Stories from the Villa

We share wonderful news! Villa Nicola has been awarded (for a second year running!) a perfect score of 10 out of 10 for the Booking.com Traveller Review Awards!

As we all know the past 2 years haven’t been the easiest for the hospitality industry in general, but for the times in between our lockdowns, we have worked extra hard to make your stay one to remember. It has taught patience, perseverance and above all, served as a reminder that we all need to take time out and take care of ourselves.

Everything we do here in our residence is for the comfort and enjoyment of the customer.  So it brings me joy  to hear your kind words and feedback at the end of each of your stays. Every moment is worth it.

So we wanted to graciously thank you and can’t wait to welcome you back to our Amazing city of Amsterdam.

Dankjewel en tot ziens!

Werner x

It’s coming into the season of fall here in Amsterdam and we love cosying up by the fire as the weather drop a few degrees. Dutch fashion brand Alter Ego came to grace our residence recently and had a beautiful photoshoot, wearing the perfect outfits for the new season, gorgeous leather!

We love the surfaces that photographer Philippe Vogelenzang selected as background, to complement the details of the clothes – like marble, wood, wallpaper, velvet and of course leather.

Thanks for a great shoot Alter Ego!

Credits

Client Alter Ego

Photography  Philippe Vogelenzang

Styling Jill Rompas

Makeup Lydia Le Loux

The start of the year just got a little better. Is is our absolute pleasure to announce that Villa Nicola has been just been rated 10 out of 10 at Booking.com for the Traveller Review Award for 2021!

To those who have stayed with us, they will quickly discover that service is our number one priority for our guests. Villa Nicola is not only a luxury canalhouse, but also we aim to create the feeling of decadence from the moment you enter. As we only have two suites, we can spend quality time making sure you are comfortable and have everything you need – from freshly pressed Egyptian cotton sheets, modern bathrooms, lounge areas in your room, exclusive bathroom accessories for your use from Marie-Stella-Maris… and to to mention a private fresh breakfast prepared by yours truly.

Thank you to all our past guests for giving us this rating, we appreciate it. Make yourself at home, and cant wait to see you soon at the Villa.

Werner x

I hope you are all well and safe. It has been a while since we last spoke together, and what an eventful few months it has been for the world! The impact of Covid-19 has been a large influence on the Villa for the last 9 months, and for the worldwide hospitality industry as a whole. As The Netherlands awaits new stricter lockdown laws tonight, we stay positive and reflect on the people we have met this year and the happenings in our residence.

A new guide was published a few months ago called gloobles. The gloobles book is a beautifully curated guide to Amsterdam’s finest eateries, coffee spots, bars, accommodation, fitness, shopping, spas and culture. As we wait for the world to slowly start to open again, this is the perfect time to bookmark your favourite places to visit. At the time of writing Amsterdam’s restaurants and cafes are closed for the public to dine-in, but luckily are open for take-away, so we can still venture outside and support our local community.

Villa Nicola are thrilled to be featured in the guide and we feel privileged to share the pages amongst the cream of the crop of Amsterdam’s local businesses. Over the Summer, the gloobles team also interviewed us for their own ‘a page out of their book’ series for their site. You can read about it here, as we share our stories of why we opened the Villa 5 years ago and what our inspirations were. It also has a list of our top 10 places to eat in Amsterdam including Scheepskameel and La Fiorita.

You can also check out gloobles for a destination guide around the world, including cities like Sydney, Marrakesh and Dubai.

If you would love a change of scenery and Amsterdam sounds like your speed, plan an indulgent weekend or an intimate New Years Even to remember, feel free to get in contact with us, The Garden Suite and Urban Suite is waiting to welcome you.

Have a wonderful Christmas and happy holidays. Take care and see you soon!

Werner & Kees x

Credits

The Guide – gloobles

Photography  Sophia van den Hoek

During the sunnier months of last year, we hosted a beautiful shoot in our Residence from the Dutch interior decoration brand ESSENZA. The campaign images were just published, and we adore them! Our minds rushed immediately back to our rooms and doorsteps full of peonies, scabiosas, orchids and zinnias in gorgeous shades of blush, oranges, pinks and yellows. What a feast for the eyes!

The beautiful models Anna Arendshorst and Felice Fleur lounged around on sofas and chaise lounges in their kimonos and night garments, and adorned with patterns and florals, from head to toe.

