The Grandeur Of A Glorious Past

The buildings that are now occupied by The Grand Amsterdam have been an integral part of the fabric of the capital city for more than half a millennium. They were originally constructed in the 14th century as one of the most important nunneries in the city, the Convent of St. Cecilia and St. Catherine.

However, the European Reformation and the spread of Calvinism in Holland brought an end to the convents in 1578. At which time the buildings fell into the hands of Amsterdam's city fathers, who had part of the property converted into a "Logement voor Princen en Grote Heeren", literally a lodging for princes and great lords. The buildings, which came to be known as the Princenhof or Prince's Court, hosted such eminent guests as William of Orange, the Duke of Leicester, Maria de Medici and William V amongst others.

In 1597, part of the Princenhof also became the meeting place for the Amsterdam Admiralty Board. Together with similar boards from four other Dutch ports, they managed the maritime affairs of the Republic, commissioning the construction of ocean-going vessels to serve in war or voyages of discovery and overseeing the operation of the navy.

By 1647 the Princenhof had all but ceased to serve its original purpose as a lodgings for eminent guests and the remainder of the buildings were subsumed into the Admiralty. The growing power and importance of Holland as a maritime nation was symbolised in 1661 by the addition of the southern wing designed by Willem van de Gaffel in splendid classic style. This was a time when Holland was at the zenith of its maritime influence equally and briefly eclipsing British European naval supremacy.

By the 18th century, however, Dutch maritime power was on the wane, a process culminating in the arrival of the French in 1795, after which the nation's maritime affairs were administered from the Hague. In 1808, King Louis Napoleon took up residence in the old City Hall on Dam Square, forcing the city fathers to move Amsterdam's government to the former Admiralty building, a function the property was to retain, despite extensive renovation and a number of additions, for 180 years until 1988.

In 1989, the site was bought by La Compagnie Internationale Phénix Hotels Paris who converted the buildings, following a meticulous and sensitive restoration, into The Grand Amsterdam, a luxury five-star hotel which opened its doors on 16th March 1992.

1400	Probable date of commencement of building works on the Convent of St. Cecilia
1544	First clear representation of the St. Cecilia Convent on a woodcut street- plan produced by Cornelis Anthonisz
1578	The Convent of St. Cecilia becomes a "Lodging for princes and great lords" and is therefore dubbed "Princenhof" or Prince's Court
1580	Prince William of Orange is the first illustrious guest to stay at the Princenhof	Prince William of Orange
1586	The Earl of Leicester stays at the Princenhof
1591	Part of the Convent is converted to provide housing for the members of The Admiralty
1594	Prince Maurice of Orange stays at the Princenhof
1597	The Princenhof becomes the meeting place for one of the five colleges of the Admiralty
1638	Maria de Medici, the widowed Queen of France, stays at the Princenhof
1645	Louise Maria Conzaga, Queen of Poland, stays at the Princenhof
1652	The City Council is temporarily accommodated in the Princenhof after the old Town Hall burned down
1656	The Princenhof is handed over by the City of Amsterdam to the Admiralty
1661	The Admiralty building is built from scratch in "Classic Baroque" style
1768	Stadholder William V takes a seat on the Admiralty of Amsterdam
1795	The Admiralty colleges are abolished, depriving the building of its purpose
1808	The Princenhof is placed by Royal Decree at the disposal of the City Council, while the former town hall now becomes the Royal Palace on the Dam as a result of the annexation of the country by Napoleon
1924	A new wing is added on the Oudezijds Voorburgwal
1926	The Marriage Room is decorated by Chris Lebeau in Jugendstil style	Stained Glass Windows By Lebeau
1949	Karel Appel creates the "Inquisitive Children" mural in the Staff Canteen of Town Hall (now the Café Roux)
1966	The marriage of Princess Beatrix and Claus von Amsberg is celebrated in the Council Chamber
1988	The City Council moves to the Stopera
1989	Property acquirred by the Compagnie Internationale Phénix Hotel division
1992	March 16th, The Grand opens as a five-star deluxe hotel part of the Demeure chain
1998	February 26th, The Grand expands the number of function rooms with 12 to 19

for more information: The Grand