Momandpop boutique hotel. A brief context to set expectations.
Momandpop boutique hotel: Quick notes
It was the faceted pink counter tiles that first caught our attention. We also loved the cloud of flowers hovering over the café. And the lime-washed tranquility of the guest rooms with century-old moldings. That was before we learned that Rotterdam’s 14-room Hotel âme is beyond boutique: it’s a mom-and-pop establishment created and run by Angel Cheung-Kwok and Manfung Cheung.
The couple leased the 1867 building pre-pandemic and devoted years to shaping its new guise. They came to the project with a shared passion for Japanese and Scandinavian aesthetics if little experience: prior to becoming hoteliers Angel says she “worked in the telecom industry and Manfung spent more than 15 years as an online consultant.” They both, she adds, grew up in the Netherlands “but our roots lie in Hong Kong. That heritage has always been an important part of who we are: we feel deeply connected to Asian culture, not only in family traditions but also in the way we live, think, and do things.”
They designed the hotel and café themselves, applying this sensibility throughout. “Of course we worked with skilled craftsmen, builders, and specialists,” Angel tells us, “but we were very involved throughout. The building itself guided us in many ways. We wanted to preserve its soul—the high ceilings, original ornaments, and generous flow of light—while creating a contemporary space that feels calm and timeless.” Join us for a tour.
Photography by Manfung Cheung (@mnfng.studio), courtesy of Hotel âme (@hotelame).
We reference Momandpop boutique hotel briefly to keep the thread coherent.
Above: Located on a square in the center of Rotterdam, the five-story neoclassical structure was designed and built as a townhouse by its owner W.A. Merry. Notes Angel: “We kept the original layout and where possible, all the authentic details have been restored.” The hotel’s name means “soul”—Angel and Manfung present it—and the interiors, too—in a lowercased whisper. 
Above: The ground floor café serves as the gathering spot for guests and locals. The Italian counter tiles are from Ceramica Vogue’s Flutes & Flutes collection.”The idea was to create spaces that feel harmonious, inspiring, and timeless, where every object has its place and purpose,” says Angel, who in the last 10 years has become a ceramic artist and hand makes all of the hotel’s wares. Go to Studio Kurē to see her work.