Thank you Essenza for such a beautiful experience at the Villa!

Credits

Client ESSENZA

Photographers Nine Ijff (campaign) and Alexander van Berge (mood)

Flowers A.P Bloem

Models Anna Arendshort & Felice Fleur

Makeup  Peter Dekker

When you first enter the Acide website, you read “Splash that water in your face. Bite the lemon”. This statement alone sets the tone for what Acide are about. They are a young, bold and wild fashion brand, and love to invoke an emotion from their audience. The model’s mischievous and provocative moves are testament to this! You can see the shots live on the Acide website now… now enjoy the ride!

The Villa will never feel the same again… thanks for the adventure, Acide… it was super fun!

Client Acide

Photographer Linda Stulic

Model Agency Radical Faces

Model Judith Reekers

Stylist and Art Direction Esmée Geeratz

Makeup Mitzy Malu

Producer Wendy Dirkson

Our residence is a diverse blend of all the things we love in the world. First and foremost, it is a place where people can travel to, and call home, during their visit to Amsterdam. Travellers enter as guests, and depart as friends. This is why we started Villa Nicola. It is also a location selected as a set for fashion shoots, PR events, book launches, Vlogs, magazine covers and interviews. We love meeting new people, sharing in their daily life, and being part of people’s stories. Every room has been designed with its own personality, so every time it appears like a brand new place!

The fashion brands Manfield and Summum Woman recently visited, and we adored the images they created here, we just had to share them with you. Let’s start with ’that sunlight’ from the Summum Woman shoot… wow!

Even Kees, stole the spotlight for a moment. We love how she is looking directly at the camera, whilst the model Anne-Marie is being natural!

The pictures were also used as large backdrops for their launches.

Manfield created a beautiful scene here for their footwear line, and this gorgeous model didn’t need much help with our aesthetics, to frame a beautiful shot. The fashion brand chose the more simple textures and colours of our Villa, to create the background for their shoot.

Thank you for such wonderful captures of our Villa! Looking forward to working together in the future Summum Woman and Manfield.

Credits Summum

Photography Gitty de Gier & Nathalie de Vilder

Film Oliver Wijker en Paul Glorie

Hair & Makeup Ingrid van Hemert

Styling Jorien Wijker en Loïs Paul

Model Anne-Marie van Dijk from Paparazzi Models

Credits Manfield

Photographer Clear Fotographie

Model Reno Sluyter from Max Models

If we could describe them as the ultimate ‘power couple’, it would be the understatement of the year. When Bibian Mentel and Edwin Spee arrived at the Villa for their photoshoot, you could say they “had me at hello”. Their story is the kind you read about in famous autobiographies. A heart-warming tale of finding love, overcoming difficult challenges, and standing back up when life physically pushes you to the ground. Elegance magazine just released the ‘Iconic Women’ issue of their magazine, and Bibian couldn’t be any more well-suited, for the eight page feature.

Bibian Mentel is best known for her inspiring sporting achievements. She is a three-times Winter Paralypics Gold medalist, and five-times world champion para-snowboarding athlete, from The Netherlands. Her achievements are what every dedicated and hard-working sporting champion desires, but combined with a life that little sportsman face.

The couple met in 2005, when Edwin fell in love with Bibian’s beautiful smile. Back then, Bibian had already fought a battle with bone cancer and had one of her lower leg’s amputated as a result. When they met, each of the pair already had their own children, Bibian, with a son and Edwin, with two daughters. Nine years later, Edwin was not only her partner in life, but also the coach in Bibian’s professional life, leading her to win gold in the Paralympics.

Living eighteen years with two types of cancer, you need to surround yourself with people who support and love you, and this relationship was a match made in heaven. We are completely in awe of this story, and it was an absolute pleasure to have Bibian and Edwin in our Villa. Kees, our resident pooch also loved being in the spotlight! We urge you to pick up a copy, and read their story. Also congratulations to them both for the amazing efforts put into their charity, Mentelity Foundation, assisting children and young adults with disabilities, to participate in sports.

Thank you for choosing Villa Nicola to fill with your love for this shoot!

Photos Stef Nagel

Copy Renate van der Zee

Styling Brigette Kramer

Villa Nicola is a place to make memories. Whether that be capturing the latest fashions in a Vogue photoshoot, having stories told via vlogs filmed in our kitchens, couples spending a special weekend away in Amsterdam, or having press launches in our courtyard.

