At once a boutique hotel, a historical landmark, and an emblematic monument of Rotterdam, Hotel New York occupies the former headquarters of the Holland-America Line, from where thousands of European emigrants departed for America. Located on the banks of the Nieuwe Maas in the modern Kop van Zuid district, this 1917 building combines maritime heritage, Art Nouveau architecture, and a unique atmosphere. Today converted into a hotel and restaurant, it offers an immersion into the city’s history while providing breathtaking views of the river and the port.
Galerie photos
F.Eveleens, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
History
Hotel New York is located on the Wilhelminapier, an emblematic pier in Rotterdam named after Queen Wilhelmina. The building was constructed between 1901 and 1917 to house the offices of the NASM shipping line, later renamed Holland-America Line. From these quays, generations of European emigrants embarked for the United States, leaving a deep mark on the city’s history.
The building, in Art Nouveau style with its two recognizable turrets, is a listed national monument. It remained the nerve center of the company until the departure of the last ocean liner, the Nieuw Amsterdam II, in 1971. After years of inactivity, the site was transformed into a hotel in 1993. It has preserved its historical character while becoming a unique accommodation venue in Rotterdam.
With its 72 rooms, some of them arranged in the former turrets, its 400-seat restaurant, and its strategic position facing the cruise terminal reopened in 1997, Hotel New York has become a popular destination for travelers and history enthusiasts. The urban development of the Kop van Zuid, boosted by the opening of the Erasmus Bridge in 1996, has further enhanced the site’s appeal, which today bridges the city’s port heritage with modern architecture.