nhow Amsterdam RAI: First Impressions and Theme of the Largest Newly Built Hotel in the Benelux Region Revealed

Amsterdam, September 26, 2018. Welcome to nhow Amsterdam RAI, a place where contemporary art, design, gastronomy and cultural expressions fit together perfectly. First impressions of the interior design and the supporting theme of this iconic hotel were presented today on the construction site at Europaplein 2 in Amsterdam by Maarten Markus, Managing Director Northern Europe of NH Hotel Group together with the cooperation partners Maurits van der Sluis COO of RAI Amsterdam, as well as Gert-Wim Bos, Director of the development company COD and Bas van Dam, CEO of Being Development.

nhow Amsterdam RAI, close to RAI Convention Centre and Amsterdam RAI station, will become a new social and multicultural hub for tourists, business travelers and Amsterdam locals alike. With 650 rooms on 25 floors and a height of 91 meters, nhow Amsterdam RAI will be the largest newly built hotel in the Benelux region. nhow Amsterdam RAI belongs to the brand family of disruptive and exceptional design and lifestyle hotels, designed by renowned architects. Following the successful launch of nhow Rotterdam in 2014, NH Hotel Group is working together for the second time with star architect Rem Koolhaas / OMA (Office for Metropolitan Architecture). The opening of nhow Amsterdam RAI is planned for Q1/2020.

Renderings: Lobby nhow Amsterdam RAI / Credits NH Hotel Group

The History of Amsterdam as a Source of Inspiration

Designed by Rem Koolhaas / OMA, the building was inspired by one of the most iconic features of RAI Amsterdam, the advertising column known as “Het Signaal.” Consisting of three superposed triangles, the building points in many directions, symbolizing the diversity that characterizes the past, present and future of the city of Amsterdam. The room design is inspired by the six cardinal directions to which the building’s corners point: South, East, North, South West, South East and North West. Themes from the “Golden Age” of Amsterdam as a commercial center of Europe surface in the rooms together with well-known international symbols, for example mandalas from India, Mexican “Día de Muertos” skulls or cherry blossoms from Japan in the sample room: all symbols are arranged in a modern international setting. The interior design was developed by NEXT Architects in collaboration with GLG/MVSA Architects.

Maarten Markus, Managing Director Northern Europe of NH Hotel Group, is proud to present the interior design to the public and emphasizes: “Our future member of the nhow family is aimed at travelers who seek to spend a night in a hotel outside of the ordinary. We aim high in delivering experiences with a twist – in this case 91 meters, literally. Not only the digital bohemian, but also the experienced business traveler will indulge in the creativity of this amazing hotel. The city of Amsterdam breathes diversity with over 150 different nationalities and I am looking forward that the nhow Amsterdam RAI becomes a melting pot as well!”

Maurits van der Sluis, COO of RAI Amsterdam, adds: “As a multicultural hub for trading and business, the hotel will be a home base for organizers, exhibitors and visitors to international and national events. It allows the RAI to strengthen its competitive position within the international exhibition and conference market and further increase its spin-off value to the city of Amsterdam.”

Gert-Wim Bos, Director of COD – developer nhow Amsterdam RAI –, on behalf of COD and development partner Being Development, is especially proud of the incorporation of sustainable design features: “nhow Amsterdam RAI sets the benchmark for hotel projects, where cutting-edge design meets world-leading standards for sustainability and energy efficiency. By prioritizing a Breeam Excellent rating from the outset of developmental plans, we demonstrated our commitment to a sustainable future.”

Expansion of the design and lifestyle brand nhow

nhow Amsterdam RAI is the second collaboration between Rem Koolhaas / OMA and NH Hotel Group after nhow Rotterdam in 2014. For nhow Rotterdam, OMA received the Entree Hospitality & Style Award for Best Hotel Design 2014.

The nhow family is growing further. Currently, there are four hotels in Berlin, Milan, Rotterdam and the recently opened nhow Marseille. In 2019, nhow London will open in London’s fashionable Shoreditch district – with the theme “London Reloaded.” Also in 2019, a nhow Brussels is planned to open. In 2021, a second nhow hotel in Germany will open its doors with 375 rooms as nhow Frankfurt. Even more nhow hotels are planned for the next three years in Rome, Frankfurt / Main, Santiago de Chile and Lima.

 Media kit

Revealed the Interior Design today, from left to right: Bas van Dam; Gert-Wim Bos; Maarten Markus; Maurits van der Sluis

High-resolution renderings are available digitally in our newsroom.

The reveal video is available here: Interior Design nhow Amsterdam RAI.

For more updates, please follow https://www.buildingnhow.amsterdam/en/

Renderings Room Design East and North/ Credits NH Hotel Group

Renderings Room Designs North West and South West/ Credits NH Hotel Group

Renderings Room Designs South and South East / Credits NH Hotel Group

Rendering Facade / Credits NH Hotel Group

About RAI Amsterdam

Bringing together people, both physically and virtually, expands borders... it inspires! RAI Amsterdam has been bringing different worlds, people and markets together, at home and abroad, since 1893. The RAI is an international exhibition and convention company which organises events in the Netherlands and abroad and operates the RAI Convention Centre in the Zuidas business district of Amsterdam. The RAI welcomes around 1.5 million visitors a year to approximately 500 events such as exhibitions, conventions and corporate and other events. The company also provides event-related services to organisers, exhibitors and visitors. For more information, visit www.rai.nl

About COD / Being Development

Real estate developers COD (https://cod.nl) and Being Development (https://www.beingdevelopment.com) are developing nhow Amsterdam RAI. Together they have vast experience in (re)developing hotel real estate. COD delivered three hotels in the Greater Amsterdam Region over the past years. In 2015, Motel One on Europaboulevard (320 rooms), Generator on Mauritskade (168 rooms) in 2016 and the Schiphol Hotel for Corendon (175 rooms) in 2018. Next to nhow Amsterdam RAI, Being Development´s growing hotel portfolio also includes Yotel Amsterdam (202 rooms) on Asterweg (Amsterdam), and Aloft Utrecht (224 rooms) in the heart of Leidsche Rijn Centrum (Utrecht). Collectively, the teams work through a mutual open, creative and sustainability approach of real estate development.

About NH Hotel Group

NH Hotel Group (www.nhhotelgroup.com ) is a world-leading urban hotel operator and a consolidated multinational player. It operates close to 400 hotels and almost 60,000 rooms in 30 markets across Europe, the Americas, Africa and Asia, including top city destinations such as Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin, Bogota, Brussels, Buenos Aires, Budapest, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, London, Madrid, Mexico City, Milan, Munich, New York, Prague, Rome and Vienna.