We opened our doors to Andrew and Pauline, to celebrate the preview of their wedding day, just before they left for the ceremony at Pavilion Puur. Laughter and smiles stretched from the front doorway, through to Urban Suite, and all the up to the private residence.

Friends and family toasted to love, and lifelong promises were made.

We were very honoured to share in such a special moment. We wish you all the best!

Photos De Kievit Bruiloften

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What if you could change your mood at the flip of a switch? Or even by the sound of your own voice? Philips recently held their European press launch for their Hue range of lighting, and the results were amazing.

Whether you wish to feel energized, or you simply want to read, concentrate or relax, each hue of light can assist, and Villa Nicola transformed into every mood during the cocktail party, dinner, talks and socialising. Our garden courtyard received a complete change in personality, within moments!

Client Philips

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Fashion brand Milla Amsterdam visited Villa Nicola recently, to photograph their Fall/Winter 18/19 collection. Founder and designer Eva Harkema creates six fashion collections per year, that are feminine, powerful and identified as ‘urban luxury’.

The gorgeous Robin, from Elite Models sauntered through our B&B in leopard print, leather, lace and leggings as the warm afternoon light shone through our windows.

Thanks for gracing our Villa!

Client Milla Amsterdam

Model Robin Hamersteen, Elite Models

Hair & Make up  Hanan Chahid

Photography Shiva Faber

Film Tim van Maanen, Het Videolab

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Film and Television star, Fockeline Ouwerkerk played many roles at Villa Nicola recently – the imperfect housewife, the cook, party girl, beauty queen and of course her most natural role, the glamorous actress.

Dario & Misja photographed a fun and frivolous twelve page spread for Beau Monde magazine, across all of Villa Nicola’s floors. Fockeline is a Dutch actress, starring in many roles on film and well as television, such as police series Moordvrouw, Together and her most recent film, Bankier van het verzet.

Fockeline’s interview in the glamour mag, talks about her struggles with perfectionism, her arduous guest performance on Dance dance dance, and the quirky penchant she has for peanut butter, sambal and cucumber sandwiches. In between poses in the Garden Suite’s Peacock chair, she candidly talks and laughs about everything from her skin regime, skiing adventures, and keeping the balance between the roles she plays on screen, and the one she plays in her private life.

The outfits were a feast for the senses, feathers flew in the bedroom, eggs were broken in the kitchen, and a super fun day was had by all, and it was a wonderful day to spend with Fockeline. Take a read of the whole article from page 16 in the fourth issue of Beau Monde! Thanks for stopping by Fockeline.

Images Dario & Misja

Styling Tommy Driessen

Hair & Make-up Juliëtte den Ouden

Magazine copy Thea Tijssen

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We love to host a photoshoot from time to time, at Villa Nicola. De Bijenkorf recently visited, to photograph some beautiful fashion brands, from their high-end Amsterdam department store and @deBijenkorf_man on Instagram. The classically handsome Thijs from agency Republic Men, sauntered around our spaces draped in Givenchy, Hugo Boss, Dior, Balenciaga and Dries van Noten.

Photographer and model Kay Nambiar effortlessly snapped striped shirts against floral wallpaper, red socks and suspenders in our bedroom suites, and beautifully captured the light streaming through blinds and windows.

We may have just added a few extra items to our Christmas list this year!

Client De Bijenkorf Photographer Kay Nambiar Model Republic Men

Donna Hay has been in the kitchen since she was only 8 years old. Years later, her love for food has grown, and Donna is now a household name in Australia and holds international acclaim, as the most recognised leading food editor, and best-selling cookbook author. She has written 26 award winning cookbooks, and recently travelled to Amsterdam to Launch her new book, ‘Basics to Brilliance’, named after her Foxtel cooking television series with the same name.

Donna Hay recipes are simply prepared and oh-so beautifully styled, making it irresistible to all of us aspiring cooks out there. She gained additional success, after being appointed the creative director for Oprah Winfrey’s ‘Welcome to Sydney’ party, viewed by 20 million people.

