Hotel Des Indes in The Hague

Steve and I planned to go away for my birthday in June. Quod non. But we had a nice weekend in The Hague and Scheveningen in the Netherlands early in July. We stayed at the Hotel Des Indes at the Lange Voorhout.

Hotel Des Indes (‘Hotel of the Indies’) is one of the, perhaps the most prestigious in Holland and the Netherlands. It is part of The Leading Hotels of the World, Ltd.

Coronavirus countermeasures were to curtail pat of the hotel palace experience, but still we looked forward to a luxurious stay.

Welcome

Safety protocols make things unusual and awkward. The porter asked us if we had symptoms, we had contact with people with symptoms etc. Inside there are disinfecting gel dispensers, arrows, one-way lifts…

But the welcoming is warm, the interior is grand.

The room

We opted for an upgrade for extra space. It showed. A humongous bed, two armchairs, a desk, a large bathroom, coffee and tea facilities.… It contains everything you expect from a five-star palace hotel.

Noteworthy are: continental, British and American power outlets. No USB chargers or power outlets at the bedsides, really really darkening curtains.

Also noteworthy: internet options. Free or fast for a price. I’m sorry but at this level I want fast internet included in the price.

Breakfast

No buffet at breakfast, obviously. That is unconceivable now. As in other restaurants, breakfast is served indirectly. The waiter puts the order on a little tray table and we take it from there.

Standard are the etageres with ham and cheese, yoghurt and fruit, butter and jam. You get bread rolls, croissants and pastries. You can order eggs any style and obviously, tea, coffee or hot chocolate.

Without being spectacular, breakfast is decent and plentiful.

Afternoon tea

Afternoon tea is served in the same grand room as breakfast, using the same system. There are sandwiches, scones and sweet pastries. There’s a comprehensive selection of teas.

Special to Hotel Des Indes are two extra courses. A Caesar salad to start and hot main course, which was a mousseline. That was odd but it was nice.

The afternoon tea offers great value for money.

Health Club & Spa

The Heath Club & Spa is located in the basement and per coronavirus countermeasures is only accessible from the outside door. So you can’t go in your bathrobe.

The facilities feature massage rooms, a sauna, a steam room, locker rooms and a swimming pool.

The pool is small but has a jetstream you can swim against. It compensates.

The Heath Club & Spa but coronavirus countermeasures curtail any spontaneity.

There’s also a gym room but t had, as the rest, to be booked for a fee. So no.

In conclusion

Hotel Des Indes is a five-star city palace as you expect it to be with wonderful service and top notch facilities. But corona sucks a large portion of the fun out of the experience.