Amsterdam closes hotel after explosion

The municipality of Amsterdam closed the Hotel Parkview on Korte van Eeghenstraat indefinitely on Thursday. Two incidents involving explosives at the hotel seriously affected public order and put local residents in danger, which is why Mayor Femke Halsema decided to close the hotel immediately, the municipality said in a statement.

During the early hours of July 6th an explosive went of at a home next to Hotel Parkview, causing considerable damage to the home, the hotel and the buildings around them. "Despite the fact that various scenarios are still being investigated, detectives are taking into account the possibility that the explosive on 6 July was targeted at the hotel", the city said.

This is partly due to another incident involving an explosive at the hotel. During the early hours of 24 October 2018, a hand grenade was thrown into the porch of Hotel Parkview. The grenade did not explode, but as its pin was removed the police believe that it was meant to.

The explosion and grenade seriously affected life in the area and seriously disrupted public order, the city said. "This also caused social unrest and feelings of insecurity among local residents. The presence of explosives in public spaces seriously endangers the safety of local residents and affects public order. Given the severity of these facts, the mayor decided to close the hotel immediately and indefinitely", the city said.