Sleeping Over: Kevin Bacon / Hotel Not Hotel in Amsterdam
Hotel restaurants, once the neglected child of the hospitality industry, have suddenly become the only places where we can still eat out. And completely safely, too! The only downside is an advantage: you have to stay the night. So in the coming weeks, we’ll be sleeping over in hotels. In search of the best restaurant hotel, but also to give the hospitality industry a helping hand. Today: Kevin Bacon and Hotel Not Hotel.
One surprise after another!
Next to a huge mosque, the beautiful entrance to this hotel that isn’t a hotel lies hidden. Behind the smiling receptionist, a small town emerges, with a maze of little houses filling the former passageway. We walk past Casa No Casa, inspired by a Spanish villa. ‘It has happened that guests thought they had booked a detached villa in the center of Amsterdam,’ the hotel manager tells us. ‘Hilarious, right?’
Next to it is a skyscraper complex based on Sin City. Directly opposite stands a wooden house with Transylvanian motifs, intended to keep crises outside. Upstairs in the library, rooms are hidden behind bookcases. Some have no view, while others have their own bathroom. Under the mezzanine is a tram with an inviting bed; in the library there is an antique Volkswagen bus that can also be slept in. I straighten the duvet. ‘Housekeeping hates this room,’ the manager laughs.
Not a strip of bacon in sight
In the lobby, the green sofas have little tables. This turns out to be the restaurant. The food is served from the adjacent Kevin Bacon Bar. The website explains the name: Kevin Bacon doesn’t have any pretentions; he just gets the job done. The cuisine is Thai because they were able to recruit an excellent Thai chef, the owner explains.
First, I head to my new home: a recently added hotel room with a high ceiling and a luxurious shower. When I close the door, this mysterious mini-village ceases to exist. I let myself fall onto the fluffy duvet and close my eyes. After a meditative moment, I decide to go into the city center. The city in a hotel that isn’t a hotel. The hidden village where coronavirus doesn’t exist, shielded from the world that has become even more surreal these past few months. ‘Would you like a nice beer, sir?‘ I relax. A neighbor waves and knocks on the window, wanting a beer too. ‘Sorry, we’re only open to hotel guests,’ the bartender says. He slinks away.
Overgrown beef salad
Thai to take home
Kevin Yes Bacon
Why would we come back?
The Thai classics are flavorful, rich and very reasonably priced. You can’t go wrong with a starter for 9 euros and a main course for 11 euros. For literally the same price, you can have an excellent cocktail or an extensive breakfast. But the most special thing is undoubtedly the creative hotel world created by various artists. Run by a passionate, service-oriented team. You can book a room here from 40 euros, if you want to escape for a while from the world that is currently upside down. Prefer to eat at home? You can also order through various delivery services.
Hotel not Hotel, Piri Reisplein 34, Amsterdam
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