‘A 17th-century masterpiece of hydraulic engineering, urban planning and a rational system of construction and civil architecture’ is how UNESCO praised Amsterdam's canal system when it included it on its World Heritage List.
In 2013, Amsterdam will celebrate the fact that it was exactly 400 years ago that the construction of the city's canal system started. For GaultMillau this constituted the occasion to compare various hotels lining the canal and to spotlight the most exceptional one which also happens to be celebrating its anniversary: Hotel Seven One Seven.
Canal cruises annually tour three million tourists through the canals and past the buildings that line them, Amsterdam's biggest attractions. Unfortunately however, the interiors of the canal-side homes remain a mystery to many. This is not the case though for those visitors who choose to stay at one of the hotels that line the canals.
At Hotel Seven One Seven, Prinsengracht 717 the doors aren't always open. At this stately, double town house which dates back to 1813, the door is only opened after going up the steps and pressing the copper doorbell. This guarantees personal contact as soon as the guest comes in. Guests aren't checked in at a reception desk, but by the crackling hearth in the salon. This is all part of General Manager Brita Röhl's intimate and personal approach. This distinguishes the hotel as an exclusive private guesthouse.
Röhl is also the brains behind Canal District 2013, a cooperation between hotels, restaurants and museums along the canals aimed at adding extra sparkle to the celebration of the canal system's 400th anniversary.
With its marble entrance hall, period rooms full of modern and African art objects, a wall of art and interior design books, richly ornamented ceilings and rustic wooden floors Seven One Seven exudes the atmosphere of a typical, historical canal-side house.
No hip design experiments here, but a timeless, stylish environment where young and old can feel at home. This year, the hotel – which was the first boutique hotel in the Netherlands – will be celebrating its 15th anniversary. The nine spacious suites vary in colour scheme and size. The two largest measure well over 70 m² and have five windows across the width of the building that provide a panoramic view of the Prinsengracht. The ‘Room at the Top’ is often booked as a bridal suite for wedding ceremonies that can be held in the ground floor salon.
The finishing touch is added when guests leave. The doorman waves goodbye to them, with the door open until they disappear from sight. Seven One Seven, a hidden gem in the canal system's crown, more than UNESCO worthy. GM