Mandarin Oriental Conservatorium, Amsterdam

I arrived at the Conservatorium Hotel in Amsterdam in a haze, one created by a strong elixir of jetlag and the city’s morning fog — just as the sun was rising over its silent canals. Wandering through the property’s lobby, later described to me as the “living room of Amsterdam,” I was attuned to my rather spectacular surroundings by the din of early-rising guests and locals, which acted like a much-needed shot of espresso. Milan-based designer and architect Piero Lissoni designed the vast space with respect to the historical building’s significant past, while at the same time shaking off any hint of dust. Scalloped, bricked walls nod to its 19th century origins as a national savings bank designed by Dutch architect Daniel Knutte, while a ukulele chandelier commemorates the property’s second life as the Sweelinck Music Conservatorium. It nurtured the city’s young musicians until 2008 and which contextualizes the hotel’s location within Amsterdam’s Museum Quarter, home to the Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum, and the Moco. It also provides a legacy foundation to the distinguishing artistic thread that runs through the property. The Glass Library at the Conservatorium houses rotating exhibitions, often of contemporary artists. A wall near the first-floor elevator houses a portrait by Bastian Woudt, a Dutch photographer who served as the hotel’s artist in residence in 2022, part of the property’s ongoing collaborations with local artists to develop its Residence Suites. Speaking of suites, the welcome note in mine featured an original watercolor of the city. Later, over drinks with Roy Tomassen, the Conservatorium’s General Manager, I discovered he had painted it. In fact, he paints every single welcome letter, which aptly sums up the hotel’s service: creative and extraordinarily thoughtful. – Mia Sherin