This Shipyard Crane Is Actually A Swanky Hotel
Sophia Softky is an armchair philosopher and wayward American trying…
Located at the edge of one of Amsterdam’s hippest neighbourhoods is the Faralda NDSM Crane Hotel, which is exactly what it sounds like: an boutique luxury hotel built into an old industrial crane once used for building ships and unloading cargo. Shipbuilding at the NDSM wharf ended in 1984, and for years, the crane that now houses the Faralda stood unused and rusting, but in 2013 a team of top-notch international designers renovated the structure into a high-end hotel, featuring three suites (the Mystique, the Secret and the Free Spirit), a roof top jacuzzi and a bungee jump facility.
Each sumptuously decorated split-level suite will run you about $613AUD per night, and includes a queen bed, multiple televisions and a state-of-the-art sound system. The views of Amsterdam and the IJ river from the suite balconies are absolutely next level – the rooms are suspended 50 metres off the ground, and the whole structure rotates slowly with the wind, treating guests to a 360 degree panoramic vista.
In the morning, enjoy a champagne breakfast ($38), follow it up with a dip in the rooftop spa pool ($63), and cap off the day (if you dare) with an exhilarating freefall from the top of the crane ($84), secure in the knowledge that you are indeed living the high life with “Europe’s most unique hotel experience”.
(Lead image: Marion Golsteijn)
Sophia Softky is an armchair philosopher and wayward American trying to make her way in Melbourne. Sometimes she writes things, and sometimes they get published. She is a millenial and therefore lives inside of the Internet.