Here is a look back at the year for us in photos:

We welcomed our first feathered guests.

(Part One of the Bird saga here, Part Two here.)

We brought in a baby grand piano for Maria Markesini's CD release concert

And had a few more concerts...

We hosted Book Launches... (James Worthy, Henk van Straten, Patrick van Dam...)

And listened to some fascinating Book Presentations from notable guests (Sir John Hegarty, Platon, Shed Simove...)

...Some cheekier than others!

We took part in Earth Hour...

hosted talks on Sustainability by the Y-Community...

And hosted more than 8 editions of AchieVers with Lebowski & TopNotch

We saw a DVD presentation...(Rik Zaal from Zaal Over de Vloer)

and we turned the lobby into a pop-up cinema for the pre-premiere of 'The Rum Diary'

We held the first ever 'Meet the Bloggers' event for design bloggers...

And threw parties for bloggers...

...and had some parties of our own...

There were photoshoots...

And another Green Key certification! (Yes, again!)

We got a facebook facelift...

We said goodbye to several crew members...

and welcome three temporary stagiares (Zosia, Yannick & Thabitha)!

There was one birth (Tess) with several more on the way!

So in short, I guess you could say that our year was about…..life.  Life happened at Hotel V in all of its forms.

And to end the year on a weird note, here are some V facts for 2011:

• 12.000 different guests slept in the hotel.
• This week we welcomed website visitor 100.000 of this year.
• 25% of the visitors are from the Netherlands, 13% are from Amsterdam, 1 is from the Northern Mariana Islands.
• 100 visitors searched Google for “love hotel Amsterdam” and found our website.
• One search was looking for “ajax stadium parking map”, one for “a hotel that the rolling stones stay in Amsterdam” and one for “a hotel to have pipe dreams in”.
• 700 and 1 bikes were rented this year. No bike was stolen, nobody crashed (as far as we know).
• 58 people forgot their toothbrush and bought a kit at the hotel.
• Most of our guests are Dutch, 2^nd most frequent guest is from the UK.
• One of our guests was from Swaziland!

Happy New Year everyone! See you in 2012!

***

On Wednesday, the 23th of November we were invited to taste and enjoy the new Winter Menu at “Bo5” Restaurant. As soon as we entered the restaurant we were enthusiastically welcomed by the restaurant’s crew. The atmosphere of the place  is very impressive from the very beginning: dimmed lights, brick walls, scents of spices in the air, soft music in the background and a live cooking performance!

We were greeted with glass of champagne and taken by Paul (one of the restaurant’s crew member), for a tour around Bo5. This smartly designed area is easy to transform from a big party space with long tables to very romantic and cozy setup ‘just for two of you’.

Bo5 chefs preparing the tasty food: Ciabatta bread with oil and healthy seeds

The menu was very interesting  and daring. We started with a delicious, gently fried tuna, small ciabatta rolls with olive oil and healthy seeds on the side. Afterwards we tested ravioli with mushroom filling  and pate, grilled squid with bulghur and cranberry sauce decorated with rucola leafs. It all looked very professional and the taste was unique due to very specific spices used by the chef. Another dish consisted of fried duck meat, couscous and a delicious sweet-spicy sauce. The last savory dish was fantastic – turbot fish gently baked in an oven! Hmm.. yummy!

We finished up with a lovely desert – panna cotta with blackberry!

It was a great experience and I am sure that guests of hotel v will enjoy the Bo5 restaurant just as much as we did!

 Thank you for this delicious evening!

Here’s what you should checkout:

The Pop-Up Wine Bar: To the left and under the Stadsschouwburg, where the Cafe Cox used to reside, is now a temporary pop-up wine bar called- stay with me here- The Pop-Up WineBar.  In a cozy location that I’ve always loved, here you can find a selection of 41 wines ranging from the average price of 3.50 euro to (gulp) 350 euro a glass?  Price aside, you can’t beat the selection and the friendly service that will help you choose a wine that best suits what you are looking for.

