Grand Hotel Karel V

A fabulous, low key but stylish hotel in central Utrecht. Walkable from the station, and to all the main sights. Close to restaurants. Quiet and very well maintained hotel, with a sauna and steam room (tiny). The staff are very professional and welcoming. We had drinks in the bar which is a pleasant space. Dinner in the Brassiere is recommended as it was excellent.

I have stayed in Utrecht before and treating myself to the Karel V was special. My room on the top floor was very spacious. Sitting area as well as a table with chairs made for a nice abode for cool fall weather. Bathroom is large. Shower is excellent. The grounds include gardens with trees which gave me views of fall foliage. The hotel is canal adjacent. Out the back gate is an easy walk up Springweg to Mariaplaats. There are so many shops, restaurants and cafes nearby that I never tried the food at the hotel. The cafe/brasserie has garden seating which would be glorious in the summer. There is a wellness center with hot pools but one needs remember to bring a swimsuit. the location is convenient also to the Hoog Catherine and Utrecht Central station. The history of the location and architectural details are also special.

Super nice time at this elegant hotel made even nicer by the warm and friendly welcome from the young and very professional reception desk team, who throughout our stay continued to make my husband and I feel very much 'at home'. The delightful Angelina helped me book padel courts as I was struggling to do it myself and couldnt do enough to help. Fabulous suite with a canopied large comfortable bed. Oola in the brasserie was also super lovely and made our dinner even nicer with her lovely personality. The hotel is a great location for the city also.

From start to finish we were made to feel so special and welcome . The staff are so polite, friendly and courteous and nothing is a problem . Unfortunately when we arrived at the hotel early due to flights our room was unavaliable . We were offered to leave our luguage and explained the best way to get to the town centre so we went off to explore and have some lunch . On our return the receptionist welcomed us back and explained that our room was in the outdide wing of the hotel due to having a balcony room . We walked accross the courtyard where there are various statues . Our balcony room was in the forth floor with views overlooking the canal . Wow what can i say the room was spacious , clean and extremely comfortable . They provided everything you needed from Toiletries , And a lovely range of speciality teas and coffee having a nespresso machine was a real treat . I must admit my bestfriend and i had a wonderful nights sleep and really didnt want to get up . We had breakfast included and what can i say eating in such a gorgeous dining room set the tone . There was so much to choose from on the buffet from fresh breads, pastries , cheeses , salads , cold meats , salmon and fruits to cereals and yoghurts . The jams selections were beautiful and a,lovely choice of flavours . You also had a vast selection of hot items on the buffet . We could order something also from the menu we both went for the eggs benedict which were absolutely delicious .|This break was absolutely what we needed extremely indulgent, relaxing and what the doctor ordered . I would certainly return to this most beautiful hotel

Wonderful hotel! We stayed here as a family for two nights and three days. The hotel, converted from a former monastery, has a rich sense of history while still feeling very clean and comfortable, with a wonderful atmosphere overall. The hotel itself is great, but what truly stood out was the breakfast buffet—it was the best breakfast buffet I’ve ever had in my life. Although it’s a bit pricey, it’s absolutely worth trying at least once. I especially loved the wide variety of cheeses and the made-to-order options like freshly prepared Eggs Benedict and hot chocolate brought right to your table. The only small issue we noticed was that after housekeeping came in, the cups—though washed—still had faint coffee ring stains inside. That said, overall it was an outstanding hotel, and we would definitely love to stay here again.

The hotel is in a great location and our room overlooked a tranquil garden area. The historic building is stunning. However, it is the staff who make the stay so good. They are so welcoming and nothing is too much trouble. We thank them all for everything and highly recommend the hotel.

Dated, tired and 5 star in name only. Broken glass, dirty trays, tired decor, clueless staff. I booked here to have access to the restaurants in the complex. Unfortunately they do not keep any space aside for hotel guests. I asked to reserve a table on check-in and was told no availability. After 4 phone calls and 2 members of staff I was told I could sit at the bar. Wow. 5 star apparently. When I turned up to the brassiere I was turned away again. Then they had to call the restaurant manager, who made a point of telling me how lucky I am to be able to eat at the hotel, and how the hotel terms and conditions guarantee nothing. All I can see here is a tired property being run into the ground. I felt embarrassed at the situations I encountered. Avoid this place. ***Update: on check out I found that the hotel tried to overcharge me. I stayed alone yet I saw 2 breakfasts billed both days. After an hours argument the breakfasts were removed and I was expected to be grateful. Joke of a hotel***

To the esteemed Hotel Management, I am writing to formally express my concerns regarding the service I received during my checkout on September 13, 2025. I would like to begin by mentioning that my initial experience at your hotel was quite positive. The two receptionists who assisted me upon check-in were exceptionally polite. I had informed them about my flight departure time, which was around 8 PM, and they graciously acknowledged the possibility of a one or two-hour extension for my checkout. Regrettably, the experience on the day of my departure was markedly different. While I fully understand and respect the check-in and check-out times as outlined on your website—3 PM check-in and 11 AM check-out—I politely requested a one-hour extension on the morning of my departure. However, the receptionist on duty, whom I had not previously encountered, responded with a lack of courtesy. He abruptly informed me that I needed to leave immediately, without any polite language or understanding. Upon returning from breakfast shortly after 11 AM, I discovered that my room key had been deactivated. I was required to wait approximately 20 minutes downstairs to have it reactivated. Upon returning upstairs, the key still did not function. This occurred repeatedly, necessitating multiple trips up and down and causing a significant inconvenience. Ultimately, not only was my request for a brief extension denied, but I was also subjected to further discourtesy. Two staff members even came to the room and requested that I vacate the premises, repeatedly emphasizing this point. Subsequently, the same receptionist contacted the room, reiterating the demand to leave immediately and threatening a late checkout charge, which I had neither requested nor utilized. Furthermore, I was charged an additional 25 euros for a late checkout that I did not experience. Adding to the situation, I observed that the receptionist treated other guests with politeness while exhibiting a distinctly rude demeanor towards me. This disparity led me to feel as though I was being unfairly treated, which is, of course, unacceptable. In summary, the behavior of this particular staff member significantly detracted from an otherwise pleasant stay at your hotel. I kindly request a refund of the 25 euros charged for the late checkout fee and respectfully urge you to address this matter to prevent similar experiences for future guests. Considering the limited time I have available, I may consider pursuing legal action against the hotel, potentially online, as this experience has been quite distressing.

