InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), one of the world’s leading hotel companies, welcomes Mike Robinson as General Manager of the upcoming Kimpton De Witt, set to open in Spring 2017 as the first Kimpton Hotel & Restaurant (Kimpton) outside of the Americas.
The hotel will be situated in the heart of Amsterdam's vibrant city centre and near Amsterdam’s Centraal station. Set within three original Renaissance-era buildings, it will feature 274 guest rooms, including 15 signature rooms and suites (many with terraces), and eight meeting rooms. Wyers Bar & Restaurant, run by Executive Chef Sam de Marco, will offer American staples with a Dutch twist.
Says Tom Rowntree, Vice President, Upscale & Luxury Brands, Europe, IHG: “It is perfect that the first Kimpton to open outside of the Americas is within Europe as this is the continent that inspired Bill Kimpton to found the brand. The hotel has merged the features that make staying at a Kimpton so memorable together with the playful side of Amsterdam’s culture and we can’t wait for guests to be able to experience it.”
In line with Kimpton’s innovative and playful approach to design, the hotel will feature a “house within a hotel” – a four storey ‘Little House’ which was once the childhood home of Dutch playwright, P.C. Hooft and dates back to the 1500s. The Little House can be rented privately for groups and offers ground floor meeting space, first floor living space including its own bar. Other distinctive features include a flower shop within the hotel and a coffee and beignet walk-up window for locals to enjoy.
Mike Robinson, who has over 12 years of experience within the hospitality industry, ten of those with Kimpton, has been appointed General Manager of the milestone property. In his recent time with Kimpton, Mike ran the flagship 335 room Kimpton Palomar in Washington DC, and been instrumental in the openings of several Kimpton hotels in the Americas such as the Tideline Ocean Resort & Spa in Palm Beach, Florida.
Says Mike: “After ten years with Kimpton in the Americas, it’s an honour to be a part of the story that brings the brand to Europe I am excited to be bringing Kimpton’s personal approach to service to Amsterdam – the spirit of the city and its people fit our brand so well.”
IHG has 662 properties in Europe currently and the hotel will be IHG’s twentieth hotel in the Netherlands. Continuing the brand’s expansion within key cities in Europe, in summer 2016 IHG announced that the operator had signed a deal to open Kimpton in Paris, set to open in 2020.
