Concierge.com's insider take:

Don't weep, Anouska Hempel fans, Blakes is alive and well. It just has a new name (since October 2004). The owners are new too, but the management is the same, as are Hempel's trademark touches, familiar from Blakes London and Paris's Louis Vuitton flagship store in St-Germain-des-Prés. Both London-based Lady Weinberg's flamboyant style and her minimal phase are on display here: There are Oriental–rock 'n' roll rooms in cardinal-red and cream; more natural rooms under the eaves with exposed beams, in whites and wicker; Japanese rooms in black, navy, and beige; and spice-trader East India rooms in cinnamon, mahogany, and black lacquer. In a word: theatrical. Improvements include video-on-demand on flat-screen TVs and high-speed Internet in the rooms. Under the direction of Executive Chef Dennis Kuipers, the restaurant, which was renamed Vinkeles in July 2008, remains exclusive and exciting—serving North African–inflected French cuisine such as roast Anjou pigeon with five spices. Kuipers also oversees the more casual Mediterranean-style Terrace restaurant. Bikes (cheap) and captained boats (not cheap) are rentable, both of which are handy around Leidseplein.