Thermae 2OOO, Valkenburg

Author's product rating:   

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

Advantages:	Nice pool, lovely location
Disadvantages:	Not cheap, have to walk up a hill  :  - )

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

Now I'm guessing that this review is going to cover a place that will be of little interest to a lot of people, but if you happen to be in the little part of The Netherlands that is close to both the Belgian and German borders then it may be of use.

Thermae 2000 is a spa complex and hotel. I've not been to a lot of spas, so it's hard for me to compare, but let me tell you a bit about it.

Where is it?

The complex is situated in Valkenburg in the Limburg area of south-eastern Holland. Unlike most of The Netherlands the area has a few hills, that's a good thing if you've been in The Netherlands for a while and got bored of everything being flat. Valkenburg is easily accessed by train, a short walk through the pleasant town and a little bit of a climb on the other side and you'll arrive at the spa. Signposts will guide you. It's situated opposite a giant Holland Casino complex, which is handy if you turn up as a couple and only one of you is interested in spa activities.

Valkenburg has an interesting tourist history, it has developed in recent years from being a camping destination for teenagers to becoming a more mature destination. That doesn't mean it isn't fun anymore, the town has plenty of bars and restaurants to keep you amused. There are caves to visit, a ruined castle (not ruined by teenagers, but during a battle in 1672) and the area is well renowned with enthusiasts of cycling and walking holidays. A chairlift runs from the centre of town to a hill overlooking the area. There is also a tower to climb at the top to give you an even greater view.

The Hotel

When you arrive at Thermae 2000 there are two entrances. One is for the spa and fitness complex, the other for the hotel. We found check in to be fast and easy, a couple of people on the small reception and nobody else around. The rooms are built into a hill, so when you leave reception you head down a little staircase (there is also a lift) and the rooms are tiered down the hill. Every room has a view of the trees, there isn't much of a view of the town. Despite roads being nearby we found that the room was incredibly peaceful. You have a little terrace with a table and two chairs, from here you can see the tiered structure of the building, the rooms all spread around the side of the hill like giant, curving steps.

For both of the nights we were there we really slept well. The combination of complete silence and some excellent light blocking curtains left me feeling more rested than in a long time.

The rooms are quite simple, the bathroom of a decent size with a good shower and bath. No coffee/tea facilities are to be found however, always a downside for me. If you want snacks/drinks and don't want to pay the prices you'll have to drag something up the hill, there are a few supermarkets in the town.

In your wardrobe you'll find a robe and slippers, so you can change and head straight for the pool.

The Pool

We really liked the pool here, it's one of those where you can swim indoors and outdoors, following a route as you wish. Dotted around are some hot tubs/jacuzzi's (I'm really searching for a better word for them), an area with a current to whizz you around without much effort and there is a pool specifically for exercise activities. The water itself is sourced from the ground beneath the spa and contains many minerals that are supposed to be good for your skin. The water is kept at a constant 32c apparently, it was a nice temperature anyway. Much better than I remember from going swimming in my schooldays, brrrr. I particularly liked it outside, being in the warm water in the evening when the air was cold outside.

Saunas and Steam Baths

There are a variety of saunas and steam baths just off the pool area. There is also an outdoor sauna in a wooden cabin. If you're a little shy you may find the communal area where you have to derobe and undress a little unsettling. I was happy enough in the pool most of the time anyway, so didn't venture in to the sauna area too often. It is certainly the busiest area, the pool never seemed to be too crowded, but I guess this can vary according to the time of year and day of the week.

For those who know something about these things (I don't), here's a list of the saunas:

Stuga sauna
Tuli sauna
Bio sauna
Outdoor sauna
Eucalyptus sauna
Standard saunas
Turkish steam bath
Roman steam baths

Spa Treatments

I apologise that I don't know much about the spa treatments on offer, but there was a quite substantial list. I suggest a look at the website. For those of us that aren't fluent in Dutch it's here http://thermae.nl/en/

Dining

There is a full service restaurant with an outdoor terrace. We ate here one of the evenings and whilst it isn't the cheapest the food was of an excellent quality. I think we paid 80 Euros for the two of us, including drinks, for a 3 course meal. The restaurant was quite popular, with people coming along specifically to eat there, not just because they were hungry and staying in the hotel :-)

Just off from the pool is a smaller cafe/bar, here you can pick up a smoothie, juice, coffee or something a little stronger if you so wish. There is also a snack menu.

There is also a bar with terrace.

Next to the spa entrance is a self service restaurant, but we didn't try it.

Breakfast is served in the main restaurant and is a decent buffet. It was included in our room rate.

Further Info

Rooms for 2 people can cost around 245 Euros a night. This includes access to the spa, buffet breakfast and a bathrobe and flip-flops to wander around in.

The hotel has it's own entrance to the spa, so you won't be going outside in the rain to get to it. Everybody happily potters about in bathrobes, even for breakfast and other meals. Hotel guests also get to use the pool an hour before it is publicly open, so if you're out of bed early (8am) you can get along and enjoy a swim before other people arrive.

If you're not in the hotel, a day pass will cost you 25 Euros. There are a variety of special offers via the website for included meals, treatments or longer stays. Be sure to check them out as it may be better value than booking a hotel room and buying things seperately.

Summary

All in all it's not a giant spa complex, it's not going to be comparable to spa baths in Italy, Hungary and other places, but for us it was a nice quiet couple of days when we were in the area for a music festival. I wouldn't make a special trip to go back but would definitely go again if I was nearby.

(also posted on dooyoo)

I found a photo of the complex that I took from the tower mentioned in the review, hopefully it gives an idea of the area. Also included a photo from in the town and one looking over the town (including the castle remains)