This was Donna’s second visit to Villa Nicola, and we have to say, it is always a joy to host this fabulous warm lady, and her crew. With all her international success, she remains warm, friendly and very grounded. Donna stayed 3 nights with us at the residence, and the house was constantly buzzing.  We were all very well looked after by the lovely Suzan Schapendonk, from Kip & Ei for the duration of the visit. Journalists cosied up to Donna for interviews, hungry for the personal accounts, experiences and inspirations of Donna. We found ourselves constantly wanting to eat, hearing all that talk about food all day!

Villa Nicola hosted the fabulous Donna Hay press brunch, which was deliciously prepared by Daan Moonen. Daan cooked 5 recipes from the ‘Basics to Brilliance’ book including Smoky pulled pork and Donna’s chicken schnitzel banh mi – and we have to say that they were thoroughly enjoyed by all!

Congratulations Donna! We hope you enjoyed your stay, it was a pleasure to host you. We wish you all the success in Europe and worldwide with this beautiful book! We look forward to your next Amsterdam visit.

If you wish to purchase ‘Basics to Brilliance’, you can find the cookbook for sale on her Dutch publisher’s website, Uniboek Spectrum.

Photography: Donna Hay

Recently, we hosted a press event for three fabulous and individual brands, La Collerette, Lott and Alix.

Each label converted Villa Nicola into a personalised style salon. La Collerette, a company founded by twin sisters, produce gorgeous bespoke collars. They styled a chic, sultry boudoir, with moody lighting shimmering against gold gilded frames and glass cloches.

Lott Gioilli’s playful and timeless range of earrings was displayed amongst bright seasonal blooms and fresh fruit, that cascaded along the dining and lounge areas of the residence.

The brand Alix The Label, took a walk on the wild side, enticing the viewer into the bedroom, sharing their sassy and bold women’s fashion, against a backdrop of latest black and white campaign, filmed in Mauritius.

The film takes the viewer on a journey through our residence’s unique and (often hidden) spaces…

With great thanks to La Collerette, Lott and Alex The Label. It was great to have you here!

Images and film: Marcel Willems

xxx

Fashion label, Tramontana photographed their upcoming Autumn/Winter 2017 campaign, at Villa Nicola. And we just love the looks that were achieved from within our walls. From the moody greens picked up in our Garden Suite, gorgeous models lazing about on the Peacock chair, to the red velvet of the entrance staircase.

The AW17 magazine takes you though their new season styles, how to wear their looks, and sharing their must-have beauty tips. They also guide us in the right direction, to their favourite Amsterdam hotspots, including the modern art museum, Moco, the Amsterdam Light Festival, held from November in Amsterdam, and of course, Villa Nicola!

Watch the video here filmed at Villa Nicola as they guide you through our spaces. We have this song playing in our heads all day!

Thanks Tramontana, for capturing our residence beautifully.

Images and film: Tramontana

Here at Villa Nicola, we love to pamper our guests. Whether you are dreaming in our Designers Guild Egyptian cotton sheets, starting your day with a glorious breakfast, or walking the Amsterdam streets smelling like heaven, we want to take you there.

From the moment you walk through the door, hints of white tea, citrus and bergamot, of No.92 Objets d’Amsterdam, gently falls upon on your shoulders, and whisks you up to your room. Marie-Stella-Maris is an Amsterdam brand that you will experience throughout our residence, ranging from the water you drink to the natural care products that you bathe in.

We also fully support the brand’s mission statement; “…to contribute to relieving the clean drinking water issues in the world”. For each product we buy, an amount goes to contributing to clean drinking water projects worldwide. A noble cause.

Upon your trip here to Amsterdam, you can visit their beautiful store on Keizersgracht, within the nine streets. Marie-Stella-Maris visited us, and penned a lovely story, that you can read here.

So when you return from a long day falling in love with the city, we welcome to you take a moment, put on your robe and slippers and treat yourself to No.73 Poivre Noir Frais in your bathroom, and know that you are not only looking after yourself, but also others in the process.

Take a seat and relax, you deserve it…

Images:

Frank Brandwijk

Marie-Stella-Maris

Gigi Hadid recently visited Villa Nicola for the May 2017 Vogue Nederland front cover, for her Tommy Hilfiger fashion line. Villa Nicola was filled to the brim with a large crew of stylists, makeup artists, and her photographer, Serge Leblon. Interviews were conducted amidst a flurry of flashes, makeup sessions, and outfit changes.