A beautiful historical hotel located just a stones throw from the centre of Utrecht. Staff are excellent and very friendly and the service at the hotel was exceptional. The hotel lobby is grand and you get the feeling of luxury straightaway. I had a room in the new wing of the hotel and it was very spacious and well appointed. The bed was super comfortable and bathroom had lots of nice supplies. It's very peaceful and quiet here and the city center is just meters away. There are bars and restaurants in the hotel serving drinks and meals. The food was good and service was also good. Parking is available on premise and it's nice to walk around the grounds of this hotel. A gem of a hotel in town and one I would definitely stay in again.

This is a classic "must-stay" location for business and leisure travel gurus in the know. I have been staying here since 2014 regularly and it gets better all the time. Food preparation and presentation is superb, the staff customer experience is an example to competitors, and the studied period decor and sense of history and culture makes this place special.

The short version: The staff added irrelevant charges to my bill, totaling about 242 Euros, which they eventually removed. It didn't feel like an honest error. Review your bill carefully, or better yet, go someplace else. The Long version: The new ("Roman") wing where I stayed is clean and comfortable, but not particularly charming--comparable to a Hyatt in the US. Room service was excellent, coming more than once a day to tidy up, and the grounds are pleasant (I'm not fond of a fountain surrounded by statues, but otherwise it's tasteful). The location is pretty good for visiting the old city of Utrecht. I was in town for a conference, and reserved a room for 3 nights. Booking was online through a management service, HMC Reservations, and all written correspondence with the hotel (many emails by the time all the hassle was over) took place through them. The trouble started when I asked to cancel the third night. Plans change when you travel, and I would be going out of town that evening. I was told there would be a fee for doing so, as it was close to the time of my stay. No problem, I said, but what was the charge? After a couple of somewhat coy emails, I was told I would be charged 175 Euros, the same as the cost of the room for a night. That is unreasonable--a first negative impression--but it was late, as they said. I decided to keep the room for the 3rd day so I could check out late, instead of cancelling. My reservation for the 3rd night was reinstated. Upon arriving at the hotel, I felt like a persona non grata. The staff was unfailingly polite in the testy mode of being over-polite. Then the front desk clerk asked whether I was staying for 2 nights. It's a long story, I said; I had wanted to cancel the third night, but when I was told it would cost the same as keeping the room, I decided to keep it. That is what he would have done, said the clerk pleasantly enough. It struck me as odd that he asked whether I would be staying for 2 nights when he obviously knew I had reserved the room for 3. He wasn't surprised, as he would surely have been had I asked to add a night at that date. Was he hoping I'd say yes to 2 even though I reserved 3? If you reserve for 3 nights, does the clerk ask you if you are only staying for 2? The room I got turned out to be on the ground floor directly between the car park gate and the parking lot. This was a noisy spot, and I needed quiet for work. Did they put me there because it was the only room ready? I returned to the desk and asked if there was a quieter room I could have instead. This was no problem, they said, and I got another room in that building. Why did they put me in the parking lot room to start? Keep that room for last. The stay itself was fine. The room was clean, and there was nothing notable about it. There is no business center, so the front desk printed a document for me pleasantly, their one decent act. There was no charge. Then early in the evening of my third day, I checked out. The clerk asked with an arch smile if I understood that there would be a charge for my last day, which could not be cancelled. Yes of course, I said, as agreed. She printed out the bill and put it in an envelope and I went to catch a train. When I opened the envelope I found the hotel had charged me for 3 nights, as agreed, plus a cancellation fee of 175Euros, plus 3 breakfasts for 22.50 each. I hadn't cancelled anything, and I didn't have any hotel breakfasts, which were optional. So this seemed gratuitous at best. It felt frankly like a mean jab. I wrote my contact at HMC, an ever formal correspondent, and asked for a correction to the bill. She reported that the hotel "had to admit" that I was right, and would correct the bill. I asked for the corrected bill, and received a receipt, but it was the same as the old one. I called MasterCard to see if the hotel had made the correction, and found that they had. I then got another receipt that was again in error, its numbers not adding up. I asked a third time, and did get the corrected receipt, though the taxes listed at the bottom reflect some other figure. I gave up. Overall this reservation and payment were an unpleasant hassle and involved too many email exchanges. If I cancel, I expect a reasonable charge. If I cannot cancel, then the hotel should be fine with my keeping the room each day for which I pay, instead of trying to get me to leave early. I do not enjoy spurious charges being added to my bill. Bills should be handled professionally, and their numbers should add up. Finally, if you send the wrong receipt 3 or 4 times, or treat your guests poorly, you need to say you're sorry. There was no apology from anyone for any of the hotel's rude and unprofessional acts. Ugh. This was an aggravating waste of time. I was sorry I went here.