Infinite sandy beaches, dunes and dykes, numerous watersports facilities and an overall amazing coastline are only some of the details that make the North Sea in the Netherlands perfect for a vacation by the water. And since we’re talking about the Netherlands, we can’t not talk about flower fields as well. Even more if adjacent to those famous flower fields there’s an equally impressive beach resort.
The Noordwijk Beach, Europe’s famous floral beach resort back in the 19th century is the one we’re talking about here. Initially a fishermen village in the 1200’s, Noordwijk aan Zee – Zee means fisherman – is most known nowadays for its 13 kilometers of beautiful coastline, with dune-backed soft sandy beaches. It’s the perfect place for relaxation and leisure activities in the Netherlands, and the wide range of fancy hotels, fine restaurants and high quality venues provide attract the right kind of clients.
One such resort is the iconic Grand Hotel Huis ter Duin which seems to dominate Noordwijk’s wonderful coastline with its iconic presence. For over a century, Grand Hotel Huis ter Duin overlooked the lovely grass covered dunes and the peaceful sandy beaches of the North Sea, charming its guests with chich suites and penthouses and stunning sea views.
First Impression
Grand Hotel Huis ter Duin is part of the LVX collection of Preferred Hotels & Resorts, a splendid place both inside and outside, with majestic views of the North Sea and the comfortable feel of a small town. Situated only 20 minutes away from Amsterdam’s Schipol Airport, this high end hotel combines luxury, tranquility, comfort and privacy.
The hotel welcomes anyone looking for an excellent five star experience, with romantic dinners and peaceful strolls on the beach, family fun and watersports, amazing spa and lounges in the sun, all of it accompanied by stunning sea views. The hotel’s nice beach bar and the two great restaurants complete the picture.
And if that wasn’t enough to make you believe that Grand Hotel Huis ter Duin is the perfect vacation place in the Netherlands, you should know that during the Nuclear Security Summit of 2014, the embassy of the United States of America chose the same hotel for Barack Obama and the entire presidential staff due to the hotel’s location and its overall quality.
Accommodation
This hotel welcomes its guests with a total of 250 extravagant rooms and suites and 4 sophisticated penthouses, with all the facilities one could ever hope for in a five star hotel. We’ve stayed in one of their “Charming Large Rooms”, with a small balcony, minibar, Wi-Fi access, 24 hour room service, a spacious work area, a safe for your precious items and lots of pleasant little amenities.
The bathroom has everything you could possibly need for complete relaxation, with bathrobes, hairdryer and toiletries provided by Rituals. Rooms are spacious and light, painted in warm colors with a unique but elegant interior design, and exceeded our every expectation. The large double rooms add little extras that will boost your comfort and wonderful panoramic views of the sea and the landscape around.
Eating & Drinking
When it comes to eating and drinking, their exquisite one-star Michelin restaurant, Restaurant Latour, is the perfect place to serve some of the most tasteful dishes in the country matched with high quality wines and outstanding hospitality. Their recipes are a blend of tradition with international tastes, cooked and prepared with great attention to detail and an immense care for the environment.
The haute cuisine that characterizes Restaurant Latour combined with a relaxing ambiance and the stunning natural setting of the entire resort make for an unparalleled culinary experience.
Besides the restaurant, there’s also the Brasserie La Terrasse and the superb Breakers Beach house, both of them overlooking the magnificent coastline of the North Sea and the lovely adjacent dune landscape, with a terrace that’s open in the warm season for more romantic dining experiences with astonishing sea views.
The brasserie offers informal lunches as well, with drinks of all sorts and a delicious Afternoon High Tea. Their menu covers a great selection of lunches, dinners, appetizers, good wines and various other drinks. One of their specialties is the ‘Bentobox’, a Japanese style lunchbox full of appetizing dishes of Breakers, with plenty of options to satisfy any taste.
Spa & Wellness
If their alluring restaurant and lovely terrace overlooking the sea aren’t relaxing enough, there’s always the option of trying the MC Wellness, which is the former Huis ter Duin Wellness Centre modernized and reopened under a new name.
MC Wellness is all about luxury and pampering. They’ve got no less than three beauty salons with fully adjustable chairs rotating 330 degrees for their guests to receive facial and full massages, manicure and pedicure all in one place, without even leaving the initial chair. For full comfort there are separate sound, temperature and aromatherapy systems immersing you in a rich world of warmth, scent and sound. The most inviting of all the MC Wellness salons is one of their four massage salons offering hot-stone massage.
For those who want a little more, they’ve got unique spa treatments with the famous brand QMS Medicosmetics, a gym, an indoor swimming pool and a sauna.
Final Thoughts
Grand Hotel Huis ter Duin is easily one of the most incredible hotels in the Netherlands. Their amazing facilities in that fantastic setting, right on the North Sea coastline, with astonishing sea views and wonderful rooms, left us speechless the minute we arrived here.
Classic and modern at the same time, with a lot of options for nice walks on the shore and their superb beach house restaurant, Grand Hotel Huis ter Duin really makes your days there memorable. Our stay there was unforgettable and we would recommend this hotel to anyone who’s got the chance to try it.
Where: Grand Hotel Huis ter Duin
Kon. Astrid Boulevard 5, 2202 BK Noordwijk, Netherlands
Phone: +31 71 361 9220
Website: www.huisterduin.com
Grand Hotel Huis ter Duin
Pros
- Perfect Location
- Historic Charm
- Excellent Dining Options
- World Class Staff
Cons
- Poor WiFi
- Got a speeding ticket in Noordwijk 🙂
