The Van der Valk Hotel Group is an international hotel business from Dutch origin. They started off as a small hotel business in the Netherlands, but over the years grew to an international hotel group. Nowadays you can find them in 9 countries all over the world, however most hotels can still be found in the Netherlands. The Van der Valk Hotel Utrecht was awarded ‘Best hotel of Utrecht’ just three days before my arrival at the hotel. I was already very curious about the hotel, but this award made me even more excited about my stay.
Van Der Valk Hotel Group is one of the leading hotels in Netherlands, there is also a Van Der Valk Tilburg Review to be found on my travel blog.
Location Van Der Valk Hotel Utrecht
This hotel is conveniently located along the A12 highway, so very well accessible by car. Van der Valk Utrecht is located just 4 kilometers from the city center and train station of Utrecht. Just outside the hotel there are a bus and tram stop. Getting to the hotel by public transport is very easy. Busses 65, 74 & 77 stop right in front of the hotel and take you to Utrecht central station, from where you have access to the city center. You can also take tram 60 and 61 towards the city center. It only takes you about 10 minutes by public transport to get to the city. A return ticket by bus will only cost you € 2,90 and can be purchased from the driver. I reckon public transport is the best way to get to the Van der Valk Utrecht.
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Rooms Hotel Van Der Valk Utrecht
The Van der Valk hotel Utrecht has several room categories. I was given a Deluxe Room and I enjoyed it a lot! The Deluxe rooms are very big, bigger than most Utrecht hotels. My room offered some lovely views towards the city of Utrecht. I could see the famous Dom Tower and the stadium of the local FC Utrecht. Not only the room was huge, also the bathroom was bigger than I usually get. Bath and walk-in shower are separated and the bath tub even has a whirlpool. I have to mention the tv, this hotel room has a 42 inch flat screen television. Now, that’s a decent size screen! Fun part of this tv, it is a smart tv, so it allows you to screen share your own device to the television, or use apps like Youtube.
There were two complimentary bottles of water in the minibar, which are also refilled every day. That is something you don’t often see in Utrecht hotels, but very much appreciated by travelers. The most important thing, the bed was very comfy and gave me some decent hours of sleep.
Wellness
The wellness, pool and fitness area of this hotel is located on the 20th floor, the top floor of the hotel. Whether you’re going for a swim, work out at the gym or to relax in the sauna, you always have pretty amazing views over the city and surrounding areas.
The gym is equipped with brand new fitness equipment. Complimentary water is available for those who want to stay fit while traveling.
Right next to the gym is the pool and wellness area. This is where you can totally relax, I did for sure. There is a heated pool with whirlpool area, an infrared sauna, a Finnish sauna and a steam cabin.
Towels are available for you to use. There are two dressing rooms and lockers are available to secure your belongings. This wellness with a view is definitely one of the eye catchers of this hotel.
V Restaurant Van Der Valk Utrecht
Restaurant V is your place to be, whether it is for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Restaurant V is a reference to the family business and its rich history. The chef and his team work with daily fresh ingredients to offer the best possible quality food. The restaurant offers traditional dishes from the French kitchen, but Italian, South American and Asian dishes can also be found on the menu. They renew the menu several times a year, to offer guests seasonal dishes. The food they serve is of high quality, make sure you put in a reservation to secure yourself a table.
5 Things to know about hotel Van Der Valk Utrecht
1. Utrecht Region Pass available
Something I had never heard of before, but definitely something I have to mention here, as I think it’s very useful for when you travel to Utrecht. Van der Valk hotel Utrecht offers the ‘Utrecht Region Pass’. This pass allows you to easily use the public transport and inspires you to explore and visit the best places to see in Utrecht.
This pass is a pay-as-you-go public transport pass, with national coverage, and linked to your creditcard. With this card you have easy and carefree access to public transport, including the OV-fiets, a rental bicycle. This pass also gives you access to attractions and activities in Utrecht.
The Utrecht Region Pass is available at the front desk.
2. Green Globe certified
One big plus to this hotel is their Green Globe certification. It shows they invest in facilities that make van der Valk hotel Utrecht, including their restaurant and meeting rooms better and greener. They make their colleagues and guests aware of how you can deal responsibly with energy consumption in order to keep the CO2 emissions as low as possible. It also shows in the purchases they do, where they check whether products are responsible, honest and sustainable. Green Globe is a global certification program for sustainable travel and tourism.
3. Bike rental available
A fun and exciting way to visit Utrecht and the region is by bike. The hotel is located only 4 kilometers from the city center, so perfect to go there by bike. They offer QWIC Professional 7-speed bicycles and QWIC e-bikes. Reservation of the bikes is not necessary but very much recommended to avoid disappointments. There is a private bicycle storage in their garage, also equipped with electricity points to charge the e-bikes. Bike routes are available at the front desk and you should know that Holland is a bicycle heaven.
4. Amazing breakfast
The best start of the day is with a good and healthy breakfast. I was happy to have breakfast included with my reservation at Van Der Valk Hotel Utrecht and enjoyed fresh products for breakfast in the morning. There is plenty to choose from. From fresh fruits and vegetables, a variety of meats and cheeses and fresh baked bread and eggs. I had fresh made French toast as well, but this can vary from day to day. Eggs (your choice) are always made fresh. Something that caught my eye during breakfast was the sign below.
The products are local, organic and 100% gluten free. It supports Dutch farmers and their communities. Most of these products come from care farm de Laarhoeve. Care farm de Laarhoeve is a fully-fledged place in society for people with a distance to the labor market. Supporting local farmers but also working with care farms is something I think much more Utrecht hotels and companies should do.
5. Parking garage
This hotel has a private parking garage located underneath the hotel. This garage is secured and locked by gates. Guests can park their car here against a very reduced fee: €8,- per day. The hotel also offers 6 electricity points to charge your electric car.
Want to stay here and experience this yourself? Check their rates here.
I got more and more excited about this hotel during my stay. The breakfast was the kickstart to my day, I could relax and recharge in the pool and wellness area and within 10 minutes I was in the city center of Utrecht. For both business and leisure travelers, this hotel has everything you need.
This Van Der Valk Hotel Utrecht travel blog is written by Ashley, an avid writer for Traveltomtom.
