Rosewood, Amsterdam has been in the making, it could be said, since 1665, when the local burghers built their Palace of Justice right on Prinsengracht canal. In recent times, however, the eminent structure has been switched to luxury hotel use.

This was on the cards ever since Hong Kong’s Cheng family, through CTF Amsterdam BV, bought the building. It was quite an undertaking to transform it into what is now a 134-room hotel: there were local planning regulations, and there was the need to preserve as much of history as possible. To take one example—four of the original cells from its Justice days remain, converted to food and drink support (one of the cells is now a Genever dispensary).

Ah, Genever, also known as Jenever or Genova, the precursor to today’s gin. It originated in the Netherlands, and Belgium, in the 16th century so it’s suitable to have a “Genever room.” No matter that the dedicated former cell is barely big enough to hold about eight people at most. There are plenty of other spaces in the hotel to be able to drink.

Rosewood Amsterdam also has its own facility, overseen by distilling master Alex Davies who has a post-grad degree in distilling before further study in Japan for many years. His Amsterdam gin has 16 botanicals, obviously with lots of juniper (contrary to the global preference for G&Ts, recommendation here is to drink gin neat with water on the side).

The hotel’s interiors have been done by the Netherlands’ leading designer, Studio Piet Boon. The four-floor buildings, around two central courtyards, are the work of another Piet, Piet Oudolf, almost a nonagenarian, who possesses an innate understanding of how greenery complements the monochrome of buildings.

Enter the hotel from Prinsengracht, and you’ll progress from one lobby to another. The rear one has a vending machine, selling neither edibles nor smokable but Caspar Bratt sculptures. The pieces are, with one exception, white, or white and gold. The exception is a red sculpture, indicating the red-light district for which Amsterdam is famous. Caspar Bratt’s a local 31-year-old humourist, who uses Carrara marble to sculpt everyday things. Apparently, his pieces are selling well, but this is a place that’s full of surprises.

There’s pop art galore in the back part of the lobby, and upstairs there’s a standing grandfather clock, which actually shows an art rendering, semi-transparent. You look through, as it were, to the artist, who is physically scraping off and drawing in again, each one of the times of the hour.

Next to this is the library area, which leads into the old judicial hall, now an all-purpose events room, with a 1925 Steinway ready for concerts, and Sunday afternoon matinees. As a reminder that the hotel’s under 20 minutes’ walk from the Rijksmuseum, the fabric curtains across the stage show bits of Rembrandt’s Night Watch, which were missing in the paintings.

The hotel has an Indian club and an Indian restaurant. It’s said that somebody advised the hotel’s MD, Thomas Harlander, to go after Indian businesspeople, who are very heavy in tech and money. To nab such highly desirable guests, it would be necessary to have a business club, Ayurvedic in the spa, and Indian food—they installed a couple of tandoori ovens, accordingly.

Each one of the bedrooms, by the way, is unique. Suite 339, overlooking Prinsengracht is about 70 square metres. Two big rooms flank the main bathroom (there’s a separate toilet leading off the corridor). There are wood floors, and softest yellowy-green is the main overall colouring. Some walls are deliberately splattered with soft green, dark green and light purple. It’s all very pleasing.

There’s so much to in Amsterdam that you might, at the end of an exhausting tourist day, in fact, be tempted to dine in your room. At our private-dining supper, ordered cocktails arrived first, accompanied by a bowl of mixed nibbles. Then came the main table, a generous feast with enough food for four, if not six. There were four pieces of dainty cut baguette, warmed in a linen-lined silver bowl. Two rotisserie chicken breast types were listed on the menu and coming up was the wellness chick, promised with “mâché, sprout salad, and grilled lemon.” There were absolutely fabulous truffle fries with, Dutch style, herb mayonnaise, and dessert was a mascarpone cheesecake.

Breakfast the following morning was outside in the courtyard. Think soft music, white linen-covered tables, Leglé china, Tavola cutlery, Alain Milliat preserves. Coffee comes with individually wrapped brown sugar balls. There’s a wellness breakfast. Juice, fruit, chia bowl, avocado toast, or egg white omelette and herbal infusions. You feel well in Amsterdam, with museums and art, and superb hospitality—especially now that Rosewood’s come to town.