A stunning conversion of Amsterdam's 1884 Conservatorium of Music into a contemporary luxury hotel by Milanese architect Piero Lissoni. The dramatic glass-roofed atrium is the centrepiece of the building. Located steps from Museumplein, the Rijksmuseum, and the Van Gogh Museum.
The Conservatorium Hotel stands at the edge of the Museumkwartier on Van Baerlestraat 27, directly adjacent to the Concertgebouw concert hall and a three-minute walk from both the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum. The hotel is a short walk from the upscale PC Hooftstraat shopping street and the Vondelpark, Amsterdam's principal urban park. Tram lines 2, 5, and 12 stop directly outside, connecting the property to Amsterdam Centraal in approximately fifteen minutes.
The building was constructed in 1884 as the Sweelinck Conservatorium of Music, and its brick and stone neo-gothic exterior — with distinctive arched windows and a corner tower — remains one of the most recognisable institutional buildings in Amsterdam's Oud-Zuid district. When the hotel opened in 2011, Milanese architect and designer Piero Lissoni inserted a vast glass-and-steel structure within the original shell, creating a dramatic atrium that brings natural light flooding into the building's core. The glass roof is the architectural centrepiece, and its interior was conceived to feel like a covered courtyard in a historic Milanese palazzo.
The hotel offers 129 rooms and suites across categories ranging from Comfort and Superior Rooms to the Conservatorium Suite. Room design throughout reflects Lissoni's restrained Italian modernism: pale oak floors, custom-crafted Italian furniture, Carrara marble bathrooms, and a palette of grey, cream, and warm white. Suites on upper floors facing the Museumkwartier have private terraces with views over the rooftops toward the Rijksmuseum dome. All rooms include Nespresso machines, Bose sound systems, and large-format rainfall showers.
Dining centres on the Brasserie housed directly beneath the glass atrium, serving modern European cuisine throughout the day in an architecturally striking setting. The Tunes Bar is a destination in its own right for cocktails and light bites, popular with both guests and the local Oud-Zuid professional crowd. Breakfast in the Brasserie is regarded as one of the best hotel breakfasts in the city, with extensive hot and cold Dutch and international options.
The Akasha Holistic Wellbeing Centre is one of Amsterdam's most comprehensive hotel spas, spanning 1,500 square metres. Facilities include an indoor pool, a large whirlpool, Finnish sauna, steam rooms, ice fountain, Kneipp circuit, and an outdoor terrace. The treatment menu covers signature Akasha rituals, facials using La Mer and Natura Bissé products, and sports massage. The fitness centre is equipped with Technogym machines and has 24-hour access for guests.
The hotel attracts a predominantly international leisure clientele visiting the Museumplein museums, and a professional corporate segment attending events at the Concertgebouw or the nearby World Trade Center Amsterdam. The concierge team is experienced in museum ticket sourcing, Concertgebouw programme bookings, and gallery reservations across the city.
Amenities
- Spa
- Restaurant
- Bar
- Indoor pool
- Fitness center
- Concierge
Location
Van Baerlestraat 27, 1071 AN Amsterdam
52.3582, 4.8782 View on map
Highlights
- Conservatorium building conversion
- Glass atrium brasserie
- Museumplein location
- Akasha spa
Tips for visiting
- The Brasserie atrium table positions beneath the glass roof are the most visually dramatic — worth requesting when making a dining reservation, particularly for lunch when natural light is at its best.
- Museum ticket queues at the Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh Museum can be long; the hotel concierge has access to skip-the-queue time-slot bookings that are not always available on public booking sites.
- Rooms on the Van Baerlestraat side pick up tram noise in the morning — request a courtyard or rear-facing room if light sleepers are in the party.
- The Akasha spa's outdoor terrace is only signposted inside the wellness area and is easy to miss — worth asking staff specifically to access it on warm days.