G&T’s Really Really Nice Brunch:  Tipped off by a friend, I checked out the opening last weekend of this teensy tiny brunch cafe in the Jordaan, and I wasn’t disappointed.  I don’t even really want to tell you about this one, it’s too good to be true.  I want to keep it wrapped up tight and snug in my pocket so that I can always get a reservation here.   But fair is fair, so here’s the secret: Brunch has finally arrived in Amsterdam!  This tiny weekend-only cafe is run by two Canadian expats  who saw the gap in the market for a proper lazy Sunday brunch and decided to check that shit, yo!  Check it out, and your Sundays will henceforth be just as God intended: served with a Bloody Mary & Eggs Benedict.  No website yet, but the facebook is here.

Bloemenbar:  Did someone say that Amsterdam has a crazy cool nightlife?  Well that someone obviously doesn’t know about the war that is raging to keep bars open later than 1 am.  Dutch people like their sleep, and Dutch people can’t sleep when other Dutch people are partying just outside their window!  So there are actually very few places to party past that crazy early curfew, and because of this, those few places are jam packed to the rafters.  And so it is with arms wide open that Amsterdam will welcome newcomer to the nightlife scene, the Bloemenbar, opening on 10 December.  With a closing time of 5 am on the weekend nights, they intend to make the Bloemenbar one of the best late-night bars in Amsterdam.  Other night bars beware.

The New Label Project: A new concept store on the Rozengracht, The New Label Project, has just opened offering clothing, jewelry, bags and art from independent artists and designers to the masses!  Acting as medium between the artist and the consumer, TNLP hopes to help aspiring labels succeed in the dog-eat-dog fashion world.  With a variety of styles from various artists, there could be something for you there too!

Bierfabriek Roken 75: Not a December addition (opened in October), but there is a new brew-pub in town on the Rokin.  Have you tried it yet?  You can pour your own brews on tap via one their self-service bars and play bartender for a minute!

Well, between all of the Christmas partying that is coming up, I think that’s enough to keep you busy for awhile, no?

Have fun and Happy Decembering!

So there I was, flipping through the TV channels when a perfectly timed zap happened upon a commercial for the new reality TV show, Next Hair Guru on Net5.

And who did I see, but our very own Kim!  So I made sure to watch, and then I made sure to interrogate Kim about her experience.

*So Kim, how did you get to be a hair model on Next Hair Guru?*

My good friend Saskia is a producer of the show and asked me to be a hair model for the Next Hair Guru.

*That simple!  You just have to know people.  What was it like? *

Very scary in the beginning, they have these big cameras everywhere that zoom in really close. It was a nice experience to see what a working day looks like for my friend. Also to see how things go on the set and to see the final results on television. I got along very well with the other hair models and we had a good day. At the end we got a goody bag with Glamour magazine and some nice hair products from Keune.

*I wish my hairstylist would give me presents after every visit!   They just give me the bill. Who were your hair stylists, and did you like what they did with your hair?*

My first hair stylist was Karin and the first assignment was a tough one! They had to work with a wig and she had never worked with one. She really tried a lot but it didn’t work. I didn’t like it at all, but I felt so bad for her. She was crying, because she didn’t like it either and was worried that she had to leave.

The second hairstylist was Robert and he was awesome! He put in 9 big hair extensions and all that extra hair was very heavy, but you couldn’t even see that it wasn’t my own hair.

*I won’t spoil the show for anyone, but Robert is very dramatic!  Speaking of spoiling the show, were you sworn to secrecy?*

Yes of course, we had to sign a secrecy form. We couldn’t say anything about that day or show any of the pictures we took before the broadcast. If we did we had to pay a lot of money!

It was hard not to show any photos, because I liked my hair the second time they did it! It looked really cool!

 *We agree!  It looks great-  so dramatic and edgy.  Any tips for other aspiring TV hair models?*

Don’t look in the camera and wear something light. It is very warm on the set!

Eat well before you arrive and drink carefully through a straw  (otherwise the make up artists are not happy with you, ruining their art )

*Would you do it again?  Is this the start of a brand new career?*

No, one time was enough! I’m too shy to be in front of cameras the whole day, besides I love Hotel V too much to leave!

