Bilderberg Hotel De Bovenste Molen, Venlo

Author's product rating:   

Value for Money	Good
Quality of Rooms	Excellent
Standard of Service	Excellent
Cleanliness	Excellent
Quality of Facilities	Excellent

Advantages:	Excellent Service, Beautiful Surroundings, Great Food
Disadvantages:	A little out of the way, no bus transportation,expensive

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

Bilderberg Hotel "De Bovenste Molen" in Venlo, Holland

INTRODUCTION
When I asked for directions from the taxi driver by the large roundabout in Venlo, Holland, he was very friendly and helpful. Good thing too! I was near the enormous football stadium for the team VVV Venlo. By this roundabout is where I had first seen the road sign for this restaurant. He pointed me in the direction of what looked to be a forest. (You will need a car or a taxi to get there.) We turned into this forest road among all the Sunday afternoon walkers, bird watchers, cyclists and joggers, winding our way up the slowly climbing country road. It was lined with enormous houses of various styles, some with normal garages, others with horse barns, but all with loads of trees and bushes giving them all the privacy they could need. What a beautiful place to live! But I had begun to think we had been misdirected by the taxi driver. Then we rounded another turn and …the taxi driver had been right! There it was, De Bovenste Molen (The Highest Mill)…And it was, at the top of this hill nestled in the middle of a little forest

The FREE PARKING LOT was just across the road from the restaurant/hotel and a little above it. It was full with about 50 autos or so parked in the middle of the woods! We had a lovely view of the Restaurant/hotel as we parked and walked down and across the street towards the entryway.

THE ENTRANCE
There was a cement path which had two gigantic millstones embedded on either side of the walkway…I can see where it got its name. Most of Holland is flat land and below sea level, and most mills are constructed on the lowlands beside rivers, lakes or canals.

The steps leading down to the Reception area are covered with a canopy so that in rain or snow the steps stay dry, and so do you. There is a small reception area, but very luxurious to see. It is a combination of ultra-modern and antique, a style that many hotels are adopting these days, especially the Bildederberg group of hotels, to which the Bovenste Molen belongs. The architect must have had an eye for detail, for everywhere you look, you see the littlest things, arranged in pleasing ways, for example, the large lamp over the reception area is identical to the smaller table version on the desk, or the large round shiny black vase sitting on the wide window sill with the red twisted branch jutting out from it.

The receptionist was very friendly and helpful, showing us the way to the diningroom section of the hotel where we wanted to go for lunch. We made a left turn from the reception area and were immediately confronted with two deep rose-coloured antique sofas (with yellow and grey pillows for your back) facing each other with black leather over-stuffed sitting chairs on either side. A large, square glass coffee table was placed in the middle. It was also possible to have coffee or lunch in this location.

We stood there for a moment and surveyed the dining area. It was a very large, with seating for 60 to 80 people. The décor was wine-rose and (very comfortable looking) chairs with dark grey accenting placed around natural dark-wood tables, all sitting upon a light yellow flooring. In the center of each table was a small shiny round black vase with a yellow rose. It was really very cheerful and comfortable, although I never would have imagined that those combinations of colours would be so pleasing to the eye!

THE TERRACE

When the waiter greeted us, we opted to sit outside on the very large terrace, as it was a rare and lovely warm day. The patio is cement decking surrounded by a small decorative metal fence. The fencing is to keep guests from accidentally falling into the beautiful lake, which is too large to be called a pond. In the distance, on the other side of the lake and along its perimeter, there are weeping willows which are reflected in the water, as well as a Japanese style foot-bridge. White swans swim up to the terrace area and, while we were there, some of the guests with children came out from the restaurant with baskets of old bread to feed the swans, just as I have fed ducks in local lakes and ponds.

There was seating outside for approximately 40 people, although there were no more than 10 when we were there. The white tables are surrounded by 4 rattan patio chairs, but not the kind where you sit so low that you can't reach the table comfortably. And the tables were placed around the terrace at unusual distances from each other, not symmetrically at all, but it seemed to me that this helped in making your lunch a little more private, as I couldn't hear what the people were saying at the tables near to us.

It was all very serene and pleasant.

LUNCH

The wait staff is fast and very efficient, yet friendly and helpful. They have a separate menu in English as well as Dutch. Coffee is 2.50 Euros, as well as beer (with a special 'beer of the month' for 3.75). Cherry pie with whipped cream comes in at 4.25, but it is lovely. A ham and egg sandwich, 7.75 and the club sandwich is 14.75. There are a variety of salads, soups, sandwiches and French fries available. They also have a 4-course menu for 37.50. Our coffee was served with a cookie and a chocolate! While we ate, we never felt any pressure to hurry and we thoroughly enjoyed the restful afternoon.

WELLNESS CENTRE

From the hallway near the reception area, you can smell a very faint chlorine smell from the swimming pool. We took a little tour of the facilities, and they have a not-too-large swimming pool, squarish and angular in design, with blue tiles and a diving area. Here were two boys swimming and diving. There were dark blue deck chairs and lounges around the pool. There is a gymnasium, hot tub and sauna. And they also give massages. The prices can be found on their website.

CONFERENCE HALLS

They have conference rooms for business people and organizations to hold meetings. They will provide coffee/tea/drinks and sandwiches at your request.

THE HOTEL

This is not a cheap hotel. We didn't go inside the bedrooms, but a room for 2 persons is listed at 124 Euros, excluding breakfast, which is an additional 16 Euros. They will, for a additional 30 Euros, make you a picnic basket, if you so desire, to take with you as you wander around the many paths and the woods surrounding the hotel. They have no 'smoking rooms' in which to stay, so if you are a smoker, be warned! Smoking is allowed in the Restaurant (at least for the rest of 2007!) and on the Terrace.

You can also easily book your room or your stay at the Wellness Centre on the website.

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS

I would say that although this is an expensive place to visit, it is worth the extra money and time it takes to get there for the exceptional service and care you are given at De Bovenste Molen. If I were in the area again, I would certainly stop in for at least a cup of coffee and pie!