Hotel Grand Cafe XL

Parking takes some planning since the hotel has none. Street parking behind it is free until 8 am; during the day, the cheapest option is the AlbertHeijn supermarket parking lot. We stayed two nights in this cafe hotel in a beautiful beach town. The old building has narrow stairs up to the rooms, which could be a problem for some, though I found them part of its character. The rooms aren’t new, but they’re spacious and very clean. Unfortunately, ours wasn’t cleaned on the second day and the bathroom shampoo wasn’t refilled. Breakfast at the restaurant was enough.

The restaurant has great seating and serves excellent dishes. The hotel itself is beautiful and wonderfully located right in the middle of Zandvoort town square. We had a very pleasant stay.

We picked this hotel for its location and very low off-season rate while heading home and wanting to stay closer to Schiphol airport. It proved to be great value: our room was spacious, recently renovated and had comfortable beds. Breakfast was excellent, with croissants and buns fresh from the oven. The building has a nice old feel and sits in the middle of Zandvoort. Highly recommended for a stop before a flight or a longer holiday near Amsterdam and Haarlem.

The spare ribs are a real treat, and don’t expect small portions, so arrive hungry. We booked a table earlier in the day for 12 people plus two babies. They handled all 14 of us brilliantly and served a feast of cheese, bread, meat and fish. We visit the area regularly and always come back to this restaurant.