The Secret of Hotel New York (2026)

Hotel New York is more than a Rotterdam landmark; it is a living chronicle of the city itself. Built in 1901 as the headquarters of the Holland-America Line, the building has stood through more than a century of trade, migration, conflict, downturn, and urban rebirth. Blending rich archival research with varied interviews, the film pairs intimate memories from people who knew the building from within with the broader story of Rotterdam’s growth as a port city. Tracing its path from office headquarters to squatted property and finally to hotel, The Secret of Hotel New York reveals how this resilient icon embodies Rotterdam’s remarkable ability to reinvent itself.