![\"mandarin](\"https:\/\/elitetraveler.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2026\/03\/conservatorium_hotel_-_exterior_011-300x200.jpg\")
<\/div>\nIn 2024, Amsterdam<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n It\u2019s under this guise that earlier this year, the Conservatorium Hotel became the Mandarin Oriental Conservatorium<\/a>, 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 \u2013 one of the nation\u2019s most prestigious music schools \u2013 in the 1980s, before lying dormant for several years until it was transformed into a luxury hotel in 2011.<\/p>\n The building\u2019s 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\u2019ll find an ultra-modern lounge, lobby, and dining atrium, where a soaring glass ceiling gives the impression of open skies.<\/p>\n See also: The Check-In: Mandarin Oriental Announces its First Hotel in Mallorca<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n In the older portion of the property, ornate tiles line the walls, with their design becoming more simple the higher you climb. \u201cThere were no elevators when the bank was built, so the most important people had offices lower down,\u201d I\u2019m told. \u201cTheir offices were the ones with the better designs.\u201d<\/p>\n 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\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n 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\u2019t been given much attention \u2013 although, I have been told they will be upgraded in due course.<\/p>\n 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\u2019s 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\u2019d expect, its own pretty garden area.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n The headline act of Mandarin Oriental\u2019s takeover was the launch of Israeli-British chef Yotam Ottolenghi\u2019s first restaurant in the Netherlands<\/a>. In London<\/a>, Ottolenghi\u2019s 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n This approach has carried over to Amsterdam. Like Rovi, Ottolenghi\u2019s Fitzrovia restaurant, the menu here is predominantly vegetarian and focused on open fire cooking \u2013 expect lively, fresh flavors, with a dose of smoky charring.<\/p>\n Breakfast, too, has had the Ottolenghi treatment and in addition to a substantial buffet, guests can order from a small selection of specials \u2013 the tahini French toast is good, but the shakshuka is even better.<\/p>\n Taiko remains a core part of the hotel\u2019s dining scene since the takeover, and continues to serve Japanese-inspired fine dining, highlighting local Dutch ingredients.<\/p>\n The hotel\u2019s subterranean spa has been largely left alone in the re-brand \u2013 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.<\/p>\n 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\u2019s \u2013 if not the world\u2019s \u2013 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 \u2013 and the dedicated Van Gogh museum, which houses some of his most celebrated works as well as personal letters and mementos.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Amsterdam\u2019s Conservatorium Hotel now bears the name of the international group \u2013 we checked in.\u00a0 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 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3656,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","beyondwords_generate_audio":"","beyondwords_project_id":"","beyondwords_content_id":"","beyondwords_preview_token":"","beyondwords_player_content":"","beyondwords_player_style":"","beyondwords_language_id":"","beyondwords_title_voice_id":"","beyondwords_body_voice_id":"","beyondwords_summary_voice_id":"","beyondwords_error_message":"","beyondwords_disabled":"","beyondwords_delete_content":"","beyondwords_podcast_id":"","beyondwords_hash":"","publish_post_to_speechkit":"","speechkit_hash":"","speechkit_generate_audio":"","speechkit_project_id":"","speechkit_podcast_id":"","speechkit_error_message":"","speechkit_disabled":"","speechkit_access_key":"","speechkit_error":"","speechkit_info":"","speechkit_response":"","speechkit_retries":"","speechkit_status":"","speechkit_updated_at":"","_speechkit_link":"","_speechkit_text":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3655","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/facesjournal.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3655","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/facesjournal.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/facesjournal.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/facesjournal.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/facesjournal.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3655"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/facesjournal.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3655\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/facesjournal.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3656"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/facesjournal.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3655"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/facesjournal.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3655"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/facesjournal.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3655"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"mandarin](\"https:\/\/elitetraveler.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2026\/03\/lounge_031-2560x1921.jpg\")
![\"mandarin](\"https:\/\/elitetraveler.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2026\/03\/van_baerle_suite_11-2560x1921.jpg\")
Stay<\/h2>\n
Dine<\/h2>\n
![\"ottolenghi](\"https:\/\/elitetraveler.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2026\/03\/ottolenghiamsterdam_interior_1137.jpg\")
Relax<\/h2>\n
![\"mandarin](\"https:\/\/elitetraveler.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2026\/03\/concerto_two_bedroom_suite_71-2560x1921.jpg\")
Explore<\/h2>\n