November was a great month for us. The main reason is that we got the chance to visit Amsterdam twice during the month! It was in our first visit to the Dutch capital when we could spend a night in one of the most incredible hotels, the Conscious Hotel Westerpark. This is part of a chain of hotels focused on sustainability and very aware of the choices that they make, and the impact that they may have on the environment.
Let us tell you about our experience in the Conscious Hotel Westerpark, and how we got one of the best nights in our life. 🙂
How do I get to the Conscious Hotel Westerpark from the airport?
Arriving at the hotel is very easy, taking into consideration that Amsterdam has one of the best transport systems in Europe.
First, you will need to arrive to the Central Station from the airport with the direct train. You can buy your ticket in the yellow machines and pay 6.50 euros for it. Remember to mark your ticket at the entrance of the station and also at the exit! Once you will be at the Central Station, you can take the tram 17 to Marnixstraat station, there you should take the tram 5 to the Amsterdam, Van L. Stirumstraat station and walk 5 minutes until reaching the hotel. A one-way ticket costs 3.20 euros, but you can also buy tickets for 24, 36 or 72 hours in case you will stay more days.
Did you know that the I amsterdam City card includes unlimited transport around the city counting buses, trams, trains, metro, and ferries?
Click bellow to read about the I amsterdam City Card in our last article!
I amsterdam City Card – Is it worth it?A little bit about the Conscious Hotels
The Conscious Hotels chain has been around 10 years now, they are pioners of the eco-tourism in Amsterdam always maintaining their same ideal. Making sustainability comfortable and stylish.
There are 4 hotels that are part of the family of Conscious hotels. Each of them has its own style and personality. The Hotels are:
Conscious Hotel The Tire Station
With 112-bedroom available, it is so close to the Vondelpark that you will feel like in a fairy tale.
Conscious Hotel Vondelpark
Due to the location of this hotel, besides the Vondelpark and the David Lloyd fitness center, you can combine a relaxed evening with a full cardio morning! This hotel is cashless and they just accept card payments.
Conscious Hotel Museum Square
Very close to the Van Gogh Museum, the Rijksmuseum and Stedelijk, this building is a piece of art with a contemporary feel.
Conscious Hotel Westerpark
And last but not least, the Conscious Hotel Westerpark, where we stay. This hotel is the first one in The Netherlands powered just by wind energy. The monumental building is located in the middle of the green Westerpark, it faces the cultural area of Westergas. Here you will be able to find cultural events and flea markets very often! But if what you want is relaxation, the calmed green park in the part behind will be the best option for you.
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Click here to get your insuranceThe Eco-sexy concept and why is it so cool
Eco-sexy is a concept designed by Conscious Hotels as a fusion of their two most important cares: Interior design and Eco values.
All the materials used in the hotels are certified, recycled or with a second-hand origin. They possess the FSC and PEFC certifications, this means that they just use wood from managed forests destined to construction and with a reforestation active plan.
They are 5 main points in Conscious Hotels that complete the Eco-sexy concept:
Cleaning and maintenance
Van der Kleij laundry service works hard to keep the linen and towels clean with a circular use, they are recycled when they begin to be worn out. This company has also a Global Organic Textile Standard (GITS) and Fairtrade certification.
The cleaning of the rooms is realized without using chemicals and you can choose to keep your towel during your whole stay, helping to save water as well. The soap dispenser boxes are refilled every time with NaTrue certified soap. Like this, they keep an organic option without plastic disposable bottles.
Green energy
The energy used by Conscious Hotels comes from Pure Energie and it is generated only by Dutch windmills. The Conscious Hotel Westerpark is 100% electric. Here you will also find that the rooms are heated and cooled by an Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage (ATES). This system uses energy storage under the ground at a very deep position.
Water-saving
Every shower in the rooms counts with a water-saving showerhead that can pump air at the time of the use. The water taps have also a water-saving system. Combining these two methods, 35% of the shower water and 50% of the washbasins water can be saved. They also use this water later to feed the ATES underground system described before.
Waste reduction
Trash is sorted by paper, glass, plastic, residual and chemical waste. Each of these trash groups is also compacted and stored to avoid the trash services to come often to the hotel to pick the trash up. Less picking means less fuel, and less fuel means less CO2 in the environment.
