"The breakfast was genuinely excellent, but unfortunately the room itself did not feel like a four-star hotel experience.
Starting with the positives: the room was spacious and had a fridge, a coffee machine with several types of coffee, a TV, and separate bathroom and toilet facilities. The air conditioning could also be used for heating, and the shower had a thermostat.
Breakfast was by far the highlight of the stay. There was a very good selection: watermelon, melon, apples, bananas and mandarins; fried eggs, omelettes and boiled eggs; tasty small hash browns, bacon and sausages; several types of cheese and cold cuts; various appetizers; a huge selection of pastries and breads; freshly made pancakes; different jams and toppings; yoghurts and several juices. The coffee from the machine was good, and several types of milk were available.
However, even breakfast had one rather absurd disappointment. I arrived quite early and managed to get exactly one piece of Brie before it disappeared. When I asked, I was told that there was simply no more Brie available. How does a four-star hotel run out of a basic breakfast item at the beginning of breakfast service? Have the Dutch suddenly stopped producing cheese?
Unfortunately, the room had a much longer list of problems.
There were no slippers, toothbrush or toothpaste. The kettle connection was located in a very inconvenient and strange place. Some of the furniture was visibly worn, with certain parts actually damaged. The so-called bedside tables were almost useless — basically just an extremely narrow strip of surface with hardly enough room to put anything on.
One of the strangest design decisions is the window between the bathroom and the bedroom. There is no proper way to cover, darken or close it. I genuinely cannot understand who thought this was a good idea.
The floors in the bathroom and toilet were extremely cold. The shower gel and shampoo were placed by the sink rather than inside the shower, which is simply inconvenient. One of my towels was dirty. Despite having a thermostatic shower, the water temperature fluctuated wildly while showering. There was also visible dirt or mould around some of the silicone seals and tile joints.
Wi-Fi reception in the room was poor as well.
Overall, I do not think this hotel deserves four stars. A large room, a TV, a coffee machine and some furniture do not automatically make a room comfortable. Comfort comes from cleanliness, sensible design, convenient facilities and basic amenities being available without having to ask for them.
The excellent breakfast was the one part of the stay that really lived up to — and perhaps exceeded — four-star expectations. The room itself unfortunately did not."
