Rotterdam, the second largest city in The Netherlands after Amsterdam, lies at the heart of the densely populated and industrialised triangle of London, Paris, and the German Ruhr district and at the mouths of the Rhine and the Meuse, and open to the North Sea. The amount of sea-transported goods that pass through Rotterdam’s harbour and that of its outport, Europoort, is the largest in the world in terms of capacity.  In the 17th century, when the discovery of the sea route to the Indies gave an enormous impetus to Dutch commerce and shipping, Rotterdam literally rose from its ashes after its devastation by bombing during World War II with a totally new inner city which was laid out with a spacious and innovative architecture, oriented towards the river and a series of experiments at complete city planning.

The Mainport Hotel is located on the banks of the river Maas, offering sweeping views of the water and skyline. The hotel overlooks the Leuvehaven, the city's oldest harbour with its collection of vintage barges and cranes, and is five minutes walk from the iconic Erasmus Bridge. With most of the city's major attractions within a 15-minute walk, it's in a pretty perfect position. There's even a water-taxi stop on one side, and a Metro station on the other.