StarwoodGuy: Around the World With Starwood Hotels in 30 Days

When I arrived at the Hotel Des Indes in The Hague I was prepared to be disappointed. I had booked my original night to be at one of my favorite hotels in the world, the Hotel Pulitzer in Amsterdam, a collection of old row homes organized into an amazing hotel with each room being unique and the location unbeatable right on the main canal and a short stroll to the major sights of the city. Unfortunately, I discovered just two weeks prior to my arrival that the hotel, a member of the Luxury Collection brand, had left SPG on the 1st of April. I was a little disappointed and somewhat frustrated that SPG had not sent an email to inform me of the change in status. I was torn with whether or not to keep my stay or to choose the next closet SPG hotel, I am after all writing about Starwood. The only other property in the city is the Sheraton Airport Hotel, a good property I had stayed at years earlier, but it would mean taking the train in and out of Amsterdam and as it was I only had around sixteen hours in the city. It is also a good business hotel with great facilities, but I was looking for some history after massive properties in Bangkok, Hong Kong and Singapore. The Emirates car service only goes up to sixty kilometers so in my head I thought there was no way they would be able to take me to the next property I was considering, the Hotel Des Indes in The Hague, but then I realized I was back in Europe and the distances from city to city are often quite short. Amsterdam will be getting a W Hotel in the fall, but too late for me on this trip.

I chose the Hotel Des Indes and was immediately impressed. Upon entering there is a grand foyer area, with a small efficient reception off to the side. The main restaurant is next to the grand staircase, and the well stocked and beautiful bar just inside the restaurant. The hotel immediately exudes old world charm. The front desk manager apologized for not being able to upgrade me, apparently a group from a river cruise company was in the hotel and the best they had was the small room I had booked. I knew I would run into the Viking River people I see on PBS ads before Downton Abbey at some point! I told him it was fine, I was just going to shower and start walking around in an effort to keep my jet lag from kicking in after the fights from Bangkok and Dubai. Within moments of arriving in my small but efficient and beautiful room with a lovely outlook on the town, my door buzzed and the Hotel Manager appeared. He apologized in person for the lack of upgrade and asked if there was anything I needed. He told me afternoon tea was being served in the lobby and that it was one of the most popular things to do on a Saturday afternoon in the town. I was offered a complimentary tea for my lack of upgrade, but I declined having eaten my weight on the two flights and two lounges not to mention the hotel lounge back in Bangkok. I headed out on a two hour walking tour of the picturesque city. From historic government buildings, museums, and palaces of the Royal family, there is a great deal to see while wandering through the streets. It seems a sleepy town in comparison to busy Amsterdam and it is definitely an older crowd compared to the lively red light district which Amsterdam boasts. There was a street carnival going on in the town square outside of the hotel and I walked through before returning to my room. Turndown service included a specialized nighttime tea blend which I made before passing out after an epic travel journey.

The next morning I woke up and opted for a run around the town and its beautiful park rather than working out in the basement gym, which had a small weight and cardio room, but felt too cramped and definitely an after thought, as is typical with many older hotels with hundreds of years of history and with little concern for exercise back in those days. I had an amazing breakfast in the lobby restaurant, it was a shock to my system to see the sushi and sashimi gone, replaced by delicious Dutch pancakes and a wide selection of tasty hot and cold items, a focus on Dutch cheeses and meats, and champagne offered as well. After breakfast I checked out and made the ten minute walk to the station on my way for a brief stop in Amsterdam and Cologne before arriving at my work destination of Essen. Overall the town is very beautiful with lively cafes and good shopping, historic sites, and it is very walkable. There are certainly more older then younger people sitting around, especially at the hotel, but as the first channel on their hotel television tells you with a ten minute focus on the history of the hotel, The Hotel Des Indes is filled with luxury and history and is a great choice in The Hague.