Van der Valk Hotel Rotterdam - Blijdorp

The dinner restaurant is a pleasant surprise, with polite and mostly attentive staff. Breakfast is mediocre, though. The scrambled eggs seem to be made from powder in a bag. Some rooms badly need renovation, and the air is dusty, perhaps because the carpets haven't been cleaned properly. I've stayed here often for business, and the hotel is just OK. On my last visit, the bathroom toilet was disgusting, with dried urine stains and excrement left behind. The water cups were visibly dirty with toothpaste residue. I told reception the next morning, but when I returned late that evening, nothing had changed. I checked out the following morning and wanted to bring it up again, but the receptionist didn't ask how my stay had been. I guess they can check the photos here 🤷‍♂️

We were traveling around Holland to visit family, and this place looked like a good fit. It turned out better than we'd expected. It's quiet, family friendly, next to the zoo, and has plenty of parking. The food was great, and the rooms were very clean. If you're staying in Rotterdam with a car to get around Holland, this place is ideal. We'd stay again.

We loved how soundproof the room was, and the receptionist was friendly. The shower had strong water flow, though its temperature control was difficult to get right. Our room was dusty, which was a shame. We booked this nice hotel mainly because it's only a two-minute walk from the main entrance to Blijdorp Zoo.

I was so happy with my New Year stay that I tracked down all the "Van der Vlak" hotels in Europe for future trips.