Grand Hotel Amrâth

The Scheepvaarthuis, literally the 'Shipping House', is the building credited with launching the Amsterdam School of architecture in 1916, and its ornate brick façade, decorated with maritime motifs of waves, ships, and sea creatures, remains one of the most distinctive silhouettes in the city. The conversion to a hotel preserved the public interiors with unusual care, including the original stained-glass windows and a grand staircase whose ironwork alone would justify a visit. It was built, fittingly, as the headquarters for six Dutch shipping companies, a monument to Amsterdam's maritime ambition dressed as an office block, now doing rather more glamorous work. 165 rooms.