Catharina I.
Yelp
I never thought that I would pay to spend a night in jail and actually enjoy it!
This hotel was recommended by one of my business partners when I was meeting them in the Netherlands. I typically quite conservative when on business travel and prefer to stay at a Hilton or similar. Also, I steer away from "themed" hotels both on business and leisure, but this was one of the only options near the meeting venue so I went with it. The Arresthuis hotel is certainly not one of these tacky themed places, the prison theme is, believe it or not, very stylish.
When we arrived around 10pm, I had quite the challenge navigating the pitch dark parking lot, it would have been helpful to have a bit of light. My colleagues and I were disappointed to hear that the restaurant was closed for the night already.
However, the receptionist offered to check and gave us a glass of champagne while we were waiting. After less than 5 mins, he came back telling us we were welcome to eat in the bar, but they could only serve steak and fries. Again I was wary since they didn't ask how we wanted our steak cooked. But the steak was cooked beautifully medium rare and it was just what the doctor ordered after a long day. The next day's breakfast was also very good, quite the spread, including free flow bubbles if you wanted!
The size of the room was quite impressive, the bed was comfortable and I liked the non-traditional layout. However, I thought the bathroom was too dark which makes make-up in the morning difficult. Actually even my male colleagues commented about the lack of sufficient light in the bathroom area.
Overall I liked the atmosphere. The service, rooms and F&B options were good so I would certainly go again when in the area.