Hotel de Zon anno 1870

I made a reservation twice to come in for a bite to eat. When we arrived at the hotel, a young girl told us we weren’t registered, and the cook was on holiday in Spain, so there was no food. We won’t be coming back. A bad hotel.

The restaurant was where several of my frustrations showed up. I’d reserved a particular table in the afternoon for dinner with my parents and son, but another group was sitting there when we arrived. That was bizarre and not pleasant. The vegetarian quiche was actually something like a spinach omelet in tomato soup. It tasted good, but it wasn’t quiche. The vegetarian curry arrived so hot and steaming that I had to wait seven minutes before eating, by which time the other guests had nearly finished. The burger looked appealing, with bread, lettuce, tomato, beef, bacon, and tasty fries, but it was served on a board far too small for such a tall burger. It was hard to eat and there was barely room to finish it. It all felt poorly thought through. The renovated building looks beautiful inside and out, but my stay didn’t live up to that impression. Almost €300 for two nights without breakfast felt expensive for a double room of no more than 15m², especially in Oosterwolde. Service was okay, and the staff seemed willing, though a bit short on professionalism. At check-in I was told nobody was on site at night. If help was needed, I’d have to call the hotel, which would transfer the call to somewhere staffed. If someone answered, they could wake somebody to come to De Zon. That sounded cumbersome, and night-time help would usually be needed for more than a small fee. There’s potential at De Zon, but they need to think things through more. Depending on whether they can do that, it could be a sunrise or a sunset. Right now, I’m still worried it’ll be the latter.

The food was delicious, and the staff were friendly and polite. I didn’t stay overnight, but I’d definitely recommend eating here. Thanks so much for the lovely meal.

Our room faced the parking lot and the building. The beds were comfortable, and we got the air conditioning we’d asked for. The room was clean apart from a few stains on the carpet, and the receptionist was friendly and helpful. It’s very quiet there, with little to do nearby. We came through a social deal, mainly because of the surrounding area. The hotel is noisy inside, though. We could hear the neighbors clearly, and the doors slammed so loudly that sleeping in wasn’t possible.