Hyatt Regency hotel - Amsterdam, Netherlands

By any yardstick, the Hyatt group is unexpectedly bullish about Amsterdam, recently opening its third property in the Dutch capital to go with the Andaz Amsterdam and Hyatt Place Amsterdam Airport.

An entire team of A-listers was assembled to convert a mid-19th century children’s hospital into 211 guestrooms. Van Dongen-Koschuch, a local outfit headed by the former Chief Government Architect, Frits van Dongen, restored the façade with hand-glazed tiles and carved out new interiors that are dressed by Jestico & Whiles (guestrooms and spa) and Concrete (ground floor) in shades of green, and floral and botanical artwork – a quiet nod to the nearby zoo and public gardens. 

Meanwhile, in-house restaurant Mama Makan references Holland’s links to Indonesia. In a bright dining room anchored by 200 paper lanterns and a brass cage-like cabinet that encompasses bar, chef’s table and show kitchen, executive chef Paul Verheul oversees a fragrant spice-inflected Far-East menu that includes chicken curry cooked with coconut milk and tomato sambao, and gado-gado, the classic Indonesian fresh salad of vegetables, eggs, tempeh and peanut sauce. 

The spa facilities are limited to a gym, sauna and steam room, but even these seem a little redundant when the city with its splendid cobbled streets and architecture, and nearby Oosterpark are all on offer.