Buurthotel celebrates Neighbour Day in Amsterdam and Rotterdam
Hotel room concert at Die Port van Cleve in Amsterdam
Following the success of Open Hotel Week, hotels in Amsterdam and Rotterdam are transforming into meeting places for their neighbourhoods. On Saturday 26 September, participating hotels will invite residents of Amsterdam and Rotterdam via Buurthotel to a pizza workshop for children, a kickboxing class or a wild-foraging walk. The aim: to connect residents and hotels. This takes place as part of Burendag (Neighbour Day), the nationwide initiative by Douwe Egberts and the Oranje Fonds. With this, Buurthotel is also introducing ‘co-tourism’ in Rotterdam: a model in which tourist facilities create local value for both visitors and residents.
Hotels right in the heart of the neighbourhood, yet still unfamiliar territory
Hotels are literally located in the middle of Amsterdam and Rotterdam neighbourhoods and welcome guests from all over the world every day. Yet local residents and small business owners often still see them as closed-off places meant only for tourists. Buurthotel is changing that through ‘co-tourism’: a model in which tourist facilities create local value. We previously wrote about this initiative in our ‘Trends we spotted, week 26’ earlier this year.
Buurthotel opens its doors to the neighbourhood
During Burendag on Saturday 26 September, the nationwide initiative by Douwe Egberts and the Oranje Fonds, participating hotels will each engage with their neighbourhood in their own way. Residents get the chance (often for the first time) to look inside the hotel around the corner and take part in activities.
Residents in Amsterdam can join various workshops, including:
- A pizza workshop for children at DoubleTree by Hilton Amsterdam Centraal Station (Centrum).
- Challenge yourself with a kickboxing class at The Social Hub Amsterdam (West).
- A tour of the hotel and the neighbourhood at Inntel Hotels Amsterdam Landmark (Centrum).
- Join a chef for wild foraging at Hotel Arena (Oost).
- Listen to live music at The Hoxton Lloyd (Oost).
- Surprise a neighbour with a lovely flower and a warm message at Hotel Avani (Zuid).
- Help clean up your neighbourhood at Fashion Hotel (Zuid).
- Get creative together with the neighbourhood during a canvas painting afternoon at WestCord Art Hotel Amsterdam (West).
- Enjoy a hotel-room concert at Die Port van Cleve (Centrum).
Learning how to bake pizza as a kid – DoubleTree by Hilton Amsterdam Central Station
Residents in Rotterdam can join various workshops, including:
- Learn the tricks of the barista trade at The Usual Rotterdam (Centrum).
- Discover Italian cuisine during a cooking workshop at Ibis Styles Rotterdam Ahoy (Zuidpark).
- Have drinks with the neighbourhood at The Social Hub Rotterdam (Kralingen).
- Drop by for coffee at various hotels, including Thon Hotel Rotterdam (Centrum), Leonardo Hotel Rotterdam Savoy (Centrum) and Stayokay Rotterdam (Centrum).
Participants in the Italian cooking workshop at Ibis Styles Rotterdam Ahoy – credits Art le Bouf
Erik Schmit, D66 councillor in Amsterdam, is enthusiastic: “Hotels are part of the neighbourhood. It’s wonderful, then, that hotels are opening their doors to local residents, to meet one another and take part in activities together. That’s how a hotel also becomes valuable to the neighbourhood. The fact that so many hotels are taking part in Burendag is a great example of that. Together we make the city.”
Tim Versnel, alderman for Port, Economy and Smaller Municipalities: “Hotels are of great value to Rotterdam. They create jobs, entrepreneurship, and visitors from home and abroad. At the same time, they are located right in the middle of our neighbourhoods. When hotels and local residents find each other, wonderful things can come out of it. That fits a city where people love to live, work and visit, a city of the good life.”
“A hotel is still too often seen only as a place for tourists,” says Laura Viaene, founder of Buurthotel. “With Burendag, we want to open those doors, especially for the people around the corner. Burendag is the moment to get to know each other better.”
Enthusiasm from the neighbourhood
Due to high interest, some activities are already fully booked. Participating hotels are trying to make extra time slots available. You can sign up for the activities via buurthotel.nl/burendag. Places are limited, so be quick.
Website: Buurthotel
