The Dylan

Amsterdam

To truly discover Holland’s beautiful capital city and its treasures, it’s best to begin with the old city center. Considered the historical heart of Amsterdam, we find the renowned Dam Square with a variety of buildings around it steeped in history, like the Royal Palace or the Nieuwe Kerk.

The Royal Palace is an immense 17^th century building, which gradually deteriorated with time. It was Amsterdam’s former city hall, and in 1808, became a royal residence under the influence of Louis Bonaparte. Today, the building belongs to the state and is at the disposition of the Queen who organizes certain receptions here.

Another emblematic building on the Dam Square is the Nieuwe Kerk (New Church), a superb 15^th century Gothic church where Queen Beatrix was crowned in 1980, and where, in 2002, her eldest son Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, better known as the Prince of Orange, was married. It’s also on this square that we find the city’s legendary department store, the Bijenkorf, with its five floors of clothing, perfume, cosmetics, china, jewelry, etc… Shopping enthusiasts will also enjoy the PC Hoostraat, one of the city’s most commercial streets where they can find brand name luxury goods, as well as the Negen Straatjes quarter with its endless line of boutiques.

One of the city’s rare pearls

Located on the Keisergracht (King’s Canal) very near the Dam Square, The Dylan is a hotel steeped in history and with a very warm atmosphere. In order for guests to feel at ease immediately, a brief tour of the entire building is offered upon arrival. It’s an excellent opportunity to get a first impression of the hotel’s charm, largely the result of its refined style which combines the classicism of the past with contemporary design.

The 40 spacious rooms and suites are all in different styles, but decorated with simplicity and elegance in order to satisfy all possible tastes. The Kimono or Zensation rooms therefore, propose a chic and pure ambience, with the blending of colors like black, white and red. The Loft room has superb wooden beams which give it its rustic charm. The Klassbol and the Loxura are cozier, blending warm tones of gold and jade or red and white. Some rooms even have a second floor where guests can enjoy a superb view of the canal from their large, contemporary design four-poster bed.

With the goal of fully satisfying its guests, The Dylan proposes several bars for enjoying a cocktail in front of a fireplace before discovering the very “brasserie” atmosphere of the Bar Barbou. For true gourmets, the hotel’s starred restaurant and its Chef, Dennis Kuipers serve a sublime French inspired cuisine in a highly elegant restaurant, built with old stones, and more recently, aboard the Muze, a magnificent 19^th century boat, which welcomes guests aboard for a unique voyage and an unforgettable dinner.

Before becoming this extraordinarily charming hotel, the building was a theatre, built by a great lover of the arts, Dr. Samuel Coster. Classic plays by Molière and Corneille were performed here in the 17^th century. In 1737, the renowned composer, Antonio Vivaldi directed an orchestra here. The building burned down in the late 18^th century, and soon after, the site was acquired by a foundation, which let it go in 1998.