THE SLAAK HOTEL ROTTERDAM: BOUTIQUE DESIGN CHIC
Taking us back to the fifties The Slaak Rotterdam may look unremarkable from the outside but inside tells a different story. This new design boutique (74 rooms) hotel, which opened its doors in October 2019, is located in a former newspaper pressroom and has taken its design stylings from the heyday era of the socialist newspaper Het Vrije Volk.
Plush sofas in blush pink, creams and pastel blues mix with marble and gold. Large clustered glass balls make for sleek chandeliers while asymmetric rugs soften the floor on the ground floor reception which is also home to the hotels’ Didot 34 restaurant (named after the font of the newspaper).
Dining at Didot 34 (pictured above) is made relaxed and easy-going thanks to the staff. The menu is varied but small with small international dishes that you can order throughout the day that include mackerel which is delicately cooked, classic steak tartar and a beautifully balanced Thai-style soup. Breakfast is served buffet-style with eggs available on order and a healthy mix of options.
In the bar look out for the lovely Platner Arm Chairs and Arne Jacobson Egg Chairs which are dotted around the sofas and glass tables making it the ideal space for a pre-dinner cocktail.
Our room on the 4th floor combines a Parque-tiled wall, subtly gold-flecked concrete-esque partitions and an exposed ceiling. A day bed and a tan leather easy chair are the perfect lounging partners, especially after a day of exploring in the city. Gold accessories run throughout from the curved floor lamp, table lamps, chair legs and taps to coordinate just the right amount.
The perfect modernist palette pops colour with deep mustard on the bathroom walls, olive green chairs, tans, greys and browns.
The building, Het Slaakhuys, is an icon within Rotterdam architecture and was officially registered as a reconstruction building in 2010 after its former life as a squat (post pressroom) and is well known to Rotterdammers as a place to deal with official government business and registrations. Many of its original features have been kept and restored which gives it an authenticity that attracts locals as well as tourists.
The Slaak Rotterdam is located in the east of Rotterdam, a 15-minute walk from the now-famous MVRDV designed Markthal and with the Oosterplien metro station right on its doorstep, it’s a great place to explore the city from.
Address – Slaak 34
