W Amsterdam
A dual-building design powerhouse where Dutch heritage meets high-voltage glamour
Type: architectural hotel, design hotel, heritage hotel, lifestyle & creative hotel
Vibe: lively
DNA: foodies, rooftop bar
Two historic buildings, one bold identity
Just steps from Dam Square, W Amsterdam spans two extraordinary structures: the former Royal Dutch Post telephone exchange, and the century-old KAS Bank. Both are national landmarks, radically reimagined by baranowitz kronenberg and Office Winhov into a cultural hub where architecture, history and contemporary energy collide. The Exchange building brings the pulse; the Bank building brings the poise. Together, they form a striking “city within the city.”
The Exchange – industrial heritage recharged
Built in 1924, the old telephone exchange now hosts 172 rooms and suites, all reached via a rooftop check-in with 360-degree views across Amsterdam’s canals and rooftops. The designers mined archival photographs from the building’s telegraph era, discovering endless tangles of wires and conduits that once animated this place. Their answer: five kilometres of brass tubing woven through ceilings, walls and fixtures, turning the building’s original nervous system into its new design language. This is also where the social heartbeat lives: the W Lounge with its heated rooftop pool (a city first), panoramic terrace, DJs, fireplaces and late-night atmosphere that blurs the line between hotel and high-energy club.
The Bank – grand, golden, and quietly decadent
Across Spuistraat stands the 1908 KAS Bank, one of the Netherlands’ earliest concrete buildings. Vaults in the basement, a ceremonial hall on the first floor, sandstone façades and soaring ceilings have all been respectfully revived. Here, 66 rooms—including extravagant WOW and Extreme WOW suites—lean into richer tones, vault-inspired gold accents and luxe textures. Even the minibars echo the building’s past, shaped like miniature bank safes. Tucked into the old hall is The Duchess, a Viennese-inspired dining room where lowered chandeliers, marble, gilded detailing and LCD-framed contemporary art create a surreal blend of past and present—grand, theatrical, and a touch “Alice in Wonderland.”
Restaurants, rooftops and renegade flavours
Food and drink is central to the W ethos.
• Mr Porter, in the Exchange, is a modern steakhouse and lounge defined by circular dining pods, a DJ booth, stunning city views and a famed dry-aged meat display.
• The Duchess in the Bank channels the flavours of Southern France and Italy in one of Amsterdam’s most glamorous rooms.
• The Butcher Nine Streets, a high-end casual burger bar, sits in the Bank building.
• W Lounge, on the rooftop, blends bold cocktails, international DJs and the city’s most photogenic pool.
• Mad Fox, a table-service club, adds a late-night layer to the Bank’s underground spaces.
Rooms that tell Amsterdam’s story
No two rooms are alike. Each of the 172 rooms in the Exchange and 66 in the Bank were individually designed with references to Dutch culture and Amsterdam’s architectural quirks.
• In the Exchange, shiny metals, bold reds, futuristic lines and open bathrooms nod to the building’s industrial past.
• In the Bank, Dutch textile designer Aleksandra Gaca created black-and-gold bedspreads inspired by vaults, while pillows and throws reinterpret canal-house windowsills and Dutch craftsmanship.
All rooms feature Bliss spa products, open-concept bathrooms, and the signature W Bed wrapped in 400-thread-count cotton.
Spa, style and the city’s creative pulse
Descend into the Away Spa, nestled in the old bank vaults—a moody, cinematic space where steel doors, soft lighting and subterranean stillness become part of the experience. The spa and FIT gym both sit within the Bank building, offering massages, treatments, detox programmes and a private urban escape for guests.
Next door, X Bank is a 700m2 (7,500 sq ft) incubator for Dutch art, design and fashion, showcasing over 180 local creators. Exhibitions, talks and installations make W Amsterdam as much a cultural venue as a hotel.
DNA Hotels verdict
W Amsterdam is a masterclass in “playful luxury”—a place where heritage meets hedonism, brass conduits become sculpture, vaults become spas, and rooftops become city squares. Vibrant, clever and unapologetically urban, it’s a hotel that mirrors Amsterdam’s own spirit: liberal, layered, and always in motion. For travellers who want history with pulse and luxury with attitude, this is the city’s most compelling dual-building escape.
Amenities
• bicycle rental • massages • pets allowed (charged) • room service • room with a view • sauna • spa & wellness • swimming pool (lap) • wheelchair accessible
