The rich history of Amrâth Grand Hotel de l’Empereur

When you exit the station and step onto the Stationsplein, one building immediately catches your eye: Amrâth Grand Hotel de l’Empereurr, also known as ‘La Grande Dame’. This stately corner building, located at Stationsweg and Parallelweg, is instantly recognizable by its unique tower topped with a golden emperor’s crown. The building sparks the imagination: an atmosphere of luxury and elegance that takes you back to the twenties, with men in tuxedos and women in long skirts and pearls, while an orchestra plays and the scent of cigars lingers.

What makes this special hotel so unique, and what stories lie hidden behind its imposing façade?

Origin and architecture

In 1901, Ernest Bosch, owner of the De Keyzer Steam Brewery, purchased the plot where the hotel would be built. ‘Grand Hotel de l’Empereur’ refers to the brewery ‘De Keyzer’, which means ‘The Emperor’ in French. The hotel was built in the Jugendstil, also called ‘Nouveaux’ style, and features interior artworks by renowned artists such as Gertie Bierenbroodspot, Emile Cornelis, Ger Stallenberg, and Guy Olivier.

The design commission was given to architect Jacobus van Gils from Rotterdam. Construction took place between 1901 and 1903, with the first guests welcomed in 1902. The hotel was originally built as a ‘railway hotel’, given its location near the station.

Renovations and growth

The hotel started with 40 rooms. In the 1980s, an expansion on Parallelweg added another 40 rooms. A major renovation from 2002 to 2006 further increased the number of rooms to 150 and added modern meeting facilities under the name ‘Les Grands Salons & Fêtes’.

In 2004, the façade was cleaned using a special laser technique that cleans the fragile façade without causing damage. The interior of the original part of the hotel and the restaurant were thoroughly renovated between 2016 and 2018. The façade restoration in 2020 restored the original colors and details, carefully carried out by specialized companies.

Beautiful facade details

Take your time to admire the façade carefully: the signage on Parallelweg, the golden frogs, owls, and monkey heads, the Burgundian balconies, and the sculptures of waiters and staff on the tower. Even Adriaan, the hotel cat, is immortalized as a statue on the façade.

Each of these is a unique artwork that tells the story of the hotel.

The hotel of today

Today, Amrâth Grand Hotel de l’Empereur offers 149 rooms, a restaurant, bar, swimming pool, and seven multifunctional meeting rooms for over 1,000 guests. The impressive ‘Grand Ballroom’ accommodates 450 guests, making the hotel a popular venue for events.

A special anecdote
Did you know that the hotel even had a casino in its early days? Thanks to its location on the border of Maastricht and Meerssen, with entrances on both sides, the ‘underworld’ was able to operate cleverly here without too much police interference. This colorful piece of history adds to the character and mystique of the hotel.
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