We drew up a design for a Holiday Inn Express right beside the main railway station in Rotterdam. The project involved converting a 1980s office building into a contemporary hotel with 214 rooms. The shops below and offices above remained in operation during the conversion period, which took only five months to complete. A new staircase in the atrium connects the compact entrance at ground level with the lobby and reception on the first floor. We designed with public space in the hotel with a robust, ‘no nonsense’ character that harmonises with the image of the city of Rotterdam. As a result, behind a rather anonymous facade, hotel guests enjoy an authentic and unique experience and can feel at home in Rotterdam.