Grand Belle Vue

Breakfast was amazing, with high-quality French ingredients and style, and the staff were very welcoming. The location is ideal, right by the central plaza, surrounded by shops and within walking distance of the train stations. It’s a historic building, and apparently Mozart stayed at this hotel for a month. Maintenance could be better, though it was good enough overall.

I’m not convinced by the story about Mozart staying here, since the hotel was built long after he died. I’m also doubtful about the claim that they say “get your refund and go away.” The staff and management have gone out of their way to make my stay memorable. It’s a lovely hotel, and I’ll definitely return.

The breakfast was easily the best continental one we’ve had in ten years. There was a huge selection of breads, pastries, at least five kinds of ham and cheese, smoked salmon, fruit salad and three other fruits, cava, and freshly squeezed orange and apple juice. The hot choices were limited to precooked bacon, fried eggs, and small omelettes. Service was very good without getting in the way. We had a premium triple room, 205, with a spacious double bed and a separate room off it with another single bed. The bathroom was large, clean, and luxuriously fitted, with a jacuzzi bath and shower and a double sink. We also enjoyed the balcony overlooking the street, where we could people-watch and hear a Saturday night jazz concert from the neighbouring bar. The hotel is comfortable and well run, in the central Belle Epoque area of De Haan. Being in town does mean a little more noise than in a residential area, but closing the windows and using the air conditioning at night worked. I can’t recommend it highly enough.

I tried to book one 35m2 room for my family of four. The details on the hotel website suggested it could sleep four, and a booking site even listed two fold-down sofa beds as well as a double bed. I paid the full amount upfront, which was non-refundable and not cheap, only to have the hotel reject the booking because they said the information on the website was wrong. Luckily, I got a refund, but I’d already wasted time trying to find a nice hotel in London. The whole thing made us feel unwanted, as if they just wanted to refund us and send us away. I won’t try booking here again.