And then suddenly it’s August again. Vacation time. In the statistics of Petite Passport I can see clearly that you’re in a holiday kind of mood. Oh boy, you were all looking at the most sunny destinations on my website. Ibiza, Mykonos, Comporta, the coast of Spain. They almost beat the big cities like Paris and London. Last month I shared my favorite addresses in Ibiza (like Beachouse, Cotton Beach Club, Experimental Beach Club and Tanis) and for the rest of the month I stayed in Read more…
3 reasons to go there:
The Vesper Hotel in Noordwijk opened its doors two weeks ago. It’s situated right on the beach and that’s why they call themselves the first boutique hotel on the Dutch shore. Michiel and Martijn van der Berg, two brothers who also own beach clubs Bries and Zuiderbad, opened this hotel and asked architect Bart Akkerhuis to help them with the design and interior. Akkerhuis works at Renzo Piano, the famous architect who is in the news right now with the forthcoming opening of the Pathe Fondation in Paris (see pictures of this stunning design here). Just like Read more…
Utrecht always has a warm place in my heart, because I have studied and lived there for a time. And now there’s a hotel that feels like that warm nest again and that’s Mother Goose on the Ganzenmarkt (Goose Market, hence the name). A central location and almost next door to that other cool spot called Stan & Co. The entrance is a bit hidden and the lobby is small, cozy and friendly. There are many paintings and mirrors on the walls and you see a few postcards with goose on it to send back home. The elevator has a beautiful view over Utrecht. Each floor has Read more…
This is the place where once de Volkskrant (a famous Dutch newspaper) was made and after they moved, it was occupied by artists and other creatives. They organized some parties there and if you drove past it with your car you did see the huge building, but it looked rather lifeless. Fast forward to July 2014 when it’s a total different scene at the newly opened Volkshotel. People are sitting behind their computers or chatting with each other in the cafe, there’s a line of hipsters in front of the check-in counter and because the hotel just opened there are still some builders working on the finishing touches. It isn’t just a hotel, there’s also a Read more…
3 reasons to go there:
3 reasons to go there:
Ace & Tate is a Dutch eyewear brand that only exists for a year, but is already selling their frames in London, Berlin and The Netherlands. Their success is that they design fashionable, high quality, frames with a more than okay price tag (you already have a frame for 98 euro including prescription). They sell the frames mainly online, although you can also buy them at Hutspot in Amsterdam. This Summer they have opened a beautiful retail space in Hotel Droog, designed by Studio Droog. It’s a bright space with a minimalistic installation where they present the glasses on. When you Read more…
Casper Reinders isn’t someone who stands still. Late last year he opened Chow on the Rozengracht and shortly afterwards his gallery Libertine. His restaurants Bocinq and Lion Noir are still a hit in the Amsterdam restaurant scene. And now there’s Nacional: a huge project on the Kleine-Gartmanplantsoen, better known as an extension of the Leidseplein, opposite the Apple Store and the Balie. A central location with a 24/7 atmosphere. That’s why Nacional is also open from breakfast to late dinner. Perfect if Read more…
3 reasons to go there:
