Karaoke Bar 'Duke of Tokyo' Best Concept Entertainment + more Entrance Awards

The annual Entree Award Ceremony offers insight into the latest trends and inspiration in the broad hospitality sector. The karaoke trend is finally breaking through in the Netherlands. The beautiful total concept Duke of Tokio in Rotterdam, winner in the Entertainment category, has certainly contributed to this advance. In the area of ​​year-round terraces, Grandcafé Van Heeckeren on Ameland offers an exemplary function.

On December 2, the Entree Awards were presented in Theater Amsterdam: professional awards for the best new bars, restaurants, hotels and hospitality professionals. The election is an initiative of the independent hospitality platform Entree Magazine. Below, we highlight a few award winners whose concepts can be a source of inspiration for the recreation sector.

Duke of Tokyo (photo: Tatiana van Waveren)

Best New Entertainment Concept: Duke of Tokyo

The mix between doing something and catering increasingly merges. In this category, the jury looked at concepts in which the guest actively participates. Think of something sporty or karaoke, surrounded by good catering. In this type of catering, the two elements reinforce each other, which increases the length of stay of guests.

From the jury report: “At this third and largest Duke of Tokyo location in Rotterdam, you can feel the years of experience combined with a drive for innovation and boundless ambition from the entrepreneurs. A top-class Japanese restaurant, Izakaya Duki, has been added to the cocktail bar and private karaoke rooms. This perfectly completes the trendsetting karaoke concept and secures the win in this category.”

More information: www.dukeoftokyo.com

Terrace Van Heeckeren Ameland

Best Year-round Terrace: Van Heeckeren Ameland

Van Heeckeren Grandcafé is located in the centre of Nes on Ameland. Guests can sit outside on the terrace all year round and do so. Owner Harold van Workum chose a few years ago to place the outside doors a few metres inwards and to enlarge the terrace of Van Heeckeren Grandcafé to 250 seats. About 80% of the turnover comes from the terrace.

From the Jury Report: “Crackling fires, comfortable sofas, atmospheric corners… once you’ve settled down here, you’ll never want to go home. At least, we didn’t. Van Heeckeren has perfected the rapid scaling up and down. During peak times, they create extra seating at record speed, but when it’s quiet (though that surely hardly ever happens), it’s also incredibly cozy here. We thought the original corn/popcorn pans that children get to throw into the fire themselves were an absolute highlight. Very fun and original!”

Blendin Bloemendaal

Best New Boutique Hotel: Blendin Bloemendaal

Jeroen Postma's luxury boutique hotel Blendin can be found in the dunes of Bloemendaal and opened in March 2024. There are 49 rooms with natural beach colors and round shapes. There is a bar for breakfast, coffee or cocktails. On the first floor of the annex there are also three suites, a sauna and an infinity pool on the roof. It is a hotel with a storyline, based on the books of the naturalist Jac P. Thijsse.

From the jury report: “Blendin Bloemendaal presents a beautifully thought-out concept that breathes the story of JP Thijsse and the surrounding nature. The hotel combines art, literature, and the natural environment in a way that leaves a deep impression on visitors. Upon arrival, guests feel as though they are stepping into another world, where every detail – from typewriters to art objects – is carefully coordinated to support this story. The 'slow application' approach ensures a relaxed experience, offering a special experience for those seeking peace and inspiration.”

Overview Entrance Award Winners:

Below you will find a list of all winners of an Entree Award, with a link to more information on the Entree Magazine website.

Iris Kranenburg (Editor-in-Chief Entree Magazine) presents the Award for 'catering entrepreneur of the year' to Robin Bravenboer (m). (Photo: Pim Ras)

Catering trends

Iris Kranenburg, jury chair and editor-in-chief of Entree Magazine, once again observed many hospitality developments among the nominees. “In more and more restaurants, the playlist is being replaced by a DJ who starts spinning during dinner. Diners linger longer and order that cocktail after all. Moreover, a new group of guests is showing up for drinks and bites. This trend is expected to develop further.”

Rooftops are also on trend, according to Kranenburg: “Anyone visiting New York or London won't leave without visiting a good rooftop. By now, Amsterdam is also a serious contender. In a short time, several large rooftops with a wow factor have opened there: Ventuno, Selva, Hasta La Vista, Baby!, and LuminAir. Notably, they are all located in hotels.”

Source and more information: www.entreemagazine.nl

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