Hotel De Bonte Wever Assen

We paid nearly €500 for an all-inclusive overnight stay at De Bonte Wever for our son’s birthday, and it was a stressful, disappointing experience. We felt unwelcome and badly treated, like a number instead of respectable guests. For what we paid, the customer care was deplorable and the whole all-inclusive setup felt like a mockery. I wouldn’t recommend the hotel or call it good value for money. Check-in opens strictly at 3pm, and the queues were long and, to us, concentration camp-like. Our room was moderate but nicely presented. The hotel advertises plenty of indoor activities, but most weren’t practically available. Only a few needed booking; other guests monopolized the rest for hours, so we couldn’t use them. When we asked for the pool table items, the staff member in charge said they weren’t available, although we could see the cue sticks. A few minutes later, a family with two teens asked the same woman and she gave them the very items she’d just said weren’t available. Breakfast was the worst part. We misunderstood the closing time and arrived shortly after 10am, thinking breakfast ended at 10:30. Food was still out and other guests were eating, but we were rudely told not to touch it. My husband said we wouldn’t take long because we had to check out. Three minutes later, the restaurant manager ordered us to stop eating and leave immediately, in an exceptionally condescending and rude manner. We left and complained to the hotel manager. She arranged a simple snack and a drink each, and seemed to already know about the restaurant staff member involved.

The pools were a real highlight, and there was entertainment for adults and children alike. We had a lovely holiday here, with friendly staff and very good food with lots of variety and plenty to go around. The all-inclusive plan was a big hit. We’ll definitely be back in the future.

CafeStraat, the fun zone, was a nice spot, especially with live music every night. The pool tables, table football and darts are dated and overdue for an upgrade, and the three arcade machines look ancient. The pools were nice and the kids loved them, though they got very crowded on weekends. I’m not sure whether there’s a limit on how many people can use them. The rooms were just okay for a four-star hotel. Our bathroom was old, in terrible shape and not cleaned properly. We also lost the internet in our room for three days, and nobody came to fix it after we complained. We chose the seven-day all-inclusive package, and I’d advise others not to make the same mistake. It didn’t feel all-inclusive, more like a restricted deal where you can only get what they offer at times that suit them. For example, pool bar snacks were available from 1:30 to 4:30 pm. Arrive a minute early or late and you couldn’t be served unless you paid. You could order only about 20% of the snack menu. There were no ice creams or sweets included. I heard plenty of other guests complain about this too. The food was okay. Breakfast was a bit boring and repetitive, and lunch was much the same each day. On two of our seven days there was no bread at lunch, even after I asked twice. Dinner was great and partly made up for the earlier meals. All in all, I’d call it a generous 3-minus. We won’t return if things stay as they are.

We were here for a dance competition, and the service was the biggest letdown. Buffet hours get changed whenever they like, and some staff were rude and unprofessional. After 9 pm the only food available was fries. When we asked about bringing in outside food, they said we could, but would have to eat it in the lobby because it hadn’t been bought at the hotel. There weren’t any proper options available at that hour. The rooms were clean but extremely basic, and the food was just okay. For us, this was a 2.5-star stay at best, nowhere near the advertised four stars. They need to learn how to treat paying guests.