‘When we become The Talk of The Town, our mission is accomplished’

The rooms have only just been cleaned and the furniture has just been put in place. The brand-new hotel crew flew in just a week ago... The moment we speak to General Manager Jakob-Jan Blaauw, it's a hustle and bustle in the hotel. People come and go. There's an exuberant atmosphere of 'Come on, guys, let’s put our shoulders to the wheel and get this done.’ In a few days, the doors of the completely new Leonardo Royal Hotel Amsterdam will open. A lot of work is being done to finalize everything. Expectations are high. "We open on Monday and we’re already fully booked the coming weekend," says the general manager, surprisingly relaxed. "All rooms are booked, which is really great! Everyone is looking forward to the opening." [caption id="attachment_79008" align="alignnone" width="750"] The hotel building itself is also unique. In appearance, in size and in capacity.[/caption]

The hotel couldn't be more central

The four-star plus Leonardo Royal Hotel Amsterdam is a unique and valuable addition to the existing hotel range in Amsterdam. The location, for example, couldn't be more central. A large number of important places such as the De Zuidas business district, the RAI Amsterdam exhibition complex, the Johan Cruijff Arena football stadium and the international banking district are only one or two subway stations away. By the way, the subway station is only a 40-metre walk away. You’re only 10 minutes away from the Central Station and the city centre. When you arrive from the highway, you can park your car within five minutes in the 173-place parking garage. And last but not least: the hotel is situated on the water's edge, which makes all kinds of fun trips via the water possible, such as a boat trip on the world-famous Amsterdam canals. [caption id="attachment_79010" align="alignnone" width="750"] The ballroom is located on the second floor, accessible via an eye-catching escalator in the foyer.[/caption]

Conference facilities

The hotel building itself is also unique. In appearance, in size and in capacity. The hotel has 18 floors, 490 rooms and a ballroom of 900 square meters. With the arrival of the Leonardo Royal Hotel Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands has gained an important MICE player. "The conference facilities in the hotel speak for themselves," says a proud Jakob-Jan Blaauw. The ballroom is located on the second floor, accessible via an eye-catching escalator in the foyer. The room is an imposing space with high ceilings and large windows, adjacent to a roof terrace of 400 square meters and overlooking the water. "In a theatre set-up, 750 people can fit in the auditorium; in a dinner set-up with round tables, we can accommodate about 450 people. If desired, the room can be divided into three parts.” "It is also possible to drive a car in the ballroom or on the roof terrace. An automotive event is therefore certainly one of the possibilities.” "We are also a Certified Healtcare Venue; medical conferences are in good hands with us." "In addition, we have a smaller room on the first floor and another seven rooms on the ground floor, ranging in size from 35 to 55 square metres. The rooms can be connected, so that we can easily create a space of 100 square meters. In addition, the event and conference centre, with a total area of about 1,200 square metres, has a spacious foyer, a bar and rooms for breaks.” [caption id="attachment_79003" align="alignleft" width="300"] Cross the threshold of the new Leonardo Royal Hotel Amsterdam and you will be amazed by the light and space it offers! The eleven-metre-high foyer is impressive, as is the friendly reception of general manager Jakob-Jan Blaauw. "The countdown has begun," he says and laughs. "Only seven days until the opening on April 15..." | Foto: Thomas Fasting[/caption]

Focus on interaction

When Jakob-Jan Blaauw was asked for the position of general manager of Leonardo Royal Hotel Amsterdam, he immediately knew how he would do it. "Our focus is on accessibility and interaction. We want both the guests and the staff to have a pleasant relationship with each other and amongst each other. Everyone should feel comfortable here and feel free to start a conversation. That's when the most wonderful things happen. Every trip and every meeting is a chance to get inspired. In our hotel we facilitate this in every way possible.” "For example, we put a lot of effort into finding and training the right people. We were looking for professionals who are completely themselves, who are easy to talk to, who are naturally helpful and who simply have hospitality in their genes. I can truly say we've done a good job. We have put together a wonderful team of 130 people from Portugal, Hungary, Greece, Germany, Poland, England, France and the Netherlands." "In order to encourage contact between guests, we also provide live music in the lounge or restaurant every night. In short: we do everything we can to create a pleasant, relaxed atmosphere, which people will talk about for a long time to come. That's what we mean by: "The Talk of The Town."

Cooking with a wow factor

In this context, the experienced chef and his team also guarantee dishes with a wow factor. "These are also 'conversation starters', as we like to call them. Our cooks are regularly seen ‘live’ in the restaurant. They like to chat with the guests, but also to conjure up the most talked-about dishes on the spot. They really come up with the most cool and funny combinations. Nothing is too crazy: cooking with nitrogen, preparing fresh syrup waffles or culinary cotton candy on the spot and at the meetings, for example, healthy vegetable sorbets and watermelon pizzas.” "In short: if you’re looking for something that you can get anywhere, you shouldn't be at Leonardo Royal Hotel Amsterdam. However, if you’re looking for a place where people are central and where eating, meeting and sleeping are an experience, then you’ve come to the right place.”