Hotel Droog Amsterdam: Expect The Unexpected

It’s not often you stay in a hotel with only one room; but then again, what defines a hotel anyway? Is it an establishment offering daily room service and cleaning? Is it a place to stay overnight when you want a little luxury in your life? Hotel Droog (pronounced ‘drock’ with that phlegmy throat twang only the Dutch do well) is all of the above and more. Part hotel-part-design-studio-part-retailer-part-event-room-part-gallery-part-café….phewf, this collective space takes the traditional and somewhat stuffy ideals of large commercial hotels and turns them on their head.

Located in the heart of Amsterdam’s hip inner-city old textile district, Hotel Droog is made up of several renovated 17^th century brick houses and holds more out-of-the-box conceptual designs than most Dutch galleries put together. Entering the Droog Shop on the ground floor is like stepping into your own version of Alice in Wonderland, complete with quirky and futuristic products and home-wares.

As you travel deeper into the wonderland, any doubt you had about Hotel Droog being one of the most unique design spaces in Europe will vanish down the proverbial rabbit hole. As the stairways twist and turn you’ll find yourself inside the vibrant ‘Roomservice Café’, dotted with designer oddities like the Eiffel-tower fish tank, the armchair made entirely of newspapers and the wonderfully mismatched rugs. Even the ‘fairytale garden’, with its mix of real and faux plants and wildlife, is something else entirely. And the staff wouldn’t have it any other way.

You see, the Droog brand has many facets, and the Droog building provides a place for these facets to combine with unexpected simplicity. Founder of Droog, Curator and Gallery Director, Renny Ramakers, says  “Hôtel Droog brings all of our activities under one roof—from curation to product design, exhibitions and lectures—and invites people to plug in as they choose.” 

As a design studio and retailer, Droog aims to re-think industrial concepts. The Droog mentality unpacks many aspects of the human condition and aims to develop new tools and business models for the future of society.

As a café, gallery and events space, Droog aims to essentially bring people together in different ways. It aims to educate and engage with the public through high-profile, innovative collaborations with brands such as New Original project, the Rijksmuseum, the Museum of Sex in New York, the CACAU Cultural Centre in São Tomé, and all of the products they produce and sell in store.

AAnd finally as a hotel, Droog offers likeminded guests an ultra-unique penthouse apartment to chill out in.

You go to Droog to eat, to drink, to stay, shop or think the Droog way, but in my case I was experiencing it all for three whole days, staying in their ‘One and Only Room’. And what a room is was…

Hotel Droog Amsterdam ‘One and Only Bedroom’: The Lowdown

Vibe	Expect the Unexpected
Think	Alice in Wonderland meets Back to the Future
Sound	Soundtrack to “Stranger Things”
Crowd	Artists and curators; creative industry folk.
Highlights	The 1-bedroom apartment is larger than the average European apartment Colourful and bespoke Droog pieces are all over the apartment – showcasing the unique Droog style Great location – close to Rembrandtplein and the Waterlooplein flea market and right next to where the Groenburgwal canal meets the Amstel. The Cobblestone street the building is located on is lined with cheese shops, bistros and local grocers – but doesn’t get too crowded. Sun-drenched airy space with a long wall of windows looking out at a true Amsterdam vista  Your own super-large kitchen with provisions
Lowlights	So. Many. Stairs. They are steep and the apartment is on the top floor. Pack light! You need to keep the doors locked as peeps visiting Droog during the day tend to get curious…
Amenities	Free Wifi Breakfast is provided, and if you ask nicely, they will even bring it up to you! Self-catering apartment – there’s a grocer 2 minutes down the road
Price	Approx. 350 euro / night

Hotel Droog Amsterdam – Location

Address: Staalstraat 7B, 1011 JJ Amsterdam, Netherlands

AMW XX

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Stefanie stayed in the ‘One and Only Bedroom’ during July 2016, courtesy of Droog. As always, she’s keeping it real and all her opinions are her own.