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A Historic Landmark: Park Plaza Victoria Amsterdam

Iconic status isn't given; it's earned

Since opening its doors on August 19, 1890, the Park Plaza Victoria Amsterdam Hotel has lived up to that definition. Our story is written not just in the building, but in history itself.

Immortalised by historians, novelists, filmmakers, and fashion icons, the hotel has long been woven into cultural memory. With a guest list boasting legends from Louis Armstrong to Mata Hari, our halls have witnessed history in the making.

Their presence and stories helped secure our recognition as a National Heritage Site. The rest, as they say, is history.

History

When Amsterdam Centraal was set to open in 1889, German architect J.F. Henkenhaf dreamed of a hotel that would match its grandeur and welcome the steady flow of travellers arriving in the city. It was not an easy task. Pierre Cuypers’ station was already destined to be a masterpiece, yet Henkenhaf’s grand façade and ornate stone carvings soon gave his hotel landmark status of its own.


To make room, almost every building along Damrak and Prins Hendrikkade was cleared. Except for two stubborn little houses that refused to move. Until now, they remain, side by side with the hotel, quietly telling their own story.

45 – 47 Prins Hendrikkade

As you can still see in the hotel’s façade today, two original houses from 1602 remain proudly standing. This unusual feature is because of two determined residents who refused every offer to sell, always holding out for a higher price.

One of these residents was a tailor (the other ran a liquor store) by the name of Carstens, a man whose name inspired our authentic Dutch dining destination, Carstens Brasserie. With a strict deadline in front of him and an eye for innovation, Henkenhaf decided to press on and build around the unremitting duo.

With all the right ingredients for a captivating story, the tale of the immovable residents at 45 – 47 Prins Hendrikkade found a home in the 1999 novel ‘Publieke Werken’ by Thomas Rosenboom. Ingeniously written and tightly composed, the novel earned the author the esteemed Libris Prize the following year. The author wielded a little poetic licence and transformed the liquor seller into a violin maker, but the story stayed true to history.

After the runaway success of the novel, a motion picture duly followed in 2015, directed by Joram Lürsen.. Equally successful and now available on Netflix under the English title ‘A Noble Intention’, the film was selected as the Dutch submission for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 89th Academy Awards and won the Pearl Award at the Film by the Sea festival in the Netherlands.

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Fashion Legacy

Victoria Hotel has long been a stage for international fashion. After World War II, crowds flocked here each spring and autumn to see the latest collections from Italy, England, and Paris.
Legends of haute couture, Jacques Fath, Christian Dior, Pierre Balmain. Many others including Elsa Schiaparelli, Nina Ricci, and Pierre Cardin, showcased their designs within our walls. Even Rita Hayworth, a devoted client of Fath, graced the hotel alongside him.

Hosted in what was then Stuyvesant Restaurant, guests dined on dishes like Suprême de Sole and Poularde au Cherry, a delicious tribute to the French collections on display.

Embracing the past. Excited by the future

Rooted in history but looking ahead, Victoria Hotel continues to celebrate fashion today. In partnership with Amsterdam Fashion Week, we host shows, talks, and events highlighting both top designers and emerging talent. The exceptionally gifted Lizzy van der Light, for example, launched her Le Cafe Studio Noir label here.

In 2019, we proudly welcomed Lichting, one of the Netherlands’ most respected fashion events. Bringing together the best recent academy graduates, the show puts them in front of 700 industry insiders ready to discover the next big talent.

We like to think the masters of post-war couture would be proud.

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Explore Victoria's History

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Guest through out the decades have become a key part of Victoria's history. Moments that are now more than just photos, they are #parkplazamoments.

Feel the authentic

Finding new ways to wow our guests.

Since Centraal Station opened, we have been finding new ways to impress our guests. We were the first Amsterdam hotel to offer hydraulic elevators, electric lighting, and double-glazing, but today Victoria Hotel is very much a contemporary institution.

Vintage touches

The same welcoming nature and skill for anticipating guests’ needs remain at the core of everything we do. Innovation remains one of our highest priorities, but we are careful to respect the rich history of tradition that is intrinsic to our identity. You’ll see this approach brought to life via the vintage touches which are sprinkled throughout our modern space.

Our concierges

Our concierges are legends in their own lifetimes, many of them members of the elite association called Les Clefs d’Or, meaning ‘the keys of gold’. Anything you need to know about the history of the hotel or modern-day Amsterdam, just ask and put that guidebook back in the bag.

A landmark

The Victoria Hotel couldn’t be anywhere else. It’s part of Amsterdam itself; a much-loved landmark whose story of innovation, glamour, and service is woven into the city’s history. It’s been writing the chapters of its guests’ lives for 135 years by being one step ahead of their needs. Today, that forward-thinking tradition is shaping our future, as the area around the hotel prepares for a new era.

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Amsterdammers think of our hotel as much a part of their city as the canals, barges, and bicycles.

We intend to keep it that way.