THE JULY ACQUIRES LANDMARK HOTEL IN AMSTERDAM SOUTH TO SUSTAINABLY REVIVE INTO A VIBRANT APARTMENT-HOTEL

The July continues its expansion with the acquisition of the former Holiday Inn Amsterdam South. The hotel was acquired from Invesco Real Estate, the US$90bn global real estate investment manager. The transformation, over time, of the existing building into a full-service apartment hotel is set to become The July’s seventh location as part of an international roll out supported by shareholders APG (on behalf of it’s pension fund client ABP) and Aware Super. The July will embark on an ambitious and sustainable renovation before re-opening to service locals, professionals and travellers alike.

“We are thrilled with this new milestone, our fourth property in Amsterdam adding to our locations in London, Dublin and Lisbon” says Alexander Goad, CEO. “This acquisition and renovation aligns perfectly with our commitment to serve the neighbourhoods that we operate in, alongside modern travellers and relocating professionals who seek flexible stays. The July will honour the legacy of the building’s sixties architecture, whilst developing our signature concept including spaces for the local community to chill out - or work. As our largest brown-to-green regeneration of an existing building, we’re thrilled to be able to breathe new life into this historic landmark and call another Amsterdam neighbourhood home.”

The area is a natural fit for The July. The building is located at De Boelelaan 2, the intersection of Amsterdam’s business district and much-loved neighbourhoods. The property sits close to De Pijp and Amsterdam South, two locales fond amongst residents for their charming architecture, boutiques, restaurants and cafes. In addition, the luscious greenery at Amstelpark plus the spectacularly scenic tour along the Amstel to Ouderkerk both lie within arm’s reach. The tram and metro station, RAI convention centre and many international HQs are within walking distance. Plans to grow Amsterdam South’s train station to include a new Eurostar terminal are also underway. 

Designed by celebrated Dutch architects A.Bodon and J.H. Ploeger in the late 1960’s, The July’s vision for the property is to celebrate and restore the asset’s modernist design. The design approach will seamlessly fuse mid-century modernist principles with contemporary details. The aim is to preserve the charm & integrity of the once-celebrated property, with the transformation of hotel rooms into spacious apartments, co-working spaces, wellness areas and much more. As part of The July’s ongoing dedication to reduce travel footprint, the building will be BREEAM certified with a strong aim to run carbon neutral operations. 

Advisors

The July has been advised by Lexence and EY. Invesco Real Estate was represented by Taylor Wessing, PWC and CBRE. The acquisition and development is financed by ABN AMRO with a view to be part of their Green Loan arrangement after practical completion.

About The July

The July is a growing, award-winning apartment hotel group whose mission is to combine the most valued aspects of apartment living with thoughtful hotel service. Together with shareholders APG (one of the largest pension providers in the Netherlands) and Aware Super (one of Australia’s largest pension funds), it shares the long-term vision to create apartment hotels with a personalised and modern hospitality mindset.

The apartment hotel group offers fully equipped apartments that reflect their neighbourhoods by design, with amenities such as gyms & wellness areas plus in-room service. A key focus for all locations is the incorporation of innovative sustainability solutions at every guest touchpoint with a sincere mission to create future-proof, energy efficient buildings. 

The apartment hotels are suited for business and leisure travellers, neighbours and residents. All groups are brought together under an innovative long and short stay model. The group currently has 3 open properties in Amsterdam (The July Boat & Co, The July Twenty Eight & ID Aparthotel) with 4 more in development - London, Dublin,  Lisbon & Amsterdam South Axis.

The July is a fully integrated owner-operator and can acquire development sites and turnkey deliveries. Target developments include new builds, (office) conversions, mixed-use schemes and existing hotel conversions of 4.000 to 20.000 square metres in prime European capital city locations.

The July rebranded from City ID in November 2023.

About APG

As the largest pension provider in the Netherlands APG looks after the pensions of 4.8 million participants. APG provides executive consultancy, asset management, pension administration, pension communication and employer services. APG works for pension funds and employers in the sectors of education, government, construction, cleaning, housing associations, sheltered employment organisations, medical specialists, and architects. APG manages approximately € 569 billion (Dec 2023) in pension assets. There are approximately 3,000 employees working from Heerlen, Amsterdam, Brussels, New York, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Beijing.

About Aware Super

Aware Super is one of Australia’s top-performing and largest profit-for-member pension funds managing A$170 billion AUM to deliver the strongest risk-adjusted returns for our 1.1 million members. As one of the top 50 institutional investors globally, they typically take an active management approach across alternative assets, including infrastructure, real estate and private equity, and additionally allocate to liquid markets. Returns for their A$10 billion property portfolio are driven by a globally-diversified program which focuses on living, industrial, office upgrades, self-storage, life sciences and cold storage. 

Media enquiries
Simika Nayyar
Marketing Director
simika.nayyar@thejuly.com