At the beginning of September, the Ruby Group officially entered the Dutch market. The newest design hotel of the Munich-based company has opened in Amsterdam. The 291 rooms are spread across 18 floors with a total area of 24,230 sqm. For the first time, Ruby integrates its ‘Workspaces’ into the hotel under the same roof, across three floors and with 138 workstations. In addition, Ruby Emma is Ruby’s first re-flagging project.
The hotel’s public areas have been completely re-designed. The interior design tells the story of the location’s pioneering role in energy production and use in Amsterdam, since ships first sailed along the Amstel. A collection of sails extends over the entire three floors of the entrance area, where the twelve-metre-long bar is also located. Ruby’s signature style is also evident in this project, through the use of vintage furniture and unique decorative objects, along with the use of high quality and sustainable materials throughout.
Luxuriously appointed rooms and public areas await guests at Ruby Emma, which is located in Amsterdam’s Amstelkwartier district. The trendy De Pijp district, with its numerous bars and restaurants, can be reached in a few minutes using the bicycles available on site. Amsterdam Centraal Station can be reached in ten minutes by S-Bahn, which links up all the city’s sights. The airport is 15 minutes away by car, or alternatively 25 minutes by public transport.
Guests can choose from six room categories at Ruby Emma: the friendly COSY Room with approx. 22 sqm, MATE Rooms with approx. 25 sqm and twin beds, LOVELY Rooms for weekends for two with approx. 24 sqm, WOW Rooms with up to 25 sqm, and the spacious LOFT Rooms with bathtub up to 35 sqm. For longer stays, the Ruby Emma also offers RESIDENT Rooms, with a living area and separate bedrooms on approx. 47 sqm.
Ruby Emma’s Hotel Manager, Hermen Nijhuis, was born in the Netherlands and brings more than 10 years of experience in the hospitality industry and is well versed on the Dutch market. Previously, Hermen worked for Conscious Hotels, Room Mate Hotels and Stayokay Amsterdam Oost, among others. “There are already a few hotels in the up-and-coming Amstelkwarier, but so far no real lifestyle hotel. The special sustainability of the building, which has won several awards for its innovative building technology, and the typical Ruby vibe make Ruby Emma a place full of positive energy,” says Hermen Nijhuis.
Ruby Emma is part of the urban sustainability initiative of the city of Amsterdam. With its sustainable construction and energy efficiency systems, the building, which was the first in Europe to be LEED Platinum certified in 2018, fits perfectly into its surroundings. The façade is particularly sustainable thanks to its shading system, which automatically darkens the rooms. Solar sails were installed that retract and extend automatically. In addition, the building with its iconic appearance has geothermal energy generation, which can be used to produce both cold and heat.
Ruby Luuk Workspaces is Ruby’s fifth co-working space, but the first with a Ruby Hotel in the same building. The 800 sqm space across three floors features inspiring public areas and intelligently designed offices with well-equipped workstations. The offer includes private offices for six to 24 people as well as fixed or flex desks, all of which can be rented with flexible terms and short notice periods. The equipment includes ergonomic chairs and daylight lamps, as well as height-adjustable individual tables.
In addition, individually designed meeting rooms for six to 70 people with state-of-the-art equipment are available for brainstorming, presentations or (hybrid) team meetings, which can also be booked by non-tenants and hotel guests by the hour.
Fabian Zellinger, Director Corporate Development, New Ventures & Workspaces at Ruby, describes this new symbiosis of the two products as forward-looking: “We are proud to combine two successful Ruby products in one building for the first time. We see this further development as an opportunity to provide business travellers with a comprehensive offer to work productively during their stay. In addition, we are creating a community of guests, businesses and local communities that meets their need for inspiration and networking. At the same time, the space potential is ideally utilised and the achievable turnover per square metre is optimised, also to the benefit of our investors and partners.”
