– I was lucky to be a guest of The Wittenberg by COVE once again, but this review is of my own opinions with no outside aid. –
A little over a year ago, I was lucky enough to be living in Paris. At the end of my travels, I decided to do some sightseeing with a friend and we did a small European tour. After our amazing time in Brussels, we made our way to Amsterdam! It was not my first time in A’dam, but it was my first time at this amazing aparthotel: The Wittenberg by COVE.
The Wittenberg is housed in a building from the 18th century in the Plantagebuurt district, which is the perfect distance from all of the action of the city, but also still within walking distance. A stunning building with a rich history houses incredible rooms perfect for a city break or a longer stay in the city. I stayed with SACO (now known at some properties as COVE Apartments) many times before. Each time, they blow me away a bit more. The Wittenberg is no different, an amazing experience from start to finish.
1. The Room
I loved staying at The Wittenberg. Can I leave it at that? Okay no, I will continue and expand on this point. One of the coolest things about The Wittenberg is the room situation. The entire space is massive and there are multiple buildings that comprise the entire hotel. In addition, there’s a building right outside that comprises Studio Apartments, which I got to visit. White walls and statement pops of their orange and green color ranges categorize the space, along with comfy cushions and a pristine area.
So I stayed in one of the attic one-bedroom apartments, which really is great as long as you don’t have a lot of baggage. I will warn you that you do have to take a set of stairs to get up to the room, but I only had a backpack and hand luggage, so I had n0 issues. The apartment is spacious, to say the least. The first thing I did when I got into the apartment was to lay down on the rug. It was actually one of the comfiest things I’ve rested on in a while. The living room was wide enough to do Beyonce’s infamous Coachella dance break with space to go. Plus, while in the attic, there is a great view of the rest of the property.
I was blown away with the room because I got to really enjoy all of it. The first night, I was so tired after traveling and being out, I actually fell asleep on the couch. Speaking of the couch, these beautiful orange couches were custom made for The Wittenberg, and they’re all amazing. The living room comes outfitted with a super cute rug, Apple TV connected television and plenty of seating to fill your heart’s desires! There’s a lot of space and the best thing about The Wittenberg by COVE is that I can chill in the main room or in the bedroom, but still have all of the same functionality.
There are 4 different styles of rooms at The Wittenberg: the studio, one-bedroom apartments, two-bedroom apartments, and a three-bedroom mezzanine, which is basically a cute little house. The main building houses the studios, one & two-bedroom apartments, is comprised of three buildings, with a courtyard in the middle of all of them. Each room has a fridge, some snacks for your arrival, washer/dryers, and a fabulous shower that is pretty big, especially for a hotel.
You can cook ’til your stomach is full with the full kitchen. It’s honestly one of the best ways that to live while traveling in my opinion. We definitely saved money during our travels. Instead of paying for all the meals, we cut costs by getting food for our entire stay. I loved the aesthetic of the colors, especially with the large windows and bright splashes of color around the room. It was still minimalist, with wooden floors and monochromatic cupboards to store all utensils and cookware! It was so nice to add The Wittenberg to the list of places I’ve stayed at, and literally, it was a dream!
2. Amenities
One of the greatest aspects of The Wittenberg is all of the amenities. There was a gym, which I, unfortunately, didn’t use. I took a peek inside during my tour. If you’re a gym fanatic, you will not be hard-pressed to keep your routine up. They have all of the basics that you’d need to stay in shape. There’s a workspace upstairs from the lobby, which I did use. Free coffee, tea, biscuits, and drinks await anyone working there.
I was able to go down one morning and do a bit of a power work session. It was a great space to do so. In the room, The Wittenberg by COVE provides Zenology toiletries to make sure that you can be clean every day, which would be good. The WiFi is amazing and you have your own private system in your room, as does each other room. This means the connection is super fast, but you have privacy and security in your room. It was really hot during our time in Amsterdam, so it was nice to have A/C in our room.
The attic rooms all have air conditioning systems, which is a real treat. The Wittenberg has bikes available for rent as Amsterdam is a very bike-friendly city, as mentioned in my guide. The room comes with a little guide and notebook. I thought this was a really cute touch! The amenities of The Wittenberg really made the experience special, and all of the great bits definitely didn’t go unnoticed!
3. History
One of my favorite things about The Wittenberg is its rich history. The Wittenberg was created in 1772. SACO refurbished the site to bring it to its glory, expanding the space and using every aspect to its maximum. The Lutheran Church owned the building originally, then converted it into a hospital in the 1870s. There are little tokens of the past on the walls of The Wittenberg, with the bricking, the photographs on the walls, and even the swans that are dotted around the property. The ballroom and some of the other core aspects of the original building are intact. It wasn’t open to the public then, but it shows how SACO and The Wittenberg have gone out of their way to maintain the history of the building.
4. Location
The Wittenberg is nestled in the Plantagebuurt district, just across from Einstein’s old laboratory and the Artis Zoo, but also in one of the quieter districts of Amsterdam. On a Friday night, the city can be loud and noisy with the Red-Light District. his part of Amsterdam is really quiet and more residential, but still a perfect location. It is walking distance to tram stops. Also, it’s but a short distance from Centraal if you’re up for a 20-25 minute walk. We found it easy to walk into the city and back, and I for one felt very safe, even at 1am. The Wittenberg is right next to the Opera and Ballet in Amsterdam. There are often free events, so if you’d like, you can take a lunch break and enjoy the music for free there.
Fun fact: When they have ballets, some of the dancers will stay at The Wittenberg by COVE as it is so close and easy access.
4. Cost & Value
We stayed in one of the one-bedroom apartments, which is more expensive than the studios. This room starts around $207 a night (as of June 5, 2018), but after 5 days there, I do feel like it is worth the money. I do not find that it’s more expensive than other places and overall, Amsterdam is an expensive city. I’m sure you can find something cheaper, but you won’t get the luxury or benefits of staying at The Wittenberg, which definitely helped make my experience in Amsterdam great.
5. Overall
Overall, after returning to Amsterdam after being away for 2 years, it was great to stay at The Wittenberg by COVE. I really got to feel at home and experience all of the property. I was there in the middle of GDPR regulation transitions, so the main building’s workspace was great. The amazing wifi in each room really helped make sure this blog is compliant haha. Whether you are in Amsterdam for work or play, you can definitely stay at The Wittenberg and have a great time either way.
The staff was helpful and so sweet, which really made my stay special. I got a little tour of the property as well!! It was beautiful to see the property in its entirety and get more information about the space. The Wittenberg blew me away and I know it will blow you away as well! The Wittenberg is full of charms that will make you go “OOOO” when you arrive. I loved exploring and coming back to it every night for more fun and a great stay every night.
