Even though the Netherlands is a small country, and the fact that we have traveled all over the Netherlands the past 18 months, there are still some undiscovered places. One of the places to see in the Netherlands that we hadn’t yet explored were the Northern regions of the province of North Holland. When we do travel the Netherlands, we always try to and love to stay at the Dutch hotel chain Van der Valk.

This blog is written by travel writer and Traveltomtom team member Ashley. She stayed at the lovely Van der Valk Akersloot, on behalf of Traveltomtom, and wrote this blog about her experiences.

We have actually worked with quite a few Valk Exclusive hotels in the past few years. Check out the ones at Schiphol Amsterdam Airport, Utrecht, Tilburg and Amsterdam blog posts for example. Also if you’re looking for fun and unique things to do in the Netherlands then check out my list of the most amazing places to see in the Netherlands.

About Van der Valk Akersloot

The Van der Valk Akersloot hotel is part of the Van der Valk Exclusive group. All Valk Exclusive hotels offer their guests luxurious facilities for them to enjoy to the fullest.
From the outside the hotel looks like a traditional Van der Valk hotel, as they were all built in the past. From the inside however, it has had a huge upgrade and is completely modernized. It is actually one of the busiest Valk hotels we have ever visited.

Location

The fact that the hotel is so busy is undoubtedly due to its great location. It’s located pretty much in the middle of the province of North Holland, right next to the A9 highway, so perfectly accessible.

It’s right in the middle between the cities of Amsterdam and Alkmaar, and not far from Haarlem either. The Dutch coast is just a 10 minute drive from the hotel and famous tourist spots like the Zaanse Schans and Volendam are very close by too. With all these cities, the beach and tourist hotspots close by, it’s the perfect hotel for a Dutch vacation.

Restaurant & Bar

Like any good hotel Van der Valk Akersloot has a large restaurant where you can have breakfast and dinner. You can also have lunch here, but they use the terrace and the lobby bar for that, so they can prepare the restaurant for the busy dinner times.

Right in the middle of the lobby they have a nice coffee counter where you can order your specialties, and while you do, make sure to check out the delicious cakes, pastries and chocolates in the showcase.  

Breakfast

Breakfast is served at the restaurant and you do need to make a reservation for a certain time slot at the moment. It’s a buffet breakfast, so you can take whatever you want. They make fresh eggs and pancakes, and have a variety of bread, fruits, yoghurt and juices.

Ibiza Suite

Hotel Akersloot is probably best known for being the only hotel in the Netherlands that has a suite with a pool, yes an actual pool! Unfortunately that one was not available on the dates we travelled, but we got pampered with the amazing Ibiza Suite.

We have never been to Ibiza before, it’s high on our bucketlist, but staying at the Ibiza suite, it instantly gave us those island vibes. It’s a huge suite with literally all you can wish for. It has a steam cabin, sun shower, a large two persons whirlpool and a sauna. Even though the hotel has a lovely pool and wellness area, with all these facilities in your room, there’s no need to use the hotels wellness facilities.

They have placed the television in the middle of the room, with a mirror on the other side, on bathroom side. The great thing is that you can turn it so you can watch TV from the whirlpool, heaven!

The suite has a large and comfy king-size bed and even a fireplace. There’s also a private balcony with lovely views. We had some changeable weather during our stay, which made us able to enjoy the room to the fullest.

Pool & Wellness

Looking for some relaxation, then this hotel is absolutely your place to be. It has a lovely pool and wellness area. It includes a large pool, a heated whirlpool, steam cabin, sauna and a rest room.

The rest room has heated relax seats, where you can stream music via Bluetooth. Right next to the pool and wellness area there’s also the fitness, with a wide variety of equipment, including punching bag.

E-Chopper

We love to explore the region by bike, and often rent bikes from places we stay at. Many of the Valk Exclusive hotels have added Spyder Wheelz E-Choppers to their collection to rent.

Discover the area in an environmentally friendly way and rent these bad boys of E-Choppers. These choppers are electrically powered and drive silently. The maximum speed is 30km per hour, which means you don’t have to wear a helmet. The low entry makes the E-Chopper suitable for young and old. You can drive about 60km with the E-Chopper, enough to get to know the area.

Places to visit around Van der Valk Akersloot

Many of the must do’s in this region of Holland are easy accessible by E-Chopper, as they are within 20-30km from the hotel Akersloot. We like to share some of the highlights the area has to offer.

Visit Alkmaar

Alkmaar is very well known for its traditional cheese market, it makes Alkmaar a very popular cultural and tourist destination. The market traditionally takes place from the first Friday in April through the first Friday in September. Every Friday morning during this period, the Waagplein is the backdrop for this traditional cheese market. With the Cheese Museum right next to it.

Alkmaar might feel a bit like Amsterdam when walking through, but much smaller and more relaxed I would say. Old canals, national monuments, traditional houses, a great city center with many shops, Alkmaar is a great destination.

Next to the famous cheese market and the cheese museum, Alkmaar also offers the Beatles Museum, dedicated to the Beatles as John Lennon’s first guitar was made in Alkmaar, and what about the National Beer Museum. Plenty of things to do!

Zaanse Schans

The Zaanse Schans is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the Netherlands. And even better, it’s located just minutes from the hotel. The best way to visit would be by bike or E-Chopper, as they have paid parking.

The Zaanse Schans is an amazing place to visit, full of windmills, handcraft shops and museums. The Zaanse Schans is actually a residential area, keep in mind, people actually live here! The Dutch 18th and 19th centuries are brought alive here. It feels like walking through an open-air museum.

Dutch Coast

From the hotel the closest beach is only a 10 minute drive away. There are actually a few options of coastal towns you can visit from Hotel Akersloot. Castricum aan Zee is the closest, it has a few beach clubs and is popular for sports like kite surfing. Other nice coastal towns you can visit are Egmond aan Zee and Bergen aan Zee.