Tivoli Hotels & Resorts has just launched its first property in the Netherlands. The Tivoli Doelen Amsterdam Hotel is a 16th-century property in the classicist style overlooking the Amstel Canal and is considered to be the oldest hotel in the Dutch capital. The original home to Rembrandt Van Rijn’s famous painting "The Night Watch" (which was completed in 1642), it hung on a wall inside one of the bedroom suites until it moved to the city’s famed Rijksmuseum.
Centrally located in Amsterdam’s historic city center, walking distance from the main touristic attractions, the heritage property has 81 guestrooms, including seven suites, most of them overlooking the canal, and a new gastronomic concept in its elegant Omber restaurant and bar, inspired by the art works of Rembrandt, who lived very close to the hotel. Guestrooms and suites offer views over the canals or the city, with the interiors complete in pastel tones with red splashes of color, combined with touches of wood. The marble bathrooms offer special amenities from the French luxury brand Lalique.
The 506-square-foot Rembrandt Suite has a perfect replica of "The Night Watch" in the room and on the exact wall where the masterpiece originally hung for 70 years. Another interesting room is the Empress Suite that was once the boudoir of Empress Elisabeth of Austria, most well-known as Sisi. With a unique C-shape design to maximize the canals views, the suite has a king-sized bed with Dutch shields on the ceiling, which are a symbol of protection.
On the ground floor and overlooking the canal, Omber restaurant and bar now offers a Mediterranean-Dutch fusion menu. Inspired by the craftsmanship of paint making and the limited colors Rembrandt used, Omber is a signature color in Rembrandt’s art. Every dish on the menu contains an element inspired by his color pallet. The menu also takes inspiration from the artist’s favorite dishes, such as herring and pickles that have been recreated by the team with the Dutch name of Rembrandt Pauze. The slow-cooked Dutch Veal with parsnip, carrots and purslane is one of the dishes paired with Portuguese Cartuxa wine from the Alentejo region, giving a nod to the brand’s Portuguese heritage.
For the Omber Bar, several signature cocktails have been created with Jenever, the typical Dutch gin, which was also Rembrandt’s favorite drink. Most of the cocktails are made with a local Jenever producer, Wynand Fockink, which operates a similar distillery process to that used in the Dutch Golden Age. The star cocktail Night Watch is based on an old recipe found in the hotel archives dating back to the 17th century and is made with old Jenever, coffee liqueur, syrup and cherry bitters. Daily at 4:30 p.m., Omber Bar celebrates the aperitivo moment offering guests some local sips to savor.
Tivoli Doelen Amsterdam helps guests make the most of its canal side location with a range of personalized tours starting and ending at the hotel dock, exploring the vast IJsselmeer, the city canals or Oudekerk aan de Amstel. With an immersive “In the Footsteps of Rembrandt” tour, guests can visit his home and studio, the gothic Zuiderkerk, his family church featured in his art, and the artists’ guild of De Waag, one of the oldest buildings in the city, which he also painted. Along the way, the guide will share more details about Rembrandt’s life, as well as his connection with the Doelen property, that commissioned "The Night Watch" in 1642.
Tip: The hotel has created a partnership with the Rembrandthuis Museum giving hotel guests the possibility of booking a very exclusive experience, a dinner, served by the Tivoli Doelen team, in the actual kitchen of Rembrandt’s house. Guests can also book a painting workshop, inspired by the Dutch grand master, getting to know better the ancient art heritage of Amsterdam.
For more information on Tivoli Doelen Amsterdam, visit www.tivolihotels.com/doelen.
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