*Aawww, good answer!  Thanks Kim!*

Next Hair Guru can be found on Net5 every Tuesday at 21:25, or you can watch episodes on the Net5 website.

We come from all walks of life, all sorts of backgrounds, and apparently all different tastes!  This was never so apparent as in the replies that I got.

Here is what they sent me:

*

Jochem, student of Media& Culture at Universiteit van Amsterdam, makes fun of Chloe Sevigny:

*

Franky, our resident martial arts expert, wants you to know he would “Sukiyaki” you if he could:

*

Tom, owner of Hotel V, shows his heart and his soul, and even sheds a tear (he’s not too macho to admit!):

*

Agnes, probably the most quiet V crew member, gives us a romantic little melody:

*

Zosia, stagiare, from Poland, wants us to know she listens to cooler music than you:

*

Valentina, our Italian stallion(ette), rocks out with some Guns & Roses:

*

Victoria brings us back some warmth of the Caribbean where she did her internship recently:

*

Annija, a translator in training, wants you to laugh:

*

Lauran, our student-by-day/night-porter-by-night, just wants you to dance:

*

And Amanda, your faithful V Social Media Slave (that’s me!), knows that you have seen this before, but wants you to watch it over and over and over again until your cold heart melts into a dripping sloppy puddle of love:

*

Now, there you have it.  We are as diverse in youtube as we are in height, weight, skin color, and shoe size.

And we wouldn’t have it any other way.

With love from Amsterdam,

the V crew

If you are a word-nerd like me, then we have an exciting month ahead of us!  Not a party month, but a perfect month for huddling in warm venues out of the cold, and listening, speaking, and writing.

NaNoWriMo (1-30 November):  This hard-to-say and hard-to-do event hits the world every November, and The Netherlands is no exception!  For the entire month of November, participants are encouraged to write an entire book- start to finish- by the last day of November.  To help facilitate this, write-in’s are organized all over the country.  This year, the Amsterdam write-in’s will be taking place every Monday on the top floor of the OBA Central Library.  Just picture it- a room full of wannabe writers gathered together just to type, type, type!  Bliss!  (Oops- did I just let my nerd colors shine through?)

Movember (1-30 November): Men (and the unfortunate odd woman here and there) this month is your time to shine!  Movember is a world-wide initiative to help raise money for men’s health and have fun while doing so.  The idea is to sign up, grow your beard, and raise awareness (and money via donations from friends and family), and in the meantime take part in a lot of fun beard-and-moustache-related activities that are on offer (which, to be honest, is an odd sentence to write).  On the Movember Netherlands facebook page, men are also encouraged to share their progress at beard-growing.

Truer words were never spoken.

Amsterdam Film Week (1-6 November): One week of award winning films from the past year.  The films come from all genres and are all winners of the most prestigious film festivals- from Cannes to Sundance.  You don’t even have to think about your choice- throw a dart, draw a name out of a hat-whatever method you choose, you are going to pick a “winner”- literally.

Watch the winners, feel like a winner

Hollandse Nieuwe Theater Festival (2 – 5 November): Every two years the Nieuwe Theater Festival gives new playwright and theater talent a platform to present their work.  This year the festival will take place at the MC Theater, so you can also grab a meal next door at Toko MC beforehand- brilliant warm food from southern climates to help stave off the cold.

Storytelling Festival (4-6 November): For three days, storytellers from around the world will come and….well, tell their stories.  Mostly in Dutch but with some very choice English & French performances, this is sure to be quite a special festival.  Tickets are sold for each performance separately, and are an average of about 7 euros per show and spread throughout several locations in the city.

Museumnacht (5 November): For one night a year, all of the museums in Amsterdam stay open until late and put on special exhibitions, installations, and parties.  Think: guided tours, DJ’s, fashion, food, audiovisual art, and participation.  And of course, the afterparties in pretty much every venue you can think of.  This is the one night of the year when Amsterdam venues (both nightlife & cultural) really put their best foot forward.  Tickets are 17 euros for a pre-day passepartout, or 20 euros on the night itself, but it always does sell out early, so plan ahead!

