The W Amsterdam, which opened last October, is set to debut a new Away Spa in August, set inside an old bank vault.
The 300sq m (3,229sq ft) spa is the second spa to debut the refreshed Away concept, Amanda Roman Al-Masri, global director of spa development and operations for W's parent company, Starwood told
Spa Opportunities.
"It's a spectacular spa," said Al-Masri.
The spa was conceived by 4SeasonsSpa and designed by architects Baranowitz + Kronenberg, and includes a cold pool, whirlpool, sauna, steamroom and wet area, including a 25m (82 ft) outdoor whirlpool with views of the Royal Palace and historic city.
The spa is set inside several historic bank vaults, which have been converted into treatment rooms, swimming pools, saunas, a whirlpool area and an auditorium. The largest safe has two floors and houses the swimming pool and auditorium.
Housed between two iconic properties – the ‘Exchange,’ the former telephone exchange building, and the ‘Bank, originally the KAS Bank, the 238-bedroom W Amsterdam was designed by Office WINHOV, who were responsible for the structural design of the buildings, along with BK Architects, who created the interiors, including the spa.
The Bank building, opened in late 2015, also houses 66 bedrooms and X Bank, an “immersive, creative incubator concept space that connects local design, fashion and music talents.”
BK Architects worked with local designers to bring the flavour of Amsterdam to life in the bedrooms, with details such as hand-woven bedspreads designed by Bertjan Pot that depict stories of Dutch culture, to curtains printed with classic Amsterdam canal houses and shower cabins inspired by traditional Dutch phone booths.
Embracing the history of the building, the W Lounge features 5km of copper pipes, paying tribute to the telephone wires and electricity lines of the Telephone Exchange.
