BK Architects and Office WINHOV collaborate on W Amsterdam in former bank and telephone exchange
by Helen Andrews | 25 Aug 2015
Starwood Hotels & Resorts’ first Dutch property, W Amsterdam, is due to unveil a series of gastronomic experiences and some accommodation before the full hotel’s debut in December, designed by Office WINHOV and BK Architects.
The historic former KAS Bank building and neighbouring Exchange building – a former telephone exchange – are both part of the W Amsterdam. Parts of the KAS Bank building are already open to guests, including a restaurant called The Duchess, which opened in June.
From September 21, 126 bedrooms in the Exchange building will be opened to guests, while the remaining guest accommodation, fitness centre and Away Spa will be available from December.
The hotel will open a W Lounge with more than 5km of copper pipes on show, paying tribute to the telephone wires and electricity lines used when the building was home the the Royal Dutch Post Building. This lobby bar will also house a distinctive set of stairs that echo the steps of Dam Square on the streets below. Global glass manufacturer Saint Gobain will produce gold lines printed on the windows of this building.
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There will also be an ‘X Bank’ in the hotel – a concept space for local designers, fashion specialists and musicians to exhibit their work.
The Entourage Group, a hospitality management company, runs The Duchess restaurant and will also operate Mr Porter – a rooftop steakhouse dining experience.
The hotel will also offer 414sq m (4,456sq ft) of meeting and event space.
The Entourage Group, a hospitality management company, runs The Duchess restaurant Credit: Office WINHOV and BK Architects
Credit: Office WINHOV and BK Architects
Starwood Hotels & Resorts’ first Dutch property, W Amsterdam, is due to unveil a series of gastronomic experiences and some accommodation before the full hotel’s debut in December, designed by Office WINHOV and BK Architects. The historic former KAS Bank building and neighbouring Exchange building – a former telephone exchange – are both part of the W Amsterdam. Parts of the KAS Bank building are already open to guests, including
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Design firm 4a Architekten has shared details of the recently-completed extension to the wellness facilities at destination spa park Salinarium Bad Dürkheim Thermal Spa in Germany. The upgrades to the leisure pool facility, which has been in operation since 1984, included the addition of a thermal spa and sauna in a new building that integrated sensitively into the landscape. Commissioned by the facility’s operator, utility company Stadtwerke Bad Dürkheim, the
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by Helen Andrews | 04 Mar 2026
Andrew Barnard, CEO of BodyHoliday, has exclusively shared plans with Spa Business to be involved in the development of 10-15 BodyHoliday properties around the world over the next 15 years, with its upcoming Portuguese resort as its proof-of-concept “showroom”. In the latest edition of Spa Busines s, Barnard says he has his eye on locations in Europe, the Middle East, Costa Rica and Belize for future BodyHoliday developments. He and
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by Helen Andrews | 03 Mar 2026
A new floating wellbeing destination with a public park, residential and wellness facility is planned for a 12-hectare stretch of water within London’s Royal Docks, in the UK. The development is part of a wider regeneration of the Royal Docks to create a diverse waterfront, backed by £5 billion (US$6.35 billion, €5.85 billion) of investment over the next 20 years. The aim is to make the area a mixed-use development
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by Helen Andrews | 03 Mar 2026
Janu, a brand by the Aman Group, will open its second location in 2027, in Dubai, UAE – with a wellness and fitness space measuring 1,700sq m and a separate inaugural private members’ Janu Club. Developed by Dubai-based developer H&H, the 150-key hotel and 57 private residences will be located in a mixed-use development that measures 1.3 million sq ft in the heart of the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC).
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