Sustainable 5-Star Hospitality with Sempergreen Living Walls

The Hyatt Regency Amsterdam blends history, sustainability and comfort in the heart of the city. With lush indoor and outdoor green walls and a bee-friendly roof, the hotel combines five-star luxury with climate-smart design, earning the title of the most sustainable hotel in the Netherlands.

Indoor & outdoor living walls

A green experience for guests and neighbours, both inside and outside the hotel.

BREEAM Excellent certified

With a score of 73.3%, it’s the highest-rated sustainable hotel in the Netherlands.

Green roof for biodiversity

A Flowergreen roof with bee- and butterfly-friendly plants boosts local nature.

Where heritage meets green luxury

Hyatt Regency Amsterdam opened in 2017 on the former site of the Emma Children’s Hospital. Designed by Van Dongen-Koschuch Architects, the hotel integrates fragments of 19th-century façades into a contemporary seven-storey building. From the outset, sustainability was key. Together with landscape architect Marnix Tavenier, Sempergreen realised two SemperGreenwalls, one outside and one inside the lobby as well as a biodiverse green roof. These elements are not only aesthetic, they also regulate temperature, filter air and attract pollinators. The combination of heritage, modern architecture and lush greenery makes the hotel a vibrant example of how urban hospitality can embrace climate adaptation.

A layered history with a green future

The Hyatt Regency Amsterdam opened in 2017 on Sarphatistraat 104, a site layered with history. Once the 17th-century bastion Bolwerk Weesp, later home to the Emma Children’s Hospital, the location carries deep roots in the city’s development. Only the original façade and the former director’s house could be preserved, both now seamlessly woven into the new design by Van Dongen-Koschuch Architects. Behind them rises a contemporary 17,000 m² hotel that honours its past while looking to the future.

Sustainability at the core

From the very start, the project team aimed to build the most sustainable hotel in the Netherlands. With 35% less CO₂ emissions during construction and 40% less energy use in operation, that ambition became reality. A geothermal energy system stores heat and cold 180 metres underground, while triple glazing, efficient monitoring and a WKO-installation ensure daily savings. In 2017, Hyatt Regency Amsterdam received BREEAM-NL Excellent with a record-breaking score of 73.3%.

Indoor living wall: a lush vertical garden

At the heart of the hotel, a striking indoor living wall runs through the lobby. This green centerpiece does more than impress guests, it actively improves air quality, regulates humidity and softens acoustics. The calming presence of greenery creates a sense of wellbeing, turning the lobby into a healing environment where visitors instantly feel at ease.

Outdoor living walls: nature on the façade

On the exterior façades, two large green walls connect the building to the surrounding cityscape. Designed with a diverse planting scheme by landscape architect Marnix Tavenier, they bring colour and seasonal variation to the urban environment. These outdoor vertical gardens reduce heat stress, filter fine dust and contribute to a greener, healthier city.

Bee-friendly green roof: biodiversity above the city

Crowning the hotel, a Sedum-based green roof offers vital ecological benefits. It retains stormwater, insulates the building and extends the lifespan of the waterproofing. More importantly, the roof is planted with bee- and butterfly-friendly species, creating a thriving habitat that enhances biodiversity right in the heart of Amsterdam.

A hotel that enriches the neighbourhood

Hyatt Regency is more than a luxury destination: it has become part of the community. Its open, green spaces are just as welcoming to locals as to hotel guests. People come to work, meet, have a drink or dine in the Indonesian restaurant. The greenery, especially the iconic living wall in the lobby, creates a warm, inclusive atmosphere that adds energy and accessibility to the Plantage district.

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SemperGreenwall Outdoor

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SemperGreenwall Indoor

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Flowergreen Roofs

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