When I arrived to the boutique Rotterdam hotel, the Mainport  Rotterdam Hotel, I was exhausted.  It was a very long travel day with the overnight flight from New York, the six hour layover in London, the train from Amsterdam and the taxi from the train station.  Luckily, the hotel restaurant was still open, my check in was quick and I would be able to fall into bed soon. Everything about the hotel was five star boutique hotel easy – the staff were fantastic, the harbor location perfect to explore the city and the food was fresh and tasty.  Did I mention the very cool design features and focus on wellness?  A good hotel is one you don’t need to (or want to) leave and the Mainport Hotel, a member of Design Hotels is one of those hotels.  You do need to leave at some point because Rotterdam is a surprising city to discover through its food, architecture and street art. (see this Rotterdam city guide)

Location – Mainport Hotel Rotterdam

The Mainport Hotel, part of the Netherland Inntell Hotel chain, is across the street from the iconic design Erasmus bridge and river Maas and a short walk (15 minutes) to the Markthal (Market Hall Rotterdam), Cube Houses of Rotterdam, Rotterdam Street Art Tour and over the bridge to the Cruise Terminal, Fexix Food Factory and Hotel New York (formerly the home of Holland America Cruise lines). The taxi from Centraal Station was ten minutes and 10 Euro without traffic.

With both the tram lines, a metro stop outside the hotel and water taxi stop, the location is easy to reach by public transit.  You can buy a metro card at the Tourist Office for 3 number of days for €21 unlimited use of transit (metro & tram) and discounts to attractions.

Check In Mainport Rotterdam & Lobby Experience

Arriving at 8:30 pm, the sunlit lobby was empty and my check in quite quick and friendly.  The hotel has a table with fruit flavored water all day in the lobby along with a few seating areas as well as a smoking room off to the side. The colorful furniture, design elements such as a world map and bespoke lighting features add to the open feel of the hotel.

 

The North American Room at Mainport Hotel Rotterdam

Each floor of the hotel has a different theme aligned to a continent (associated with shipping routes) which is highlighted in its design inspired rooms and floor decor.   I was assigned to the top floor, North America.  I had just left NYC and had wanted to be on the penguin floor or other themed floor but alas, I was surrounded by the Statue of Liberty in the hallway and western patterns in my room.

The elevator requires key card access to access your floor and shared services floors (spa/gym, restaurant). With clear walls, the elevators provide a visual reward for your eyes as you spy the area’s waterfront and residential buildings.  As I exited and turned right, I began the long walk away from the elevators toward the end of the darkened hallway. When I opened the door to my room, I first saw the big buttons and the hardwood flooring.  I could instantly tell I was going to LOVE it here in this design hotel.

The room was nicely planned out – I had space at the entrance to drop my stuff then on the right the bathroom and on the left the closet, minibar and other amenities. Walking ahead on the wooden floors to the bedroom, the television was on the left wall and could pivot out toward the bed to watch.  The bed was flanked on both sides by a small table with a desk in the corner and chair ahead by the windows.  The view was the street below (I did not upgrade to a water view or spa room).

The Wellness Bathroom at Mainport Hotel Rotterdam

My friend said the bathroom was “swish” when she saw the large soaking tub with bath salts (I sent her a photo as she loves baths while traveling).  The hotel focuses on wellness and the large tub was just one part of the theme. The shower was in the corner (no door) and the large vanity (with imbedded television) across from the tub.  It took a few minutes to realize that the water closet was separate in the hall behind the frosted glass door.  The spa toiletries were by Malin + Goetz.  The towels were plush, the water pressure prefect and the contemporary design just soothing.

Restaurant Down Under at Mainport Hotel Rotterdam

The restaurant called “Restaurant Down Under” has a bar, lounge and outdoor patio tables along the water is located one level below the lobby and can be reached by stairs or the elevator (-1).  The small bar area has a wall of colorful furniture that serves as the lounge while tables cluster to make up a small dining area outside of the much larger dining room used for breakfast.

Breakfast Buffet at Restaurant Down Under

The hotel has what they call a “live cooking buffet” which means there’s a sous chef to make eggs, omelets, waffles, etc. surrounded by a buffet of hot and cold foods.  The champagne and daily changing smoothies welcome you at the restaurant entrance.

I received an email to add the breakfast to my reservation but given my food intolerances, I tend to order ala carte for less when I’m onsite.  When I arrived and asked the front desk for an ala carte menu (I couldn’t find one online), I was told they didn’t have that option.  I explained that I couldn’t eat most of the foods in the buffet so I only needed fried eggs, fruit and juice so they very nicely set up a daily rate that allowed me to eat at the buffet for less.  I was happy that they were willing to work with me on this especially as the area doesn’t have early morning breakfast options and I wasn’t keen to walk 15-20 minutes or take transit elsewhere because of my conference schedule.

For the rest of the world who can eat without food allergies, the buffet is jam packed with options – a hot bar, cold bar of meats, cheeses and salads, cereals, fresh fruits and yogurts, a bread table with loaves to slice and croissants and pastries.  There was a juice area, coffee/tea area as well as the chef making eggs to order. The people around me were indulging in many plates of breakfast treats.

Dinner at Restaurant Down Under

At dinner, the restaurant was generally empty which was somewhat surprising as the menu was quite nice with influences from around the world to match the theme.  I enjoyed two dinners (steak entree and then a cod special)  that started with a bread tray that was amazing!  My healthy cod dinner was a plethora of colors – purple potatoes, white asparagus, and pesto – yum! Dessert was just as colorful and full of flavor and textures.

Spa Heaven at Mainport Rotterdam

The hotel’s focus on wellness can be experienced in the Spa Heaven.  The area has a small gym, pool, spa treatment rooms, Turkish steam room and a hammam area.  I did a drive by of the area for the pictures as my conference timing didn’t allow me to take advantage of these amenities (treatments have a separate cost). My loss as they seemed quite lovely options.

Final Thoughts – Mainport Rotterdam Boutique Hotel

The Mainport Rotterdam Hotel was fantastic design hotel with friendly staff and a comfortable room. I was happy to have found this boutique hotel option for the conference visit.  I really enjoyed the hotel and would make it my go to for future visits to Rotterdam. Bonus points for being associated with Starwood (now Marriott) Hotels.  I find myself drawn to these unique design focused boutique hotels and have not been disappointed yet.  In fact, I’m constantly surprised by how the hotel product continues to evolve with wellness features to make the stay comfortable and relaxing.