A must-do!

Opera in the Tuschinski (5 & 17 November): For something completely out of the ordinary, how about live streaming opera from the New York Met straight onto Pathe Tuschinski cinema screens?  A 16th century art form brought to you by 21st century technology!  Isn’t the world an amazing place right now?  On two different days in November we can see Siegfried (5 November) or Satyagraha (19 November) as it is performed in New York.  And this time, you can TOTALLY munch on popcorn during the show and get away with it! Win-win!

Dag van de Duurzaamheid /Day of Sustainability (11 November): A country-wide initiative, the Day of Sustainability is a chance for discussion and learning about all things duurzaam.  So if “cradle-to-cradle”, “energy” and “electric cars” are the kinds of words that get you hot under the collar, and if you’ve ever wanted to know how to make a solar panel, then this is the day for you!

Hegarty on Advertising (14 November): Coming a little closer to the V home this month is an event that we are all impatiently waiting for: John Hegarty, one of the world’s most famous advertising creatives, will be giving a talk at Hotel V on advertising and his most recent book ‘Hegarty on Advertising‘.  Brought to V by The American Book Center, the tickets for this event were rapidly sold out, so if you are one of the few, then you are one of the lucky, and we will see you here!

an ABC/Hotel V presentation

International Documentary Film Festival  (16-27 November): For the 24th year in a row, the IDFA is coming to Amsterdam with around 300 documentaries to choose from, as well as related events such as discussions, workshops, and competitions, and even short films from young adults and documentaries for children.

Watch & Learn!

Cinematic Sounds (23 November): This month’s silent film shown at Melkweg will be The Golem: How He Came into the World a cult classic from Germany filmed in 1920 about how the creature The Golem was created and brought to life in Prague to protect the Jews from persecution.  A fascinating story that will be brought to life with the modern addition of a new soundtrack by live musicians!

TedxAmsterdam (25 November): It’s not too useful to post this here, as the invitations are few and extremely hard to come by, but helpful to remember that shortly thereafter the films of the talks will be online!

Brazil Festival (until 15 November): Art, dancing, discussions, music, food, and film, all from our faraway friends the Brazilians!  Expect a lot of warmth and liveliness, and a very full program that takes place all over the city.

Feel the heat!

So there you go.  It’s not a crazy-get-drunk-and-feel-crappy-in-the-morning, but more like a month to fill your brain with all sorts of broadening events and festivities.

I, for one, cannot wait!

And in addition to special events, we are welcoming a fun new place to Amsterdam!

With pretty much everyone AND THEIR MOTHER posting entire facebook albums shot with the iPhone Hipstamatic app, it was about time the Real Deal stepped back into the picture (pun intended).  Enter the  Lomography store in the Negen Straatjes.    Lomography is a special school of photography based on saturated colors, non-traditional vantage points, and an unspoken rule that the ordinary can be transformed into the nostalgic and special.  The store intends to reintroduce analogue film with events, workshops, and of course- camera and film sales.  So we can finally all put that Hipstamatic to rest, mmkay?

Strangely nostalgic for 2011

Tell us a little bit about yourself: name, where you are from, how old you are, what you are studying…

Zosia loves the free coffee...and the work as well, I'm sure!

Hi!  My name is Zosia, I’m 24 and I was born and raised in a really cool city in Poland – Poznan. My parents always encouraged me to go and see the world. So at the age of 17 I went for one year to the USA to experience the American Dream during a year of high school. Then at the age of 19 I started studying tourism and leisure at the Academy of Physical Education in Poland. I was always fascinated with different cultures and its influence on countries as well as individuals. During my studies in Poland I decided to participate in the Erasmus exchange. I lived in a beautiful, small, Finnish city called Tornio where I learned how to survive in the wilderness. After finishing my bachelor degree in Poland I decided to continue my studies in Denmark with a master degree in Tourism. Currently I’m following my internship and this is how Amsterdam came into my life!

