Hotel De Belgische Loodsensociëteit

Watching the ships come and go through the estuary from our sea view rooms was fascinating, and the binoculars in the rooms made it easy. We were there in early June with friends, touring on motorcycles, and the team helped us feel comfortable about parking: they suggested the bays right outside and said the 24-hour reception would keep an eye on the bikes. Some of us had booked sea views, and we all thought they were worth it. We also enjoyed talking with two off-duty pilots, Bruno and Willem, who told us about the history of the hotel and The Belgian Loodsensociëteit. The staff were friendly and helpful throughout. On a very hot day, one of the bar staff even came out with cold water for each of us while we got our bikes ready to leave. A really thoughtful touch. We'll definitely stay here again.

The staff were very friendly and patient, and I appreciated that the hotel accepts dogs. The room was clean and tidy, with a very good bed and working air conditioning. It was spacious, though simply decorated, and looked out over both the harbor and the ocean. We were in a building behind the main hotel for our seven-night stay. There are several bars and restaurants on the street below, so on summer weekends it can stay noisy late into the night. The room felt better suited to a short weekend or overnight visit than a full week. We tried breakfast once and were extremely disappointed by the food selection, coffee, and the service overall. The Wi-Fi was slow and usually didn't work.

We only got a view of the city and harbor, not the sea view we thought we had booked. The owner seems to have branched into travel agent work and books guests into other places around the city without their choosing. This location feels like a honey pot to send people to another hotel on the city side. We tried to sort out what we thought was an honest mistake right away, then found out we'd been conned by the owner. It's dishonest and really disappointing, a money-first attitude cashing in on the reputable brand that makes the Netherlands such an amazing place to visit. I guess I was lucky the box-headed owner didn't send me to Saudi Arabia or Australia, #thankful. Places like this are very rare in the Netherlands, but buyers should be warned. See my photos for what they call a “sea view”. To the owner: you must have been at the back of geography class when they covered which side of your wonderful country the sea is on. Hint, it's the opposite direction from where you think, #gladtobeofhelp, #geography101.

The room was otherwise what I expected, though I had hoped for a sea view. The location is excellent, right beside the sea and very close to the city center.