Gigi’s first fashion campaign was when she was just 2 years old, whilst modelling for Baby Guess. Her beautiful looks hail from her diverse background,  a combination of her Palestinian father and Dutch-born Mother, a former model and reality TV star of The Housewives of Beverley Hills.

“I always ask hair & makeup people in New York, when you go to Holland, bring me back a poffertjespan. They always forget. So I got one now”. And it’s lucky she had time to shop, as she only spent 12 hours in Amsterdam for the Tommy Hilfiger shoot and media tour. It was apparently one of the fastest covershoots and interviews in Vogue NL history. Gigi had already starred in 20 Vogue covers by the time she was 21 and this was the 32nd cover in just two years.

Gigi’s co-designed TommyXGigi collection, inspired by California and Venice Beach, was an overnight success, selling out to her millions of fans. The photographer selected the vignetted wall of the Villa Nicola Garden Suite, as the background for the Vogue cover, to display the gorgeous candy-striped swimsuit, and photographed throughout the rest of our villa for the six page article within the magazine.

Images Serge Leblon, for Vogue Netherlands Vogue Covers, by Vogue Coffee Cup, by Villa Nicola! 🙂

Everybody loves Anna. And who could blame them? Brains and beauty are her winning combination, something of a rarity these days. Anna is a successful entrepreneur, TV presenter, blogger, vlogger and author… not to mention she graduated cum laude at the university of Amsterdam.

Anna is a regular visitor here, and feels very much at home in our Villa. We are always thrilled to host her (and her entourage) for her photoshoots and publicity events, and to watch her career grow. Her first lingerie range, Hunkemöller X Anna Nooshin, was launched and photographed at Villa Nicola, along with her second book, On Life, as well as other projects.

We first met Anna 2 years ago via her digital lifestyle magazine NSMBL, a little before the height of her worldwide popularity. You can’t seem to go anywhere these days, without seeing her gorgeous face. Anna is one of the most popular bloggers in the Netherlands with over 130,000 subscribers, ten million views on you tube and almost 400,000 followers on Instagram.

What we love most about Anna is her warmth, humour and down to earth attitude, despite all the infamy. She has a genuine interest in more than just her own fashion and success and isn’t afraid of showing her flaws. Her most recent book, On Life, shares personal stories about the people closest to her, including her boyfriend Danny, her friends and her closest family members. She also writes about her tips on travel, beauty, friendships and love.

Anna has a candid approach to anything from eating sushi, to modelling lingerie, and that’s what makes her so special. Anna visited us recently, along with hip hop artist Alex van der Zouwen aka ‘Kraantje Pappie‘, to create a film and bake a delicious Chocolate cake in our very own kitchen, for her YouTube channel.

She once said “…success depends on how much time and effort you put in…”, so let her story be a perfect example.

Thanks Anna, we love that you feel at home here. We look forward to seeing you soon at Villa Nicola for a glass of wine… our door is always open for you.

Proost!

Images – in order of appearance Hunkemöller Karen van Duijvenbode Westwing.nl

Welcome to The Stories of Villa Nicola.

Here, we will be sharing our days with you, a little ‘behind the scenes’ from our canalside Bed & Breakfast residence.

We created Villa Nicola to be a meeting place. A place for people to connect with one another. A place for travellers, a place for photographers to fill their viewfinders, for books to be launched, films to be made, for early risers, coffee lovers, and to make you feel like you are staying with friends.

Spring has sprung in Amsterdam, the city is gloriously warm, and we can finally enjoy a nice glass of wine on our front step. This past weekend our clocks have turned forward, the Tulip Festival is on it’s way, and Villa Nicola is blooming alongside it!

Every Bed and Breakfast has their own unique daily routine. A typical day may begin with an early morning walk, with our beloved dog Kees, to collect fresh bread for our cosy guest breakfasts, and often to visit our neighbourhood florist, A.P Bloem. We enter their petite ‘garden of Eden’, and select some gorgeous flowers, which fill our rooms with life and colour. We just love our neighbourhood.

The florist recently wrote a lovely story about Villa Nicola, and we thought we would share it with you.

It is the perfect time to visit Amsterdam. Spring blossom scent lingers in the air, crossaints are baking, the coffee is brewing, and your robes are hanging in your room.

Mi casa es su casa… we can’t wait to see you here.

Fijne dag!

Photography: Frank Brandwijk