 Wow, that is quite an international lifestyle you have there!  So what brought you to Amsterdam exactly?

To be honest, it is not only the internship that brought me to Amsterdam. It is the Love of my Life.

Aaawwwwww.

My boyfriend is Dutch and he lives in Amsterdam. After 5 years of a long-distance relationship between Amsterdam – Poland, Finland and Denmark, I finally realized that now it is the time to weave our lives a little bit tighter.

Besides that I heard a lot of good stories about Hotel V and I got inspired. Yes! I am very lucky to get a chance to combine those two important pieces of my life.

 And we’re lucky to have you!  How are you finding it so far?  We want to hear the good and the bad!

Amsterdam is an extremely interesting city. I love the multi-nationality everywhere. Different cultures living together, working together and fully respecting each other. Hundreds of different cuisines, scents, tastes, languages, ways of being and behaving. It is a great lesson of tolerance and humbleness.

On the other side everything is pretty busy and crowded which sometimes gives me the feeling of discomfort. There is not too much room for breathing and this is probably what I really miss from home. The nature and peace. Oh! And one more thing – it is damn expensive over here in comparison to Poland.

As a temporary Amsterdammer, you must have a fiets.  Give us a photo of your bike!

Ha! You got it Amanda

Like a true Amsterdammer!

 Beautiful!  Watch out for tourists walking on the bike lane!  So now that you are getting to know the city, tell us what you have discovered.  What’s your favorite place to eat in Amsterdam so far?

Hmm.. there is a really cool and tasty Indonesian restaurant called ‘Sari Citra’, the food tastes amazing and the place is affordable. You can find it on Ferdinand Bolstraat 52! The interior is not very impressive, but wait until you get the food (try ‘tjendol’ – very sweet drink made of coconut milk, green jelly and palm sugar).

I also recommend the ‘Bazar’ restaurant on the Albert Cuypstraat – delicious Northern African food that fill up the little tables and bigger bellies. Since this restaurant was created in an old synagogue it leaves a great impression through the taste as well as the special architecture and atmosphere.

 Thanks!  And how are you finding hotel life so far?

Hotel V is a lovely place with a soul and a very unique atmosphere. It is not only a place to sleep that we offer, but it is also a place where you will experience the friendly and open atmosphere from Amsterdam, good vibrations and positive attitude. I am very impressed with the fact of how busy it always is at our hotel – how many people stay with us and how many of them come back to stay with us again.

The international stuff is maybe the best of all. It gives the place a special character and makes it very inspirational!

 Aaww how sweet of you to say!  We think we’re pretty sweel too!  And finally, what advice would you give travelers coming to Amsterdam?

First of all try to find out what you would really like to do in the city. Don’t just copy people around you. Try to find your own, unique way to discover Amsterdam. Go and see also places that are not often visited by the tourists (residential areas, places situated outside of the center).

I also highly recommend tasting the Dutch specialties: ‘bitterballen’, ‘nieuwe haring’ and Dutch fries with mayonnaise. Hmmm… lekker!

If you are staying in Amsterdam for a couple of days you should really rent a bike – it is a great way to feel like an Amsterdammer and experience the city from a different perspective.

Thanks so much Zosia, and enjoy the rest of your internship!

Our stagiare Zosia

We are proud to announce (and yet are having difficulty not eating ourselves!) our new quiche menu for the autumn:

• one warm slice of gorgonzola & broccoli quiche
• a side of chorizo potatoes
• choice of drink: glass of house wine, bottle of Heineken, or soft drink
• dessert: one slice of Sicilian lemon tart
• €12.50

This menu is provided by La Luz Catering and is sooooo delicious!  (OK so maybe I stole a tiny piece!)

Drop in anytime for lunch or dinner.

You may have already visited Open Monument Day, Magneet Festival, Valtifest, the Fringe Festival or the several food fairs that have been popping up around town.  But the fun isn’t stopping there…

Supperclub’s 20th Anniversary Week, 13-18 September: Celebrate with a world-wide institution as they mark 20 years of existence.    In true Supperclub form, each day has a different event or theme.  Pop in on any evening and I’m sure you will have a good time.

