What Times Square is to New York or Piccadilly Circus to London, Leidseplein is to Amsterdam (NL). The square is known for its bars and restaurants and has recently gained a new landmark: The Diamond Hotel, whose diamond-shaped glass facade truly lives up to its name.
‘Amsterdam is not only known as the Venice of the North, it is also the diamond capital,’ says hotelier Willem-Jan van den Dijssel. In the 17th century, Amsterdam developed into a centre for the diamond trade. The city benefited from its strategic location, and the craftsmanship of the local diamond cutters was so renowned that it became known internationally as the “Amsterdam cut”. ‘The glass facade of our five-star hotel is also intended to be reminiscent of a cut diamond, inspired by the famous Koh-i-Noor,’ says the hotelier. Koh-i-Noor is one of the largest gemstones in the world and is now part of the British Crown Jewels.
The old building on Leidseplein, the well-known Heineken Hoek, dated from around 1900, but had no particular historical value, as the preservation order stated. Therefore, architect Roberto Meyer of MVSA Architects decided on a replacement building. The special facade is covered with glass panels, while inside there is a Grand Café, a steakhouse, a cocktail bar – and 36 stylish hotel rooms in a mid-century modern style. The five-star hotel opened in autumn 2024.
The hotel bathrooms are equipped with Geberit products: Mera Classic, the top model among Geberit shower toilets, not only cleans gently with water, but also ensures maximum comfort with a heated seat, odour extraction and warm air drying. The elegant actuator plate Sigma50 matches this, while behind the wall is the proven Duofix installation element.
‘I like Geberit products because they combine functionality and aesthetics,’ says Willem-Jan van den Dijssel. His experience with Geberit is also a personal one: ’I have installed Geberit AquaClean toilets in my own home and have had very good experiences with them. I also see more and more guests, especially from Asia, for whom shower toilets are a given,’ says the hotelier. He has set himself ambitious goals with The Diamond. ’Diamonds embody timeless values such as luxury, perfection and elegance. These are precisely the qualities we have implemented in the design of our hotel.’
The globally operating Geberit Group is a European leader in the field of sanitary products.
