Kiki test: What is it like to go on a mini road trip through Europe in these times?
You only know what you miss once you’ve lost it. When your passport gathers dust and the holiday excitement is absent. But what’s the situation with traveling within Europe now? Can we do it a bit or are we celebrating too early? Kiki called her best friend, grabbed the car, and went on an adventure. Destination 1? Paulus Potterstraat 50 in Amsterdam. Yes: the Conservatorium Hotel.
In the distance, the impressive building already looms. An architectural city icon, you could call it that. The Conservatorium was designed in the late nineteenth century and was purchased back then – fun fact – for 120,310 guilders (54,600 euros). By now, we can conclude that it has earned back its stones.
We haven’t even been inside the hotel gates for a second when our Peugeot 508 SW is expertly taken care of by a very charming valet with intense blue eyes. ‘Did you have a nice trip?’ ‘Uh, yes. We come from Utrecht. We are on a mini road trip, tomorrow we will drive on to Belgium.’ We grab our beach hats (no idea why we have those with us actually) from the back seat and walk through the immense sliding door to the reception of the building, where we are welcomed by a team of friendly eyes above face masks.
The Conservatorium is the first hotel within The Set Hotels Group to reopen after a period of being closed due to the corona measures. And yes, the subtle adjustments are noticeable. In several places in the hotel, disinfecting hand gel (the very best: Marie-Stella-Maris) is available, and in the room, you’ll find some extra face masks, in case you forgot your own.
A Staycation Arrangement has been put together (long live early check-in and late check-out!) and Executive Chef Schilo van Coevorden launches the Taiko Summer Edition, a menu with all the signature dishes of Taiko, served in the brasserie and on the terrace. I can be very brief about that summer menu: it’s extraordinary. If you can get me and my best friend to be quiet because we ‘want to enjoy and can’t enjoy and talk at the same time’, then you know the food is good. The super fresh hiramasa kingfish nigiri, the miso black cod, the waygu, the Nam Jim oysters: at Taiko, they serve pure love on plates and nothing less.
That the next morning the alarm goes off at 07:00 sharp to squeeze in some exercise before breakfast says enough about the gym in the Akasha Holistic Wellbeing Spa. Or maybe that says something about the Veuve Clicquot from the night before on the terrace, but we won’t talk about that anymore.
The breakfast buffet is served in refined portions at the table instead of you having to walk over to it, and as far as I’m concerned, the hotel gets three hundred stars for successfully reopening. It’s just that we are now driving towards our southern neighbors in Belgium, but the Conservatorium proves: this place really feels like a vacation in your own country.
Sigh…
P.S.: Follow our road trip adventures on Instagram via @kikiduren.
