Amsterdam: The Dylan has a new owner (again)

The Spanish Stein Group of companies operates inter alia The College Hotel in Amsterdam. After a year it transferred ownership of The Dylan Hotel (former Blakes) to the Apollo Group of companies which was already one of the major financiers in the acquisition by Stein. Apollo is now renovating parts of the Dylan under supervision of FG Stijl, a Dutch designer group that is farming out in Hotel design. FG Style is also responsible for the famous Do und Co Hotel in Vienna.

Dylan’s Bar and lounge are to be restyled and there will be a new banqueting room with a glassroof.

Source: Theme:nl

New: Three Suites Hotel in Antwerp

After beautifully decorating Hotels as The Tuilerieen in Brugge, Recourt in Poperinge and The Orangerie in Brugge, all in Belgium , Pieter Porters opens in February, 2006 his own Three Suites Hotel in Antwerp in his interior design shop, under the name of House of Porters.

As Pieter is not very interested in Internet the website is not ready yet, but between 2nd december en 18nd December, 2005 clients and relations of Pieter can have a preview.

Happy Hotelier is impressed.

Costes…an arrogant website…and music

When clicking the Hotel Costes website one gets a screen with a welcome message and some music. No information. When subsequently one clicks the reservation page, one gets its address and a telephone number to make a reservation.

Off course they are so famous, they permit themselves to do entirely without internet bookings. I love such arrogance!

Further Hotel Costes is unmistakably connected with Cafe Costes and with Philippe Starck’s Costes Chairs.

Costes 8

Finally there is an important link with »Stephane Poupougnac, a DJ compiling lounge music for the »Pschent label under the name Hotel Costes. After 7 volumes and a compilation of the first 7 volumes, “The Best Of Hotel Costes”, Volume 8 has been launched on 26th September 2005.

Finally the Grand Old Lady reopened

Des
After a renovation of 18 months at a cost of Euro 35,000,000 for just 92 rooms, Hotel “Des Indes” of The Hague (as it is known locally) reopened this month.

Its present name is Le Meridien Hotel Des Indes, but I expect it soon to be renamed “Starwoods Des Indes” or “Sheraton Des Indes” because recently the letter of intent has been signed that Starwoods acquires Groupe Le Meridien.

note added in 2006: It kept its name Le Meridien Hotel Des Indes under the Starwood label.

A friendly lady of the staff gave me a private guided tour, as everybody who wants to have a look gets a private tour during three moths after opening between 9.00 AM to 9.00 PM by a member of staff, especially made available for this job on rotation basis. That’s fantastic service and PR.

Another pleasant feature of Des Indes is that it wants to attract as many locals as possible by having lounge, bar and restaurant which are interconnected, open to the public from 07.00 hr AM to 01.00 hr AM while you can eat and drink whatever you want. Fantastic…finally a place of international standing in The Hague, where you can enjoy breakfast at 3.00 hr PM after your flight from Los Angeles to forget your jet lag, or book a supper after concert or theater at 11.00 hr PM, while Dutch kitchens normally tend to close at 10.30 hr PM. Perfect!

It is also very clear that all personnel that returned is very proud of the result of the renovation that for the interior part was led by French designer Jacques Carcia, known of many hotel renovations as for instance Hotel Costes, and L’Hotel, both in Paris. Personally I find the design not so flashy as in those two French Hotels, probably because Des Indes is not an Indy (independent hotel)…

FT and NYT cover small Dutch and Belgian Luxury Design Hotels

FT

The “How To Spend It” magazine of the Financial Times covered Haagsche Suites in The Hague (see pictures), Park Tower Suite in Haarlem en Brugsche Suites and Maison le Dragon, both in Brugge, Belgium.

The New York Times addressed designers Analik of Miauw Suites in Antwerp and Marcel Wanders of Lute Suites near Amsterdam.