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Amsterdam’s Conservatorium Hotel now bears the name of the international group – we checked in. 

In 2024, Amsterdam took a firm stance against overtourism, introducing a strict ban on new hotel developments to curb the steady influx of millions of annual visitors. As with all rules, there was a getaround: big-name groups who wanted a presence in the city could take over an existing one.

It’s under this guise that earlier this year, the Conservatorium Hotel became the Mandarin Oriental Conservatorium, Amsterdam. Dating to 1897, the building has lived many lives. It was first the Rijkspostspaarbank (National Savings Bank), then transformed into the Sweelinck Conservatory of Music – one of the nation’s most prestigious music schools – in the 1980s, before lying dormant for several years until it was transformed into a luxury hotel in 2011.

The building’s history remains embedded. From the front, the building is all towering Gothic Revival grandeur, but head up the steps, past the row of boutique shops, through to the back of the hotel, and you’ll find an ultra-modern lounge, lobby, and dining atrium, where a soaring glass ceiling gives the impression of open skies.

See also: The Check-In: Mandarin Oriental Announces its First Hotel in Mallorca

In the older portion of the property, ornate tiles line the walls, with their design becoming more simple the higher you climb. “There were no elevators when the bank was built, so the most important people had offices lower down,” I’m told. “Their offices were the ones with the better designs.”

So far, the Mandarin Oriental touches have been light (minus the arrival of an all-new, big-name restaurant): the team all bear the brand’s signature fan pin, and the logo is liberally dotted around, but otherwise the handover feels understated. Time will tell how much of a stamp the big-name group will put on the historic property.

Stay

During the Mandarin Oriental takeover, the hotel remained fully operational and felt pretty close to full when I visited mid-week in early spring. As a result, the guest rooms and suites haven’t been given much attention – although, I have been told they will be upgraded in due course.

Until then, guests will find slick, contemporary rooms (129 in total), each with plenty of space. Despite the number of rooms (129 in total). The property’s biggest accommodation is the Penthouse, which has floor-to-ceiling windows throughout, a mammoth soaking tub, lounge and dining areas, and private lift access. While the penthouse has the biggest square footage, the other signature suites all have special merits: the Amsterdam Suite, for example, sits way up in the eaves and has its own rooftop terrace, while the Garden Suite has, as you’d expect, its own pretty garden area.

The age of the hotel shows in places, namely in the in-room technology, which was likely top of the range when it was installed but, in 2026, feels frustrating to manage.

Dine

The headline act of Mandarin Oriental’s takeover was the launch of Israeli-British chef Yotam Ottolenghi’s first restaurant in the Netherlands. In London, Ottolenghi’s premium delis have achieved cult-like status, and he is widely credited for bringing veg-forward Middle Eastern and Mediterranean dishes to the forefront in the city. 

This approach has carried over to Amsterdam. Like Rovi, Ottolenghi’s Fitzrovia restaurant, the menu here is predominantly vegetarian and focused on open fire cooking – expect lively, fresh flavors, with a dose of smoky charring.

Breakfast, too, has had the Ottolenghi treatment and in addition to a substantial buffet, guests can order from a small selection of specials – the tahini French toast is good, but the shakshuka is even better.

Taiko remains a core part of the hotel’s dining scene since the takeover, and continues to serve Japanese-inspired fine dining, highlighting local Dutch ingredients.

Relax

The hotel’s subterranean spa has been largely left alone in the re-brand – likely due to standards already being high. The space includes a substantial gym (far larger than most hotel offerings), a 59-ft lap pool, a hydrotherapy pool, and a yoga studio. It might be below ground, but a smart glass wall pulls in plenty of natural light.

Explore

The hotel is a touch out of the main Amsterdam drag, but feels quieter for it. What is right on your doorstep, however, are some of Europe’s – if not the world’s – most famous museums. This includes the Rijksmuseum, where you can see works by a selection of the great Dutch master, including Rembrandt, Vermeer, and Van Gogh – and the dedicated Van Gogh museum, which houses some of his most celebrated works as well as personal letters and mementos.

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From London to New York, listening bars became a global blueprint for immersive sound. 

“Listening bars are a reaction to people wanting to really re-engage with music,” Paul Noble, founder of Spiritland (one of the first venues in the UK to adopt the Japanese concept) tells me.

