Rosewood Amsterdam – justice reimagined on the Prinsengracht

Rosewood Amsterdam occupies one of the most loaded addresses on the Prinsengracht. First built as an orphanage in 1665, the building was reimagined in the 1820s by architect Jan de Greef into the Neoclassical courthouse known for generations as the Palace of Justice. When the courts finally moved out, the building stood empty for twelve years before Rosewood took it on for its Dutch debut, spending a decade restoring it with interior designer Piet Boon, who threads more than a thousand original artworks through the public rooms and 134 guest rooms. The MICHELIN Guide awards the hotel Two Keys, placing it among the city's most distinguished stays, while its restaurant Eeuwen carries its own MICHELIN Plate. It is also, by city decree, the last hotel ever permitted inside a monumental Amsterdam building — which makes a visit feel less like checking in than witnessing the end of an era.

01The house

The Palace of Justice's story begins earlier than its grand façade suggests: first built as an orphanage in 1665, the building was reimagined in the 1820s by architect Jan de Greef into the Neoclassical structure now known as the Palace of Justice, which went on to serve as Amsterdam's main courthouse for over 175 years. When the Palace of Justice abandoned its headquarters on Prinsengracht twelve years before the hotel's arrival, it left a long, lifeless gap in one of Amsterdam's most atmospheric streets. Dutch firm Kentie Architecten led the restoration, taking into account the history of the building, the architectural changes over the years and its function within the centre of Amsterdam, going so far as to remove later outbuildings that had filled the courtyards and return to the essence of the building around 1825, when it was converted into the Palace of Justice.

The restoration that followed was deliberately unglamorous in places: it is an exercise in delicate preservation, and to this day the hotel hasn't power-washed the building's stone façade, safeguarding centuries-old tiling, terrazzo walls, hidden passageways and even graffiti etched into its former cell block walls. Studio Piet Boon, tasked with the interiors, worked new bespoke designs into rooms with coffered ceilings, pillars, mouldings, niches and elegantly tiled walls, drawing on the Dutch masters and the neighbourhood's old museums for a palette of deep wood tones and metallics, with ruby reds and sapphire blues in more intimate corners. Over a thousand pieces of art, old and new, are scattered through the result.

02Rooms and suites

The hotel counts generously sized, handsome rooms — a notable departure from Amsterdam's usual parsimonious spaces, among 134 keys in total. The suites spread out further, and the Houses are properly residential in scale, coming with butler service — five of them in all, each reportedly drawing on a different facet of the city's architectural and artistic heritage, from canal-facing windows to private dining rooms. Many rooms look over the hotel's internal courtyards, the Prinsengracht itself, or the rooftops of the surrounding canal houses.

Insider tip

Last hotel ever permitted inside a monumental Amsterdam building; book Eeuwen or Advocatuur ahead.

It is, by the MICHELIN Guide's own account, the common spaces that leave the deepest impression: the lobby is rich with visual interest and goes out of its way to be welcoming rather than imposing, as do the Grand Library and the hotel's dining venues, from flagship restaurant Eeuwen to the courtyard lounge and the Indian-accented Advocatuur. The Grand Library, once a working courtroom, now hosts readings and private gatherings beneath architectural flourishes the courts left behind.

03Where to eat

Eeuwen, the hotel's flagship, is led by Chef de Cuisine David Ordóñez, whose experience spans renowned establishments such as Oud Sluis, Restaurant Fäviken, and Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, and who was mentored by chef Sergio Herman. The kitchen sources from purveyors across the Netherlands, Spain, Belgium and France, with dishes built around Oesterij oysters from the Dutch village of Yerseke and seafood from Zeeland and the North Sea. The MICHELIN Guide notes that Dutch artworks accentuate the serene mood, and the courtyard terrace is remarkable, awarding the restaurant its own MICHELIN Plate distinction.

By spring 2026 Eeuwen had shifted towards Mediterranean-inspired flavours and new cocktail experiences, inviting guests to enjoy long lunches, spontaneous aperitivo moments, lively dinners and relaxed terrace gatherings. Reading its hours in October 2026, breakfast runs from 7am to 11am daily, lunch from 12.30pm to 3pm and dinner from 6pm to 11.30pm. For something lighter, The Court is the lobby's all-day room, pouring coffee, afternoon tea and, as one visitor noted, golden poffertjes alongside the city's passers-by.

04The bar

Advocatuur is named, pointedly, after the Dutch word for legal practice: a bar that reimagines mixology through the lens of history and bold innovation, paying tribute to the location's storied past as part of the Palace of Justice. At its heart sits an in-house distillery producing the signature jenever, house-distilled Prøvo jenever, which guests can taste alongside aged and young expressions, finished in the traditional kopstoot pairing of spirit and beer — read on the hotel's own dining pages in October 2026. The room also serves Indian-inspired bites from a tandoor oven, in keeping with the Michelin Guide's description of the space as Indian-accented.

Advocatuur's current hours, as published in October 2026, run from 5pm to midnight Wednesday to Sunday, and to 1am on Friday and Saturday, with the bar reserved for guests over eighteen.

05Spa and wellbeing

Asaya Spa spans 560 square metres, with pool, sauna, steam room and five treatment rooms, partnering with skincare houses including Dr Barbara Sturm and Subtle Energies. Spa interiors, like the rest of the hotel, were designed by Studio Piet Boon around the elements of wood, water, wind and fire, retaining original arches from the building's 1665 structure in consultation with the restoration architects. A 24-hour fitness centre and a boutique Pilates studio round out the offer.

Outside, Piet Oudolf — the landscape architect behind New York's High Line — designed De Tuin, bringing a vision of biodiversity and native flora to life, seamlessly merging nature with the vibrancy of urban Amsterdam. Guided walks through the garden are offered as one of the hotel's signature experiences.

06The neighbourhood

The address could hardly be more central: the Prinsengracht location is both prominent and central, deep inside the Canal Belt's UNESCO-listed ring. From here it's an easy walk to the Museum Quarter, the boutiques of P.C. Hooftstraat, and the De Pijp neighbourhood, while the nearest tram stop, Prinsengracht, is a short walk of around 110 metres from the hotel. The Jordaan's bars and the Nine Streets' independent shops sit within a few minutes on foot in the other direction.

07Making the most of a stay

Beyond the rooms and restaurants, Rosewood Amsterdam leans hard into its role as a cultural address: guests can book monthly exhibitions at The Gallery, a curated art walk and a private salon boat, the latter a restored historic vessel styled by Studio Piet Boon for private canal journeys. The hotel's events spaces include a ballroom of 2,400 square feet (223 square metres), alongside the Grand Library for smaller gatherings.

For a first stay, book a table on Eeuwen's hidden courtyard terrace before exploring Advocatuur's distillery, then set aside an hour in Asaya's pool beneath the building's original 1665 arches — a sequence that moves, in a single evening, through four centuries of the same address.

For a weekend. For a lifetime.