Hotel Iselmar

The whirlpool bathroom and breakfast were the best parts of our two-night stay. We really enjoyed it during our two-week trip around the Netherlands. The town centre and beach are both quick to reach by bike.

We had a family room with a lovely, peaceful harbour view, and it came with a big safe. The room also had a kettle, though the badly placed wall sockets made it awkward to use. There was usually no desk or table near them, so we had to boil water by the TV. The breakfast wasn't great, with fresh vegetables limited to tomatoes and cucumbers. The fitness room was small and poorly ventilated. The pool was worse for fresh air: we couldn't find a window to open, and there was so much chlorine in the water that my eyes started aching after a few minutes underwater. There's a table tennis table on the first floor in the middle of the hotel, but the cleaning staff left wheeled shelving right beside it, leaving little room to play. They were still cleaning until around 3 pm on one Monday. We moved the shelves aside, but they put them back and kept walking very close to us while we played. We've stayed at a few sports hotels, and the owner should give the staff a better sense of what playing sports requires 😅

Getting here by public transport is very difficult since the hotel is far from the big cities. We had to pay hundreds of euros to get here from Amsterdam airport.

The suite was huge, and its layout worked really well for our family. The living room opened onto the balcony and led to one bedroom without a door, but that room still felt suitably separate. The bathroom and the other bedroom were by the entrance, behind doors, and connected to the living room by a fairly long hall. The kids could have their own space while the parents stayed up being active. Even in rainy weather, there was plenty to do here, so it's a great off-season spot for an active family. There's an indoor pool, table tennis, squash, bowling, and a fitness area. More serious athletes might find the gym lacking, though. For a sports hotel, it would need a power or squat rack and barbells.