Chris Eldermann

Review of Van der Valk Hotel Emmeloord

Update 2017: Unfortunately, the hotel has deterior...

Update 2017: Unfortunately, the hotel has deteriorated a lot and in many ways: In the arrangement, the second dinner was canceled so that you get around 25 euros less for the same money (99 ). The rooms could slowly be renovated, they are now very musty as the ventilation is catastrophic as described below. In the past you could find halfway German-speaking staff at the reception and in the restaurant, we could only communicate in Dutch and English. Electric bikes were booked in advance but not available, they would be "under repair" ... Whoever thinks ...
The worst thing, however, is the check-out: Despite a booked arrangement for 200 euros (plus a few additional costs for bike and drinks) we should only pay over 900 euros (!) Because everything was billed at normal prices. The corrected invoice was still over 350 euros and only when we went through each item individually did the correct invoice come about. BAD! Whoever pulls out the credit card prematurely in good faith will be annoyed when he gets home. In 2018 we will probably try the Hotel Voorhuys ...

And here is my report, which reports on nicer short breaks but unfortunately can no longer do without the above corrections.

We have stayed at this hotel three times for the tulip bloom at the end of April / beginning of May and always very satisfied. At that time there is an arrangement every year: 2 nights in a double room with breakfast and 3-course dinner (excluding drinks) for 99 euros per person. The location is quiet, but easy to reach from Germany via the autobahn. It is a few kilometers to the city center. Entire rabbit families can be admired in front of the hotel, an indication of the rural environment.

The rooms are very spacious, the bathrooms even more: the showers are approx. 1x1 m and despite the additional bathtub, the bathroom is still not cramped. Everything is very clean and just comfortable and spacious. There are only a few German channels on the TV in the room, but WiFi in the room is free.
We had an additional bed set up for our child, but there is still enough space in the room for two armchairs and a table. Alternatively, there are also 2 identical rooms with connecting doors to live with the children but sleep separately (70 euros surcharge for two nights, absolutely reasonable). There are only 4 of these rooms with a connecting door in the hotel, so reserve in good time!
Two drawbacks with the rooms: You don't have a terrace to yourself, very wide corridors run around in front of the windows, so that sometimes people stand or walk past the window.
Second drawback: the ventilation! There is no window that you can leave open (even at night). The door can be hooked in, but the air gap is then only 1-2 cm wide, so there is not really any fresh air in the huge room. Since the rooms apparently have NO air conditioning, I can't imagine how warm it is in summer. In May the rooms were warmed up, but still on the verge of pain in terms of fresh air.

The breakfast buffet is rich and leaves nothing to be desired: salmon, scrambled eggs, muesli, sausages, cheeses and jams, types of bread, coffee, tea, cappuccino, latte, chocolate
the menus are in Dutch and English, with little German in between. The waiters are also less geared towards German, but they all speak English well. The food tastes great, drinks at reasonable prices.
The same applies here: the restaurant is very warm! They were also all dressed up, so leave your slippers in your room!
You can rent bicycles in the hotel (around 6 euros a day), there are around 20 of them, all of which are easily adjustable in height. E-bikes cost around 30 euros.
Check-in and check-out is quick and easy with German-speaking staff, payment by VISA card or EC card (WARNING 2017: see text above!). We are VERY satisfied for the price and will be back for the 2015 tulip bloom.