Hoxton Hotel - Retro flair and modern hospitality

Since its opening in 2004, Hotel Lloyd was a well-known name in Amsterdam. Almost two decades later, however, the hotel needed some love, according to hotel director Jeroen Bronsveld. In August 2023, he was allowed to open the new The Hoxton, Lloyd Amsterdam. Hotelvak took a look at the completely renovated property.

Anyone entering The Hoxton, Lloyd Amsterdam immediately discovers a key feature of The Hoxton formula. There is no check-in desk at the entrance. Instead, visitors are given a choice: will they take a seat in Breman Brasserie or continue their way to the lobby, further down the corridor? "This seems like a small difference, but we believe as The Hoxton that this choice makes a hotel more approachable. We cordially invite local residents to visit our restaurant or cocktail bar Barbue."

Other features that immediately stand out are the authentic elements preserved in the 1912 property. These include stained glass, floor tiles and, of course, the distinctive grey-green wall tiles. "We want to embrace the history of the building and certainly not just because the property is a monument," Jeroen says with a laugh. "At one time, large groups of people left from this building to South America. This is visible, among other things, in perhaps the most beautiful room in the building, bar Barbue. This room still contains the counters from those days." The bar is further characterised by dark wood panelling and large, tall windows. By contrast, the upholstery of the furniture is very modern. Colour is not shunned and combined with geometric patterns, while the choice of materials exudes even more warmth.

It was precisely the decoration and choice of colours that gave the hotel its identity, Jeroen explains. "As with the creation of The Hoxton, Amsterdam on the Herengracht, we collaborated with Ennismore's AIME Studios and Nicemakers. They had to work within the constraints of a listed building, but they succeeded very well. For instance, the rugs on authentic tiles add a lot of warmth. They also played a lot with lighting and curtains. I think music is also an important factor." Jazz music underlines the touch of 'roaring twenties' visible in the hotel.

The look of the property is further enhanced, and sometimes challenged, by the art that is ubiquitous. Bisou Gallery has curated the hotel's art collection. "Art by Dutch, often local artists, hangs in all general areas. This underlines The Hoxton's vision of connecting with the environment. In the future, we will release another booklet, which will tell the story of each painting." Even more art can be seen The Hox Gallery, curated in collaboration with the local creative collective Loods6 Art Foundation. "On the outside of the building once stood' welcome Lloyd Hotel'. We replaced this with a mural that changes every six months. Currently, the artwork celebrating Toscanabanana's cocktail bar hangs here."

Local collaborations go a step further. For instance, The Hoxton, Lloyd Amsterdam likes to point guests to gems in the neighbourhood. "For example, we tell guests about the coffee shop above the Albert Heijn supermarket, Barmhartig Koffie, which people often don't know about, and other great places. We bring the neighbourhood in by selling unique souvenirs at the check-in desk. Ceramic cups made a few streets away, special t-shirts, scarves and much more. This way, we give our guests the idea that they are part of the neighbourhood where they are staying temporarily."

Back to the Breman Brasserie for a moment. For the development of this restaurant, The Hoxton did not go overnight. "We visited various concepts to get inspiration and discover what would suit this building," explains Jeroen. "In doing so, we discovered that a brasserie in Amsterdam is something very different from something in London or France. The brasserie here may be larger, but it is characterised by a homely feel and is an all-day destination. An intimate restaurant, you could call it. From this thought, we have set the atmosphere." Breman's menu is inspired by European and South American cuisine from the turn of the century. "You can go there for a casual burger, but also turn out with an elaborate seafood platter."

Those staying at the hotel can stay in one of the 136 hotel rooms. For this, warm colours such as coral red and ochre yellow have been used, combined with more cool and darker shades of blue and grey. A reference to shipping company Royal Dutch Lloyd. "The rooms on Herengracht are more cosy, while we had quite a lot of space here. This allowed us to introduce new rooms for four people, such as rooms with two king-size beds or with a double bed and a bunk bed with curtains." Besides these rooms, the familiar The Hoxton room types are also available, the Cosy, Roomy and Biggy. "Nevertheless, the rooms are unique per hotel. This is a very conscious choice. We like to surprise the guest in a hotel that suits the environment in which it is located." Some special rooms include the Tune Room, which even has a piano, and a room with a mega-sized bed for five people. The bathrooms have spacious walk-in showers. "Our own research showed that our guests prefer a very good shower to showering in a bath. Still, there are a few rooms that have both a full-size shower and a bath. That's a nice surprise for the guest then."

Meetings are also excellent in the new hotel. For this purpose, The Apartment has been set up on the ground floor. The concept consists of three hybrid meeting and event spaces. The Pantry, a communal open kitchen/living room, Dining Room and Drawing Room. They can be rented separately or combined. "In The Pantry, users serve themselves. There is also regular contact between the different users, mostly people in the creative sector who really appreciate it."