Bitter en Zoet

Location is good for Veenhuizen (Which is small). Good parking in front of the hotel. Nice vibe in the hotel. On sundays they organize a paid guide. It is dog friendly and you can walk in Veenhuizen en enough places to walk the dog. Some tables and chairs for people to lounge and a great restaurant onside! Rooms are quiet big and the bathroom has the size of the room. All well however no coffee machine in the room (waterboiler and coffee). Breakfast was simple and good. Just only one coffee machine so you could have to wait for your coffee.

Went for a UNESCO heritage trip with my Dutch husband. His family lives in the area and recommended this hotel. It's a very interesting location, both the village, the area as the hotel itself. Many things to see and do if local history, walking and cycling are your thing(s). Communication was basic but friendly. Easy to find and beautiful, spacious reception area. Nice range of books about the area and some locally made products. Room was a bit on the old-fashioned side, but a good size and comfortable. History aside, I was also here for some peace and quiet, which is also how the hotel markets itself. This, however, was not achieved. The goings-on and noises and activities were just relentless and rather surprising for such a location. Noise never stopped, which, at least for us, made true relaxation impossible: There's a short increase in traffic (I assume around the time the prison staff starts and night staff leaves), which, if you have a room facing the street, might wake you up, as most cars speed and many have loud music on, which feels entirely out of place. There was a very present continuous hum in our room, we couldn't find the source, maybe a ventilation system or a big cooler somewhere. We were told there's an 11pm curfew, but people stayed on the patio/terrace long after that, laughing and shouting and talking louder and louder, without staff saying anything. My husband asked the restaurant staff to say something, but they replied with something about not wanting to disturb their guests’ fun and it not being their place because there was no management. Wow. Mowing the lawn with an industrial big mower and loudly trimming hedges at 9pm directly adjacent to the terrace, with ear splitting noise and a lot of dust, is just not done. Another guest suggested that it might be for the adjacent surgical clinic, not the hotel. Can't imagine that being the case, but if it is, the hotel should have a conversation with them. Speaking of the surgical clinic: this building was part of the former hospital complex so I assumed it was part of the hotel as well, but somebody told me it wasn't. Either way, it's noisy and it's 24/7 - our first evening stroll through the patch of woodland at the back of the hotel was our last, because the noise of the clinic could be heard throughout, meaning that even in the middle of the night, no quiet can be found. At the other side of that small patch of trees, there are workshops of the prison. During the day, there's a significant amount of noise coming from their ventilation shafts. At least that stops around 4pm, but I'm sure the noise level can be easily decreased with some adjustments or upgrades (I think the same applies to the clinic). There are many deliveries with big trucks. Deliveries are done right through the terrace. So we were sitting outside, as were a few other guests, and had to move inside or walk away a few times because of the insane noise of trucks parked literally two metres from the table

We had a super comfy stay in the lovely Drenthe countryside at this gorgeous hotel. We stayed in one of their stunning apartments. I would recommend the apartments for families staying more than a night or two as other than fine dining in the restaurant there is not a lot else around here so you will need to stock up in the nearest Coop a few kilometres away. There seem to be quite a few corporate events held here with families mainly at the weekend. Breakfast which was included, was great, with a good choice from meats, cheeses, boiled eggs, juice and fresh baked bread as well as hot drinks, yoghurt and granola. The staff were friendly and helpful and you can hire bikes to cycle round the whole site of historic buildings. The rooms were spotlessly clean, bright, comfortable and well appointed with really comfy beds. Our little kitchen area had a sink, hob, pots, pans, cooking utensils and full dining set as well as a fridge, kettle and coffee maker. The dining room served absolutely delicious food but on our first night the service was so exceptionally slow we chose not to return, it may just have been more people that night than the kitchen was expecting as it certainly seemed popular but it took almost 3 hours for 3 courses and we were glad we hadn't chosen the 5 course menu as we might have been there past midnight. In the main accommodation block, the old hospital building, there are conference rooms and a sauna on the ground floor, which you can reserve a time slot for, as well as stairs and a lift to the rooms above. Parking is nearby in the hotel carpark a little across the road from the buildings but it is all very accessible. Would highly recommend this hotel for anyone wishing a quiet break in the country.