Hotel de Heerlickheijd van Ermelo

I had a great, memorable 3D2N stay at this hotel for a symposium. The rooms were clean and comfortable. The staff were dedicated, friendly, approachable and helpful, especially the food and beverage team. The food was delicious, and nicely prepared and presented.

The pictures were misleading and didn't reflect the place. It felt extremely old-fashioned, more like a mental hospital than a retreat, and we regretted choosing to stay there. The atmosphere wasn't nice, and the place needs modernization and some care. We asked for a double bed but got twin beds instead. Staff weren't helpful, and we got conflicting information from different people. To me, it seemed the staff on the first evening just weren't willing to help with anything, even though they could have.

The room was spacious, but it wasn't cleaned at all during our four-night stay. We had to ask reception, and even then they only emptied the trash.

The grounds and building are impressive, and the staff were generally very polite. The restaurant also served amazing food with great service, though the portions were tiny and the prices very high. The pool looked beautiful and was a good size, but it was freezing. Staff insisted it was fine, even though other guests were complaining too. They suggested the spa for €10, but its jacuzzi was cold as well. We ended up spending €20 to rent robes just to cope with the cold water. Not cool. The rooms feel like a cheap motel, maybe two or three stars, and need renovating. The whole place felt almost empty, like a ghost town. Maybe that's why they keep the pool cold to save money, who knows. It's a shame, because it has so much potential to be a lively, well-run, up-to-date business. When we raised the pool issue, we were told there wasn't even a manager available.