Pillows Anna Van Den Vondel in Amsterdam has been on my hotel wish list for a while, but I wasn’t prepared for just how amazing it would be. There are some hotels that exceed your expectations of what luxury can be and this is definitely one of them.
Pillows is a smart boutique group with upscale hotels – from contemporary city boltholes to charming chateaux – across The Netherlands and Belgium. As the name suggests, this hotel is all about comfort and relaxation – a perfect retreat for a chilled out city break or romantic weekend.
Location
Pillows Anna Van Den Vondel has a prime location in Amsterdam’s fashionable Oud-West, close to the leafy Vondelpark, Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum. It’s housed across three grand 19th century mansions with a discreet entrance on a quiet, tree-lined side row just off Overtoom – a hip street filled with cafes, bakeries and shops. It’s also well-connected to the tram, so you can easily get to the Canal District, Centraal Station and the restaurants of buzzing De Pijp.
Check-In
On arrival at Pillows, we immediately felt the tensions of travelling melt away, as we were warmly greeted and led into the chic guest lounge with a glowing fireplace and cosy velvet armchairs.
We enjoyed complimentary tea and amaretti biscuits, meticulously serviced on a silver tray, while the lovely receptionist checked us in on an iPad and marked points of interest on a city map. As if the arrival experience wasn’t sweet enough, we were even treated to an upgrade to a Luxury Room.
The Room
Our room on the 3rd floor was spacious and very quiet, with pretty stained-glass windows and homely wooden shutters. It had a light, calming feel and was tastefully designed in a cool palette of soft grey and pale teal with plush, tactile fabrics, natural wood furniture and designer brass lamps.
Everything felt very new and high-tech with a flatscreen Smart TV, smart control panel for lighting and heating and a vintage-style Tivoli radio with bluetooth.
Other room facilities included an iPad, Nespresso machine with four capsules and tea service, complimentary bottled mineral water, gourmet minibar and a cool Pillows Journal and pencil next to the bed. We were also delighted to discover a little bag of home-made chocolate as a welcome gift.
The bathroom was particularly big and luxurious with a powerful walk-in shower, fluffy towels, bathrobes and slippers and a full set of high end bathroom products created for Pillows Hotels.
That evening, we enjoyed a fabulous dinner at Bar Fisk in De Pijp and rushed back in the pouring rain to relax in the comfort of our room. A restful night’s sleep was had, thanks to the heavenly, luxurious queen-size bed covered with sumptuous linen.
Breakfast
In the morning, we headed down to The Living where we were seated for a leisurely breakfast with a lovely view of the leafy private garden.
We ordered scrambled eggs with crispy bacon and sausages and our host swiftly brought a tiered selection of yummy pastries, jams and butter, alongside yoghurt and spiced granola and proper freshly-squeezed orange juice. While the chef prepared our hot breakfast in the open kitchen, we carved our own Dutch Gouda straight from the wheel and grazed on smoked salmon, local hams and cheeses and artisan bread.
I loved this social approach to breakfast, as it felt so homely and everything was of such high quality. There may be new procedures in place since we visited just before lockdown, however I’m sure it will still be an informal, indulgent experience.
Far from a typical hotel restaurant, The Living has a more intimate, casual feel and offers a tempting all-day dining menu of comforting dishes like Croque Madame, traditional bitterballen or Dutch apple pie.
Our stay at Pillows was so blissful and memorable that we immediately started hatching plans to explore the group’s other hotels. If you’re looking for a chic, peaceful base to enjoy the best of Amsterdam and be extremely well looked after, then this is the place for you.
All photos by Chérie City
