‘floral Vandals’ Take to the Streets of Amsterdam

To mark the arrival of Kimpton® De Witt in Amsterdam – Kimpton’s first hotel in Europe and outside the Americas - hotel team members, together with the in-hotel florist, have taken to the streets to ‘vandalise’ bikes with beautiful flower arrangements.  

Within hours, hundreds of bikes across Dam Square, Centraal Station and Museumplein, to name a few areas, will be carefully decorated with striking floral designs, bringing a touch of Kimpton’s fun and playful personality to the streets of Amsterdam. Nature and botanicals are key themes for Kimpton De Witt, from the living wall at the entrance and local Dutch florist ‘Frank’ on site, to the indoor courtyard, bird-shaped bedside lights and Pols Potten porcelain gold-dipped parrot statues.

Along with flowers, the Kimpton De Witt team will place printed notes by Amsterdam-based illustrator Hyshil Sander on each bicycle that encourage people to post a picture to Instagram along with #dewittamsterdam. Anyone who posts with the hashtag has a chance to receive a personalised gift and given Kimpton is committed to delivering personalised experiences, the team will match gifts according to personal preferences. Special treats include an invite to pop in for a free coffee and order of sugar-dusted beignets at Miss Louisa Coffee & Beignets, a cocktail on the house at House Bar or even a free night’s stay.

General Manager Mike Robinson says: “We want to surprise our local Amsterdam community with an unexpected ‘Kimpton moment’ that puts a smile on their faces and encourages them to pop in and check out their new neighbour.”

Kimpton De Witt opened on 22 May. Set within two original buildings from the Dutch Golden Age in the Palace Quarter neighbourhood, steps away from Amsterdam’s Centraal Station, Kimpton De Witt has 274 rooms, including 9 signature suites — many of which have private terraces with a view of the city. The hotel features Kimpton’s much-loved unique and personal touches with a local slant: guests can pedal away and explore the city on complimentary VanMoof bikes; share an evening drink at the nightly hosted ‘Social Hour’; and feel pampered with luxurious in-room toiletries from Amsterdam-based natural skin-care brand Marie-Stella-Maris (available for purchase at the hotel’s pop-up shop).

For those who didn’t receive blooms and are curious to find out more about the hotel or the newest restaurants and bars in Amsterdam, follow Kimpton De Witt on Instagram, like on Facebook or stop by for a coffee, cocktail or dinner. 

In 2015, Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants was welcomed into the IHG family. Kimpton De Witt is the first Kimpton hotel to open in Europe and the first outside the Americas, with a second hotel scheduled to open in Paris in 2020. There are currently over 60 Kimpton hotels and more than 70 restaurants across Europe and the Americas.