – they seat between 67 and 315 delegates and range in style from art deco to “black box”. The largest has a foyer with a bar, in which dinner for 100 or drinks for 270 can be held. The light-filled central Arena, which houses the restaurant and bar, has a large terrace and excellent views through floor-to-ceiling windows – once a month, it can be hired in combination with the whole building for gala dinners of 250 people or parties for 800. Other spaces include the 100-capacity, fourth-floor Room with a View, and the river-facing IJ Lounge for 75 people, which has an outdoor terrace. Eye stages four major exhibitions a year – until September 22 there is a focus on Fellini – and tours can be arranged. IJ Promenade 1; eyefilm.nl Stedelijk Museum The Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh Museum aren’t the only cultural heavyweights on Museumplein to have been transformed recently – in September last year, the country’s largest modern art and design museum reopened following an eight-year revamp complete with a futuristic new wing, dubbed “the bathtub”. The Stedilijk’s collection of 90,000 works spans art from 1850 to the present – with everyone from Kandinsky, Chagall, Matisse and Mondrian to Pollock, de Kooning, Warhol and Lichtenstein represented – as well as furniture, ceramics, posters and textiles from 1900 onwards. Groups could combine a tailored tour with an event in selected areas of the museum after it has closed to the public. Drinks and canapés for 250 people can be held in the airy new entrance area, or in the old entrance for 200, while the upper-level café and wraparound balcony can host 200 guests for dinner and drinks – the white-walled, high-ceilinged balcony features a light installation by Dan Flavin created for the museum. The auditorium, available  all day, seats 200 people theatre-style or can be set up with a DJ and bar for receptions of 275. Large-scale parties for as many as 2,000 people can also be held outside under the canopy of the new building. Museumplein 10; stedelijk.nl Conservatorium hotel Opposite the Stedelijk is one of the city’s newest luxury properties. Open since the end of 2011, the Conservatorium is housed in an 1897 neo-Gothic building that was once a bank and a music conservatorium. It has undergone a stunning transformation courtesy of Italian architect and designer Piero Lissoni. From the light- and greenery-filled courtyard lobby to the 1,000 sqm spa and 129 rooms and suites – almost half of which are duplex – it drips understated elegance. In a “glass box” overlooking the lobby are six sleek meeting rooms totalling 329 sqm of space. The largest, Symphony, holds 120 guests theatre-style or 150 for a party, while the smallest is a boardroom for eight. The stylish Tunes bar can be hired for drinks for up to 120 people, and Tunes restaurant for 80 diners. Alternatively, hold your party in one of the property’s top suites – the glamorous, high-tech Penthouse, for example, or the I Love Amsterdam suite, which has its own roof terrace offering fantastic 360-degree views. Van Baerlestraat 27; conservatoriumhotel.com   The Rijksmuseum reborn In April, following a ten-year, much-delayed renovation costing €375 million, the Rijksmuseum finally reopened its doors. The wait has been worth it – the 19th-century Renaissance-Gothic behemoth has undergone a spectacular transformation led by Spanish architects Cruz y Ortiz, with its 8,000 objects now arranged chronologically across 80 galleries to tell the story of 800 years of Dutch art and history. The result is quite astounding – almost overpowering – in its scope, with so many Dutch Masters displayed alongside room upon room of priceless prints, porcelain, delftware, furniture and objets d’art. Only sponsors of the museum can use it for events, but a tour of the collection would be a memorable part of any itinerary. Guided tours in English for 15 people can be arranged within opening hours, and booked groups can skip the queue – two million visitors a year are anticipated, and it was incredibly busy when I visited a couple of weeks after it reopened, so expect to share the experience with plenty of art lovers. Museumstraat 1; rijksmuseum.nl holland.com, iamsterdam.com