Paleis Hotel, The Hague, The Netherlands
Paleis Hotel 4 Stars
"This pleasant and quirky boutique hotel in a super location in The Hague, just steps away from the Royal Palace."
Hotel Overview
Review of Paleis Hotel, by Kayt Sukel
The Paleis Hotel is a charming 20-room property in the heart of Den Haag. A few minutes’ walk from the Royal Palace Noordeinde, the Mauritshuis Museum and the Panarama Mesdag, the hotel is a fantastic base to explore the oldest parts of this fine city.
Once upon a time, the Paleis Hotel was a patrician residence in the heart of Den Haag – Louis Couperus, a leading figure on the 19th century Dutch Literary scene, was a frequent visitor to the house. (In fact, if you read between the lines in his books, you may get a distinct sense of déjà vu). Despite being renovated into a hotel, the Paleis hasn’t lost that residential feel. The small lobby and parlor on the ground floor are exquisitely decorated – and yet still make you feel like you can sit back, relax and make yourself at home.
No two of the 20 rooms at the Paleis are alike – indeed, the hotel prides itself on its gorgeous, eccentric décor. You’ll find no minimalism here – instead expect lush, embroidered bed covers, thick drapes and an eclectic mix of antique furniture. Although these looks may not hold with minimalist tastes, the quirky style – called “historically justifiable” on the hotel website – works well. Each room somehow manages to be bold yet utterly welcoming. Quite luxurious, too.
The Paleis offers three distinct room categories: the Double Deluxe, the Superior Double and the Executive Double. All of the rooms are much bigger than you’d expect in a European city hotel and have amenities like coffee makers, safes, minibars and large baths. All rooms also have access to wireless Internet for a fee.
Facilities
Rooms
20Come for...
- A prime city location in the heart of Den Haag
- Bold, daring decor
- A warm, welcoming atmosphere
Not Suitable for...
- Room service addicts
Children
Children are welcome at the Paleis. Baby cots and roll-a-way beds are available in larger rooms upon request.
Eating in
The Paleis offers a deluxe breakfast each morning downstairs that can also be served in-room. The Paleis does not have a restaurant, however, its location means there are all manner of fantastic eateries within a few block radius.
The Press Say
“A 17th-century building, complete with underground passages linking it with a nearby convent…a style that could be described as Marie Antoinette with added comfort (good beds and wifi).” The Observer, 07Reviews
Review of Paleis Hotel, by Andrew Mueller
The Paleis is situated on a narrow street in the heart of The Hague, right next to the Royal Palace, but manages the neat trick of being calm and quiet once inside.
The lobby is small and informal, and walking into it feels - as is doubtless the intention - a little like strolling into someone's living room. The Paleis is situated in a 17th-century terrace - a lovely building, which can also claim a literary heritage. The late 19th/early 20th-century Dutch author and poet Louis Couperus often stayed in the building, which at the time belonged to his brother-in-law - and which, according to the Paleis' current owners, made several appearances in Couperus's novels.
The hotel prides itself on its quirkiness, and justifiably so. Each one of the 20 rooms is different, and furnished and decorated in styles united only by their refusal to descend into the prevailing cliches of modern hotels: the Paleis has no truck with either too-cool-by-half minimalism, or could-be-anywhere blandness.
The colour schemes in the rooms, dictated by fabrics from the French designer Pierre Frey, are occasionally somewhat startling, but always redeemed the right side of outright garishness by well-chosen pictures and furniture. The bed linen embroidered with the hotel's logo is an appealing old-school foible.
The rooms are also well-fitted with basic necessities. There are coffee-and-tea making facilities, decently stocked and not outrageously priced minibars and safes; most rooms also have air-conditioning. The bathrooms are smartly tiled in black and white, and feature the unusual touch of a dimmer switch for the lights.
While the hotel as a whole is surprisingly quiet, given its central location, guests for whom silence is especially important should ask for rooms away from the street, which have the added bonus of overlooking a leafy courtyard and offering fine views over surrounding rooftops.