ROTTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS – Event planners can find a wide range of venue options aboard the ss Rotterdam, Worldhotels’ newly acquired floating hotel.
The flagship vessel of the Holland America Line, which first sailed in 1959, was granted a permanent dock at Katendrecht, Rotterdam in 2008. Two years later, in February 2010, it welcomed its first guests as a hotel. ss Rotterdam made its debut as part of independent hotel group Worldhotels early this October.
The 254-room ship hotel features 1950s-inspired design that is reflective of its origins. Guestrooms can accommodate up to four people and are furnished with work desks, flat-screen TVs and internet access.
The ship also offers a wide selection of function and meetings rooms for various purposes:
There are 12 meeting rooms on the Main Deck that can accommodate between 10 and 65 people in theatre, boardroom, U-shape or classroom setups.
The B-Deck, on the other hand, houses the Odyssey and La Fontaine Rooms for large gatherings of up to 450. Both can be booked for conferences and exhibitions.
Casual gatherings can take place at several venues on the ship: the Ambassador Lounge, which boasts red leather furnishings and a round dance floor in the centre of the room, seats up to 180 people and is fitted with a bar, DJ booth, professional sound and lighting systems, as well as four TFT LCD screens. There is also the Tropic Bar, best for hosting cocktail receptions with room enough for 40, and the lounge-type Smoking Room which seats up to 36 people.
Larger venues include the multifunctional Theatre, housed on the Promenade Deck which overlooks the Maas River and Rotterdam Port. The Theatre, fitted with a 12 by 3.5-metre stage, can host conferences, award ceremonies or concerts for up to 400 people, and allows for a variety of setups from cocktails, banquet, theatre, classroom to cabaret. With an eight-metre-high ceiling, it also has a balcony that seats 136.
A large, ballroom-type venue is the Queen’s Lounge, fitted with a wood-panelled dance floor and windows with panoramic views on either side. Cocktails can be served for up to 450 people, while banquet dinners welcome groups of up to 250. The Queen’s Lounge is equipped with four TFT LCD screens, a video projector and professional sound system.
On the Upper Promenade deck is the Grand Ballroom, with large windows, sophisticated furnishings and a larger-than-life painting by Cuno van der Steene that give the room a luxurious, exquisite feel. Outdoor terraces can be accessed from the ballroom’s ground and balcony levels, where guests can take in unobstructed views of the ship’s open promenades and the Rotterdam port and skyline. Equipped with sound and projection systems, as well as four TFT LCD screens, the Grand Ballroom has space for up to 170 people banquet style.
A number of options are also available for exclusive meetings or private dining functions: the Card Room, a boardroom-style venue for groups of 16; the Library, which seats up to 30 banquet style; the Sun Room, which can hold up to 65 theatre style and connects to an outdoor terrace; and the Sky Room, on the uppermost level of the ship, which can take in groups of 50 banquet style and 70 theatre style. The Sky Room connects to two large terraces, accessible from the back and front of the room.
Johna Baylon
