Sir Adam Hotel, Amsterdam - review

A rock’n’roll hotel which gives a new way to look on this famous old city, says Joy Lo Dico
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Joy Lo Dico29 August 2017

When you are used to the sweet canal-side hotels of Amsterdam, The Sir Adam is quite a surprise. It sits a very short boat ride from the city in the old Shell headquarters, a 1971 tower block looking as though it was designed to resemble a rig.

That might sound a bit Brutalist but this has two upsides: first, the most amazing views of the city and second, a freedom to create a modern hotel in an historic city. And the crew from the Sir hotel group didn’t pull any punches on this one.

Where is it?

Just across the IJ, the “river” that runs through Amsterdam. The IJ, by the way, is actually a single letter in Dutch, pronounced “eye” and the river is actually a bay. These two things you can mull over as you take one of the free ferries to hop between the Central Station terminal and the North Bank. They run all day and night, as frequently as the Piccadilly Line and take about two minutes to cross. And in those two minutes you transform your view of the city.

The North Bank itself is lively, a modern quarter with the Sir Adam, the Butcher restaurant and bar downstairs, the Madam bar upstairs, and the Eye Museum next door, making for a humming waterfront.

And there’s one other thing about this hotel. Because Amsterdam is built on marshy land, this hotel, built in the old Shell headquarters is, at 20 storeys, one of the tallest around. It means you get a great unobscured view of the city you’ve come to see.

Style:

It’s humming, buzzing, strumming: this is a real music hotel. Just after you check in you are invited to grab a handful of vinyl to take up to your room from Blondie to heavy metal and some obscure classics you’d thought you’d never see again. One of the lifts up to the rooms has a disco multi-coloured dance floor - “if you dance, the lift will go faster,” said the bell hop with a wink - and in your room an old record player has pride of place.

A combination of dark colours, splashes of light and luxurious fabrics, make you feel like you are in the lounge of a super-club.

Amsterdam - in pictures

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Facilities:

Table football, PacMan arcade games and pool are all available in The Butcher restaurant bar downstairs, and perfect for a quick game when you rock in from a night out. They do great burgers there as well. On the first floor there’s a small but perfectly formed gym. But you want to take the lifts - all music themed - up to the Madam bar on the top floor and then walk up to the viewing deck - the A’dam Lookout - on the roof.

For the thrill-seeker, there are swings that will arc out over the edge of the building; for the lounge lizard, there are bean bags on which to lie and look at the view; for the eccentric, there’s a life-size red fibreglass horse that can be mounted.

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Which Room?

It is hard to go wrong here as they all have spectacular views through their floor-to-ceiling windows. The Deluxe room in which I stayed was a little tight space-wise - bring your guitar but not your amp - but luxurious enough for it not to matter. That is one of the smaller rooms and if I went again I’d choose a Sir Deluxe Corner or a Sir Suite to have 180 degrees views.

All of them have rain showers, Dead Clean washing products, and a good little Illy machine for an espresso in the morning.

Extra Curricular:

What isn’t there to do in Amsterdam? If you want to steer away from the well-trodden flagstones of the Rijksmuseum, try instead the Moco just behind it. Standing for modern contemporary, it had an excellent Banksy show on when I visited.

Also worth a walk or short bike ride is the Foodhallen in an old tram depot to the east of the old city, where you will find everything from sushi and kimchi to hot dogs and traditional Dutch butterball in street food market style. Beside there's a shopping arcade with quirky small-manufacture goods.

For an off-the-beaten-track drink or dinner at the end of the day there’s Meneer Nieges, a sparkly waterfront bar about 10 minutes walk from town. It is very chilled and has an excellent menu including oysters which went down very well with the range of beers.

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Food and Drink:

In the hotel’s building itself is The Butcher, one of a small chain of restaurants which just does amazing burgers. The Aberdeen Angus beef topped with Edam cheese was particularly memorable. It's also the place that will give you a hearty and sophisticated breakfast if you are staying in the hotel. Upstairs there is the Madam bar and just below it a rotating circular restaurant, a must for all those who miss the BT Tower, with multi-course menus with a Dutch flavour to them.

Best for:

A fun few days of letting your hair down - age unimportant. I took my teenager with me who was wowed by the cool of it all.

When to go?

Any time of year but because Amsterdam can get so rammed with tourists, I’d say a midweek break might be the time to get the most out of the city with the least hassle.

Details

Flexible pricing, from around 175 euros for a boutique room and from 375 euros for a suite. Overhoeksplein 7, 1031CK Amsterdam, Netherlands. Contact +31 (0)20 710 7258 or visit sirhotels.com/adam

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