De Vuurplaats

The place was clean and fresh, with all the facilities and equipment we needed, and the appliances worked. The setting is beautiful, and at this price there isn’t much to complain about. Still, arrival was a letdown. The welcome was quite grumpy, as others have apparently mentioned, with lots of comments about previous guests who’d misbehaved. We did get a helpful explanation of how the heater worked. The cottage and bathroom were cold when we arrived, though it was 5 degrees outside, and the shower tap ran cold. To get hot water in the bathroom, you also had to turn on the kitchen tap. The cottage seemed to sag quite a bit: the kitchen, floors, and roof were all crooked, and it felt dated. One thing to know, the owner prefers cash payment, though that wasn’t mentioned beforehand.

The cottage sits in a nice spot with a beautiful garden. There’s covered bike storage with electricity, so you can conveniently charge outside. But we didn’t find the cottage very clean. When we stripped the beds, there were stains on the pillows, and cobwebs in quite a few places. The fridge hummed terribly and didn’t cool properly. There was a lot of grime left by previous users in the fireplace when we arrived. When we mentioned it, the response was indifferent. The welcome itself felt rushed and uninterested. On leaving, we were told just to leave the key inside, with no goodbye or anything. Very impersonal, like the money was made and it was on to the next one.

Ten out of ten for the whole package. The setting is beautiful, the owner is great, and the cottage was lovely and warm when we arrived. The bedroom, living room, and shower were comfortable and had a nice atmosphere. Until next time. Ineke Smit

We had a wonderful three-night stay at De Vuurplaats. It’s a beautiful B&B with a lovely garden and wide-open views, and the area is great for cycling.