QO Amsterdam – Luxury and sustainability combined
QO Amsterdam has opened its doors in the dynamic Amstelkwartier, the ‘new city district’ in the Dutch capital. QO, an IHG® hotel, seamlessly weaves luxury with holistic wellness and sustainability.
Every aspect of the hotel is designed to reduce environmental impact and to create the best possible guest experience, for international and local guests alike, from the rooftop greenhouse to the intelligent façade and energy-saving features in its construction.
“We want QO to stand out from other lifestyle destinations. Guests should not have to opt for either luxury or sustainability; we want to show that the two can be perfectly combined. We hope to be a breath of fresh air in the hospitality industry, paving the way for how hotels of the future are built and run,” said Inge Van Weert, Hotel General Manager.
The 21-floor hotel is a unique ‘living building.’ Its innovative façade consists of individual moving aluminium panels installed on the outside of the building which respond according to the exterior climate and whether or not guests are in their room. The panels provide additional insulation on cooler days or allow sunlight in for heating purposes, ensuring a consistent room temperature.
Buried 70m below the ground is the hotels energy storage system, which holds heated water from the summer months ready to be pumped back in to warm the hotel when the temperature drops. Meanwhile floor-to-ceiling windows and an atrium mean that 80% of the building’s lighting is provided by natural daylight, minimising the need for artificial light during the day. Together all of these measures will significantly reduce the hotel’s power consumption.
QO Amsterdam does more than cater to international travellers – it is embedded in the local community. Persijn, with its innovative Dutch cuisine, welcomes guests on the ground floor. Juniper & Kin, kitchen garden & bar on the 21st floor, offers a stunning panoramic view of Amsterdam where guests are able to enjoy tasteful cocktails with a selection of smaller dishes. Many of the herbs, vegetables, fruit and even fish will be sourced from the greenhouse on the roof. The high-tech greenhouse is almost fully self-sufficient and self-regulating; fish waste provides an organic food source for the plants whilst the plants purify the water for the fish.
The hotel’s 20th floor features Embody, a holistic wellbeing studio that offers the latest in fitness and wellness trends with a wide range of group classes, personal training, small group training, nutritional food options and mindfulness. With its fabulous view of the city, Embody is accessible to locals as well as hotel guests.
The first floor features 482 square metres worth of creative and multifunctional areas, perfect for meetings and events. Each of the eight separate areas bear the name of extraordinary pioneers in sustainability. In addition to traditional meeting rooms, the QO also offers a number of living room-style brainstorm areas. Meetings can be combined with a greenhouse visit, for instance, or a mindfulness workshop at the wellbeing studio Embody.
The restaurant and bar are operated independently from the hotel and each have a distinctive identity.
The hotel is managed by Inge Van Weert, whose impressive career includes stints at leading hotels in cities such as Brussels, London and Dubai. Pieter Ham, responsible for the restaurant and bar outlets, has gained experience all over the world before making his return to the Dutch capital.
The hotel’s concept and design was a joint project by Mulderblauw architecten, Paul de Ruiter Architects, and Arup consulting and engineering. The TBI-Companies, J.P. van Eesteren and Croonwolter&dros were responsible for the hotel’s construction and 4building was involved in the development as a project manager. QO’s 288 hotel rooms, including 12 suites, were designed by the internationally renowned London-based agency Conran and Partners. The award winning Amsterdam agency, TANK, designed the interiors of the restaurant, bar and public spaces.
Rosval
Rosval is a leading kitchen technology manufacturer specialising in the development, production, delivery and installation of stainless steel products and solutions for professional kitchens, including cookers and refrigerated counters, as well as bars and live cooking buffet stations. The company provides services to restaurants, hotels, beach clubs, patisseries, caterers, canteens, butchers and health care institutions and has an excellent reputation for its attention to detail.
Working on QO Amsterdam, Rosval was asked to develop a custom-made, sustainable stove for the open kitchen of Persijn Dutch Eatery. The front of the cooker had to be longer on one side, so it could fit comfortably within an uneven space – thus producing an even finish.
Mari Versantvoort, Deputy Director of Rosval, commented:
“This was a special project for us as it required a custom-made stove with specific requirements. We also needed to ensure the stove was placed within the building during the early stages of construction, before the exterior façade was closed by window frames and windows, so while it was challenging it was a challenge we enjoyed being a part of.”
Mari added:
“At Rosval, we pride ourselves on our ability to advise, design and produce whatever our customers have in mind.”