The idea dates back to the 1920s, when ongaku kissa, or ‘music cafes,’ began playing classical and jazz music, both as an escape from urban life and as part of a wider fascination with Western culture. By the 1950s, post-war Japan faced a scarcity of records and high-quality audio equipment, which gave rise to the pop-up of more dedicated listening bars, particularly concentrated in Tokyo’s Shibuya. Typically intimate – often with just six to eight seats – these venues were shaped by owners who were regarded as tastemakers in their own right; they curated the records (often focused on a single genre) and meticulously controlled the atmosphere.

By the 1980s, the rise of home stereos and CDs had reduced the demand for communal listening. Some venues consequently closed; others adapted and continue to operate today – a notable example being jazz kissa lion (or Lion Café as it’s now called), which launched in 1926 and is exclusively known for playing classical music.

See also: The Japanese Island You’re Not Visiting (But Should Be)

It wasn’t until the 2010s that the concept began to attract global attention, spreading to major cities like London and New York. Their Western boom was fueled by the decline of late-night club venues, a renewed interest in vinyl (and of collecting it), and a desire to recapture the “mystique, magic, and depth of engagement” that only a record can provide.

For Spiritland, Noble drew directly from the Japanese venues he had visited. “I completely fell in love with the bar culture there. It’s unlike anything in the world. I thought there must be room for this in the UK”.

Indeed, there was – although the Japanese blueprint had to be adapted for a different audience. “In Japan, it’s a very civilized environment where you sit in total silence and order [drinks] very quietly,” explains Paul. “Lots of them are open until very late – four or five in the morning – and you can smoke in them. It’s an intense listening experience [that] doesn’t translate culturally to a city like London.”

To thrive in bustling, screen-obsessed cities with shorter attention spans, the listening bar concept required a rethink. Noble notes that the essentials – vinyl-led programming, high-end speaker systems, and above all a “deep respect for music” – remain sacred, but are now often paired with design-led interiors and curated drinks menus. And crucially, unlike the original Japanese bars where even the slightest whisper could earn you a scolding glance, you can talk, laugh, even gossip freely.

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“When we opened a listening bar in London, it took some explaining – people would come in and ask, ‘Why are there tables and chairs in the middle of the dance floor?’” he recalls. “But the reaction has since been incredible.” The types of guests who visit, he says, are “egalitarian,” drawn primarily from creative industries – music, film, fashion, and tech. “These are all sectors with a musical thread running through,” he notes.

In the same way Japan’s original listening bars had carefully curated atmospheres, Noble, who worked in radio for 20 years, brought the same approach to Spiritland, which opened its first permanent venue in King’s Cross in 2016. “We have a record book where two days per week, guests can select any album from our collection for us to play,” he says. “Other than that, we don’t take music requests.”

Drinks, too, have become a defining feature in the evolution of listening bars, compared to the original venues where beverages were minimal and purely functional. At Spiritland, the drinks list is “straightforward, removing any novelty factors,” allowing the focus to remain on the experience. As Noble explains, the aim isn’t to “jazz anything up” artificially, but to let the drinks, like the music, speak for themselves.

Listening bars worth visiting

Public Records, New York

Public Records offers a distinctly New York–style experience, modern, immersive, and designed to cater to every kind of music fan. There’s multiple rooms, each with its own vibe, and the venue has carefully-curated program that brings together DJs, producers, and live acts,

Brillant Corners, London

Dalston’s Brilliant Corners, founded in 2013 by brothers Amit and Aneesh Patel, has earned a cult following for its impeccable audiophile setup, vinyl DJ sets, and a menu of izakaya-inspired dishes paired with natural wines. The venue features iconic 1970s Klipschorn speakers and plays a roster of music genres: jazz, house, experimental, and more.

Bar Neiro, Berlin

At Bar Neiro, music is played exclusively on vinyl, blasted out of a custom-built sound system made of vintage hi-fi components. The cocktails have been developed in-house, inspired by Japanese bar culture.

Eavesdrop, New York

Eavesdrop’s ethos is rooted in its community of listeners, artists, and curators, fostering an environment where listening takes precedence over dancing. Warm wood paneling and a thoughtfully arranged collection of bar stools complete the space.

Her, Melbourne

Taking walk-ins only, the Music Room at Her is Australia’s answer to the modern listening bar. The intimate, soundproof space hidden attracts a young, trendy crowd – it’s not hard to see why.

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