Supperclub Sundays:  Speaking of Supperclub…on Sunday evenings they are once again hosting weekly event “Het Bal” from 9 pm.  Starting at 9 pm (5 euro entry), it’s a good way to spend a Sunday with nice music, great hosts, and did someone say “giveaway prize”?!

The Jordaan Festival, 17 & 18 September: For this whole weekend, the Jordaan area is going to burst into a big street party with the Jordaan festival: lots of Dutch music sang by Dutch singers, and Dutch people loving Dutch things.   Doesn’t get any more Dutch than this!  Expect well-loved Dutch ballads and of course a sing-a-long or two.  This is a great time to experience just how small and cozy this little Amsterdam village can be.  Great for the whole family.

achieVers VI, Sunday 18 September: Consider this our one true shameless plug.  Call us biased, but we think achieVers is a great way to spend a Sunday at Hotel V.  This will be our 6th edition.  Working with book publisher Lebowski and record company Top Notch, this is a platform for young or up-and-coming talent in the form of writers, artists, singers and just general swell-people to show off what they are currently working on.  These are definitely people to keep an eye on in the Amsterdam world.  Come and say you saw them when!  4 to 6 pm, entry free.

Sunday Market East Side, Sunday 18 September: For a refreshing change, this monthly Sunday market in the park (usually Westerpark) is heading eastward to Oosterburgereiland.  Expect food, handmade goods, design, art, music and a general relaxed vibe.  12 to 6 pm, free entry.  And while you are there, check out the nearby Roest, Amsterdam’s new hot spot, open since June.  Two birds with one stone!

Discovery Festival, Friday 23 September: Time to pepper your drinking with a little science!  The Discovery Festival at NEMO is your chance to broaden your horizons and stretch those synapses with a series of interesting scientific experiments, some art installations, and of course music, which you can expect to be as experimental as the science projects. 9 pm, tickets 15 euro presale/17 euro at the door.  Wouldn’t your old science teacher be proud?

Amsterdam Bar Week, 19 – 23 September:  The people behind this week-long event know how to spend a night out on the town, and they want to take you with them.  Spread over 27 of the city’s finest venues (cough-cough-including-Hotel-V-cough) the Amsterdam Bar Week will offer a large variety of special events to help promote the city’s bar scene.  Expect everything from boat rides to hangover breakfasts, tastings to workshops.  At Hotel V we’re offering a nostalgic menu of drinks from before cocktails became the craze.  ABW membership holders get discounts at each place and preferential treatment at limited events.

Taste of Amsterdam, 22 – 25 September: A veritable 4-day feast of the tastebuds for food lovers in Amsterdam!  Famous chefs and well-known restaurants will all be plating up and showing off, as well as workshops on cooking, eating and drinking, and of course a food specialty market with products from local sources as well as abroad.  Tickets start at 12.50 euro for standard entry.  This is one mouth-and-belly-party that you won’t want to miss.  (Does that sound too strange?)

Oktoberfest, 30 September & 1 October: And for something a little different, why not bring Germany to Amsterdam with our friend Barça‘s second annual Oktoberfest (held this year at the NDSM werf).  Expect pretty much the same that you would find in Munich: beer, bratwurst, and babes in dirndls…only BETTER because it’s in the Netherlands!  (Ha! Sorry German readers. …No I’m not.)

There, that should keep you all busy.

Who puts the V in Valtifest?  That’s right folks…..it’s the V crew.

Here are some photos of last year’s event.  We were a motley crew, a collection of religions (the Valtifest 2010 theme being just that: religion) partying together, the likes of which has actually never before been seen on earth. 

I ask you, why can’t we all just get along?  We certainly did here:

That last one is my favorite from the night.  (Sorry Jochem, I had to post it!)

So tomorrow will see us once again off to the Valtifest.  The theme this year: ALL IN THE FAMILY.

And that, my friends, is very fitting.  The V crew feels like a family.  This should be a piece of cake!

Will have more pictures for you after the weekend!

Have fun!