Organic food and beverages
Healthy food and healthy and fairtrade origin combine in every restaurant and cafeteria in Conscious Hotels. They get their ingredients from local suppliers that have direct contact with the company. Dishes are also seasonal, meaning that they just use the ingredients that are around avoiding long and polluting air transportation. All the drinks are organics and the coffee has a fairtrade origin from Moyee.
Amsterdam is great, don’t forget to explore the outside area of the city as well!
Click bellow to read about the Zaanse Schans windmills in our last article!
The Zaanse Schans windmills – Guide to a perfect day trip from AmsterdamWhat type of room can I book at Conscious hotel Westerpark?
There are 4 types of rooms at the hotel, you can choose yours based on your necessities or the number of people you are traveling with, the options are the following:
- Conscious Loft
- Big Double Room
- Big Double Super King Room
- Triple Room
In our case. We stayed in one of the Conscious Lofts located on the second floor. We need to say that it was incredibly amazing!
The room has a Split-level area, so you can divide the floors for relaxing and working. The stair of the room brings you to the bed, where you can leave your clothes and pajamas. The ground floor has a spacious desk where you can work in case you need it. There is also a comfy sofa and a big screen where you can sit and relax after a whole day of exploring Amsterdam.
Our magical night in the Conscious Loft
The room has also a box with free sweet and salted dutch amenities like coffee, tea, organic chips and some delicious organic sweet Dutch waffles (We confess that we ate them all in our first night :D)
As we told you before, our bathroom had the last technology to make the water-saving a priority, and of course, we had a friendly message remind us that we could choose to keep our towel during the whole stay if we wanted too, of course, we did!
After a day exploring the museums and other cool places in the city, we went directly to sleep, the big bed was a great gift after a day of walking around. Our 200×200 mattress with a great view of the Westerpark made us fell asleep in a rush.
Will you travel soon? Don't forget anything important!
We wrote a travel esential packing list, here you will find a lot of cool products and a printable check list for your next trip.
Travel Essentials Packing List – Affordable and Eco-friendly BackpackingDoes Conscious Hotel Westerpark have a restaurant on-site?
Yes! And it is delightful. The Restaurant Bar Kantoor is open every day from breakfast to dinner time. All the dishes and drinks here are 100% organic. You have various options to enjoy the healthy menu at any time. During the morning you can enjoy a big breakfast buffet with a lot of vegetarian and vegan options for 13 euros.
If you visit the restaurant during lunch or dinner time you can choose between a 3-course menu that costs 30 euros, or choose a plate from the menu.
You can also come and drink at any time and enjoy some snacks with your friends to have a chilled evening in a very chilled ambient. You need to know that if you are a guest of the hotel, you can have a free glass of wine every day at 18:00, a great way to start the evening.
If you want to check the menu and drinks of the Restaurant Kantoor, you can click here.
What kind of breakfast is served at Conscious Hotel Westerpark?
As we said already, the Conscious hotel Westerpark keeps a fairtrade policy. Organic, local and seasonal ingredients can ve found here the whole day. When we stayed here, we decided to include breakfast in our booking. Best decision ever.
The breakfast buffet has a big and variate group of options, from the classic Dutch breakfast full of toasts, jams, and cheese, to vegan and vegetarian options that will make you feel full but not heavy. It was one of the best breakfast we ever had in our travels.
Read more about our experiences in Amsterdam!
Romantic Tour Amsterdam – the most romantic boat tour along Amsterdam’s canals
A guide to sustainable travel in Amsterdam – Green Businesses and Responsible Travel Experiences
Other important things to know
Bike rental service
A visit to Amsterdam is not complete without a biking day. You don’t need to go very far to get yours, just rent a beautiful bike at the reception! The first day of rental costs 15 euros, if you want to keep it more than one day, it will be 10 euros per extra day.
Express check-in / check out
There is a smart system that allows you to check-in and check out by yourself. But don’t worry, in case you don’t understand something, there will be always someone there to help you in the reception!
Eco-conscious store
Did you enjoy a lot any of the amenities of your room? You will be able to buy more and also more options in the store located at the reception. All the products here are also fairtrade, local and organic. You can bring with you some more of the sweet waffles back home! It´s totally worth it.
Book a room with Conscious Hotels today!
We are sure that after reading all this coolness, you will want to experience by yourself. Don’t hesitate and book a room today in Conscious Hotel Westerpark, and give an opportunity to an Eco-sexy experience in Amsterdam 🙂
