Yotel: new high-tech hotel in 020
The first city hotel on mainland Europe from Yotel has recently opened in Amsterdam-Noord, a global hotel concept for ‘smart’ and ‘tech-savvy’ travellers, as the founders describe them.
The hotel is located in the up-and-coming district of Buiksloterham. Not so long ago, you wouldn’t want to be found dead there—or you were afraid of being found dead there. Either way, the area is now known for its trendy bars, experimental festivals and modern architecture. Yotel was founded by English entrepreneur Simon Woodroffe, who also founded the sushi chain YO! Sushi.
Tech features
He was inspired by the luxury beds and cabins you find in upper-deck first class on aeroplanes. Yotel’s hotel rooms are called ‘cabins’—small, cleverly designed rooms featuring, among other things, space-saving adjustable beds with pull-out mattresses and compact en-suite rain showers. The cabins are equipped with tech features such as adjustable mood lighting, super-fast WiFi and smart TVs with Chromecast technology, allowing you to stream content from your smartphone, tablet or laptop to your TV. You check in at the hotel using the self check-in mobile app.
Drone waiters
Recently, the Amsterdam hotel experimented with drone waiters that delivered cups of coffee to guests in the restaurant. It is a response to the staff shortage in Amsterdam’s hospitality industry, intended to support employees on the floor. At some Yotel locations abroad, such as those in Boston, New York and Singapore, butler robots are actually in operation. The so-called Yobot calls the lift and greets guests, and you can turn to it for snacks or clean towels (not yet available in Amsterdam).
Open-air cinema
The centrepiece of the Amsterdam hotel is the communal space, called komyunity, which opens onto the enormous waterside terrace and features an open-air cinema. It is a place, including a restaurant and bar, to work and relax for hotel guests as well as local residents and other outside visitors. Yoga classes and running sessions are also held there. Another nice touch: the hotel has a fitness room that is open 24/7, bicycle and e-bike rental, and a place for boats to moor at the terrace.
Expansion
Yotel Amsterdam is the chain’s second city hotel in Europe. Yotel Edinburgh opened in July 2019, while YotelAir previously opened at Schiphol, a variant in the Yotel hotel family aimed at locations around airports. As part of the hotel group’s global expansion plans, new hotels are scheduled to open in 2020 in cities including Porto, Glasgow and London.
Yotel, Asterweg 27-37, Amsterdam
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