Boat Opoe Sientje

We had a special stay in our own boat, the Poolster. The atmosphere was lively during the day, then peaceful at night. Loved it!

A super chill, cool place, and clearly very popular. Lots of people hang around drinking and relaxing until late. The rooms are cute, but since it's a boat, the mattress has a slightly quirky shape. There's also a ceiling window without proper blinds, so sunlight comes in early. That meant late nights with the other guests and early mornings because of the light.

Hotel Boat 'Opoe Sjiente' has a cozy, nostalgic feel, with boat interiors and decorations that bring the 1800s to mind in a tasteful, balanced way. The setting is picturesque, with lovely scenery on the horizon, and the central location makes it easy to shop and explore Nijmegen. It offers a distinctive alternative to an ordinary hotel. The staff stood out: friendly, professional, and very talkative, which added a personal touch. Their English was good too, so communicating as an international guest was easy. On arrival, though, be ready to ask questions because they don't give you all the information during check-in. The boat's surroundings can get noisy in the evenings and at night, so light sleepers may be affected. Food and drinks cost somewhat more than average, about what you'd expect at a standard bar. It's not exorbitant, just a bit pricier than elsewhere. Parking nearby is notably expensive. There's a playground, but I wouldn't call Ope Sjiente especially child-friendly, since most events and activities are aimed at adults. One incident affected our stay. Our toddler woke very early, so we went to the playground. Someone who seemed to be a security guard asked us to leave. Because of the language barrier, we couldn't explain that we were checked-in guests, and the experience left a bad impression.

We used to love eating at this beautiful location in Nijmegen, where we could count on good food and outstanding service. This visit was a real letdown. We felt like a nuisance instead of guests, the opposite of how we'd been treated before. After sitting at a table in the belly of the ship, we waited 10 minutes to order. Four staff members were only 5 meters away, singing and chatting instead of attending to us. That would have been fine if guests were being looked after. Once we ordered, another 20 minutes passed before they even started preparing the food, despite the beautiful open kitchen. Then it took a further 25 minutes for the dishes to arrive. The Gambas were OK, with a nice salad and bread. The warm-food „plank“ was cold, with ham, salami, and different cheeses. The ham and salami were spoiled and smelled bad. We complained and weren't charged for the cold „plank“, but the staff were obviously anbotest by our complaint.