De Kruumte

The boat itself was clean, roomy, and nice. But the rental timing seemed set up so you'd probably pay a late-return penalty. On a busy day, you can get stuck in traffic, as we did, and returning 30 minutes late cost as much as the 1.5-hour rental we'd paid for.

The boat was good, but the place seemed more interested in taking your money than giving good service. They warned us upfront that late returns cost extra, yet on a busy day the route marked as a one-hour tour can take as long as two hours, so finishing on time feels impossible. The man there wouldn't help. When I paid cash and asked for a receipt, he wrote one out by hand on a piece of paper. Try somewhere else.

They call it a hotel and restaurant, but it felt more like bed and reluctant breakfast. The restaurant was shut for both lunch and dinner, with no explanation. We had to fill out a form saying what we wanted for breakfast, and there wasn't even an extra morsel on the table when we went down. The two older women running the place seemed unaware that making guests comfortable is at the heart of hospitality. Check-in was limited to a four-hour window, from 2 pm to 6 pm. There were bugs in the beds.

The rooms were clean and spacious, and the place works well for families. Breakfast was generous and matched exactly what you ordered the day before. Free customer parking is a big plus when visiting the village, and you can rent a boat just outside for a reasonably priced trip around the lake and canals. Great service.