Roy Tomassen is the General Manager at Conservatorium Hotel in Amsterdam.
Roy, please tell us a little bit about the design and style of Conservatorium Hotel.
At the Conservatorium Hotel contemporary design meets heritage; award-winning Milan-based furniture and interior designer Piero Lissoni has embraced the historic building created by Dutch born Daniël Knuttel by fusing simplicity and functionality through the re-incarnation of the spectacular building. This results in a combination of the traditional brick building with original Art Nouveau tiles matching industrial steel and glass designed by Piero Lissoni, this all flows very naturally between the original building and the newly attached part of the building.
The first time arrival in the main glass atrium lobby will take your breath away and you will notice that, due to the changing daylight, light settings and music, the ambiance and the feeling changes constantly.
The new open spaces in the atrium feel cozy with lots of small details which you will start to notice when you are a frequent visitor of the hotel. All of the 129 guestrooms and suites are individually designed and 40% of the rooms are divided over two floors, which create a loft feeling while staying in the heart of Amsterdam.
The Conservatorium offers the total package for its guests with an Asian contemporary cuisine restaurant; Taiko, a classis all-day-dining restaurant; the Brasserie, a famous cocktail bar that specializes in Gin&Tonics and DJ’s playing in the weekend; Tunes Bar, a beautiful terrace to enjoy homemade ice-teas and the Akasha Holistic Wellbeing Centre; a 1000 m² wellness area including a 18 meter swimming pool, Watsu pool, Hammam, Jacuzzi and private treatment rooms.
What kind of clientele does the hotel attract?
The Conservatorium Hotel attracts all nationalities in the hotel and the purpose of visit is always a mixture of leisure and business focused travelers. As the hotel is situated right between the museum district and the residential Oud-Zuid area, many locals also visit the hotel on a frequent basis which turns the hotel into the ‘living room’ of this area.
In your opinion, what is the most important skill a good hotel General Manager should have?
The most important skill for a General Manager is the ability to manage expectations of all people that are present in the hotel, which include the hotel guests and local visitors as well as the staff that makes the high-quality service possible for all the guests. It is great to be working with two parties at the same time that all have the same goal; giving or having the best experience possible.
Can you describe Amsterdam in 3 words?
Charming and bringing the unexpected.
If your friend had only 24 hours for exploring Amsterdam, how would you recommend him spending his day?
As the city was built on water and the main city center area looks more like a large village, there are two things which are a definite must when spending only 24-hours in Amsterdam.
A boat trip on the canals will give you the impression of the development of the city and the canals are listed world heritage by Unesco. Besides experiencing the historical development of the city you will see the dikes and the large canal houses which were used as storages. Amsterdam from the water gives you an entire different view than from the land.
A bike trip in the city, which will -among others- cover the Hidden Gardens (from the 13th century – 16th Century), cloisters and other monuments of the city as a social community.
There are also two unique museums which can’t be found somewhere else in the world. The Six Collection, as if you visit the house of Rembrandt’s neighbours, 65 rooms in a normal house from the 16th century - an unknown pearl of Amsterdam.
The hidden churches from the Middle Ages, as the Catholicism were forbidden by Protestants. It will show you the baroque style on its best.
Last but not least, go for a very special dinner to Rem Eiland - a unique restaurant with beautiful views.
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