Boutique hotel · Leiden · Interior design, aesthetic guidance and styling

The location

CTY Books stands on a canal in the old centre of Leiden, looking out over the oldest bridge in the city and an eleventh-century castle. The building spent years as a bookshop, and the hotel kept that in its name. It was restored and converted into an upscale boutique hotel. The commission came from Martijn van der Laar of Rijn Wonen.

The design

Every room in this small hotel is unique. The rooms derive their own individual character from unique elements such as a spiral staircase or a mezzanine. We included many original elements in the new design, among others a distinctive staircase that leads to the individual rooms. This allows the guests to experience the hotel’s intimate ambience upon arrival.

Colours and materials

An elegant colour palette and sumptuous materials were used. The rooms are painted a weathered blue with deep blue accents. The furniture is finished in velour and the rooms include gold details. The decorative flower patterns on the wall soften the sleek elements in the interior.

A canal house that never stopped being one.

In my own words

An old canal house resists a floor plan, and that is exactly what makes it a good hotel. A spiral staircase, a mezzanine, a room that is not quite square: those are the things guests remember, and the things they tell other people about.

— Mariska Jagt