The first Zoku is now open for business in the heart of Amsterdam. The new work-meets-play hotel concept has been created for the global nomad. Zoku creates a new category – a home-office hybrid, also suitable for long stays, with the services of a hotel and the social buzz of a thriving neighbourhood.
Amsterdam is a natural fit for Zoku’s first home as a leading European hub for innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship. The brand has partnered with Startup Fest Europe to be a home base for the international attendees, kicking off a full programme of learning and connecting on Tuesday, 24th May 2016.
Facilitating global living and working for the travelling professional, Zoku, Japanese for family, tribe or clan, disrupts the hotel industry. Zoku is a relaxed place to live, work and socialise with like-minded people while getting wired into the city, designed in partnership with design firm Concrete.
Zoku Amsterdam is located on the Weesperstraat, easily accessible by car and public transport hubs, with quick connections to the city’s business, culture, entertainment and shopping areas.
“Zoku reflects Amsterdam’s modern values of diversity, entrepreneurship and creativity,” says Hans Meyer, Co-founder and Managing Director of Zoku. “Our objective is for Zoku to connect thinkers from various industries, and facilitate the emergence of a new hub where talented international travellers mingle with locals.”
Next door to Zoku is a five-story location of international coworking space WeWork. The local area is known as the “Knowledge Mile” thanks to the dense concentration of commercial, educational and entrepreneurial talent in the city centre.
Zoku expands the definition of a hotel into a platform where knowledge, ideas and people can mingle on a daily basis. Encouraging connection, Zoku offers diverse social areas to encourage effortless interaction between Zoku’s residents, Amsterdam’s locals and the in-the-know Zoku team called Sidekicks.
Zoku introduces the Community Manager, a new role that organises events to expand the residents’ social and professional circles, facilitating a true sense of community. Open-plan living and communal working spaces are available 24/7, making conversations and meetings easy. The Zoku app further connects residents with a social network and chat feature.
