Historic transformation into a 4-star Superior boutique Hotel

Once the estate of renowned entrepreneur George Perk, Hotel de Leijhof Oisterwijk has transformed the beautiful mansion in the heart of Oisterwijk into a charming boutique hotel. This year, Hotel de Leijhof is celebrating a special milestone: its 25th anniversary. Over the past eight years, the hotel has undergone an impressive transformation, renovating from head to toe. These efforts have resulted in a well-deserved 4-star Superior rating.

The rich history of the Brabant mansion is already visible on arrival, not only through the appearance of the impressive monumental building, but also through the huge tree of life in the front garden, at 24.40 metres one of the largest in the Netherlands. Those who walk in through the glass doors find themselves in a completely different atmosphere: modern, yet cosy and warm. In the lobby, details such as the large elliptical lamps and luxurious wall coverings stand out. General Manager Thomas Dijst welcomes Hotelvak with a big smile and explains that the hotel looked very different not so long ago. "It was outdated and had a dark atmosphere, with a rocking horse at the entrance. This changed completely when we made the switch to a boutique hotel."

The property, built in 1874 as Villa Rustoord, has had all kinds of functions, but its current form mainly reflects its first owner, commercial traveller George Perk. Thus, the restaurant is named The George and the bar is called Perk's Treasure Lounge. The current owners are real estate specialists Christ and Annelies van Helden. They bought the property 25 years ago and initially left its operation to another party. The building then had nine meeting rooms, but this proved not future-proof after the financial crisis. "Christ and Annelies are passionate in everything they do, they have 42 years of experience in the hospitality industry and still enjoy this beautiful profession every day," says Dijst. "They decided to run the hotel together with son Dennie van Helden and make a switch to a boutique hotel. This has involved them tremendously and they can still be found at the hotel almost every day."

The renovation of an entire hotel naturally involves a lot of work. In this, the owners took Dijst's opinion and expertise very seriously. "When I came to work here, it was immediately clear that guest experience was central to Christ and Annelies. The new concept would be on a smaller scale, with the advantage that you could be much more engaged with the guests. Step by step, the entire hotel was changed, from 55 rooms to 19 suites. In doing so, we decided to tackle the wings at the back first." The general manager used his experience to make some changes to the room design; for instance, carpet was chosen instead of laminate and the acoustics were improved. "Conceptually, the environment comes out strongly in the hotel. The forests and fens can be recognised in the colours green and grey that play the main role. For practical implementation, we immediately partnered with Pot & Vaas; they ended up taking on most of the hotel's interior design."

That Pot & Vaas comes from Oisterwijk is no coincidence, Dijst explains. "Christ and Annelies work as much as possible with companies from the region, or even so from their own town. Whether it's technology or Henk the carpenter, they are all local companies. Christ himself, by the way, also works on the renovations, because he can't sit still. That's how a good friendship with the carpenter has developed." The examples of local collaborations are numerous; for instance, the art comes from local artists through Van Loon Galleries. The beer comes from Swinkels Royal Family Brewers and the friandises served by the restaurant have a filling of homegrown spices, in collaboration with a local chocolatier, Dries Michels from Tilburg.

When the restaurant was remodelled, the chef again came very close. This project was quite a challenge, according to Dijst. "Previously, this was a conference hotel, serving meatballs in tomato sauce. We wanted to aim much higher and got in touch with chef Dylan van Hirtum for this. He lives around the corner and gained his experience at very good restaurants, including Château de Raay in Baarlo. The location was attractive to him, but before accepting the position, he had some clear wishes." For instance, Van Hirtum wanted to be able to grow his own organic herbs on site. To accommodate him in this, a greenhouse was built in the garden of De Leijhof. The herbs that are not found here, he and his children collect by bicycle from Tuinderij de Es in Haaren.  

"In consultation, a large open kitchen was chosen," continues Dijst. "There was already a piece for private dining before. This allowed the restaurant to remain partly open during the renovation. However, it was still a far-reaching project. I remember well that a guest once stood at reception with his towel because all the water had accidentally been turned off." Meanwhile, the restaurant cooks almost at star level. A separate area houses the exclusive Chef's Table, while De Leijhof also works with a Shared Dining concept. Guests can select their own wine from the large display case for red wines, or from the chilled wine library.

A little arithmetic shows that some of De Leijhof's renovations took place during the pandemic, a difficult period for hotels and restaurants. This was handled pragmatically in Oisterwijk, says Dijst. "I am very proud of our team; colleagues really go through fire for each other. That has to do with the Brabant geniality, but also with the intrinsic values of the owner. Christ tells all employees that he cares how they are doing and how they feel. This is where you notice the distinction from big chain hotels. So we really got through the corona time together. We then filled our front garden with sand and turned it into a pop-up beach, The George Beach Club, with food trucks and entertainment. That was a huge success."

The idea of doing more with the outdoor space was extended two years ago to a special botanical conservatory that extends De Leijhof's restaurant. Wood, hanging plants and atmospheric lamps create tropical atmospheres here. "Actually, a hotel is never finished," Dijst says with a smile. "Christ compares it to a painting; first you start with the rough lines and then you fill in more and more details. This year, our new classification coincided with our anniversary, so this was an opportunity to pay even more attention to the details to reach a superior level."

The Leijhof made some smaller adjustments; for instance, room service is now available from seven in the morning to 11 in the evening. More radical and important, however, was the average area of the rooms. "At first, we still had a number of smaller rooms, but now we are making a clear choice for 19 suites," he said. Three Sensation Suites were added to the offer in 2023. They will replace indoor meeting rooms on the ground floor. On the first floor, however, there is still (refurbished) meeting space. Instead of windows, these new suites have large LED screens. Guests can change the image on the screens with an iPad, for instance to a forest, an exotic jungle or bustling Paris. Of course, the suites have a large and comfortable bed, plus a freestanding bathtub and, in the bathroom, a double rain shower and separate hand shower.

All efforts have yielded a 4-star Superior rating this summer. "We are very proud of the rating and the new rooms. There is a real feeling in the hotel that we have achieved this together. The Leijhof feels very 'own' and that characterises the atmosphere." Plans for the future are still there, Dijst concludes: "If it's up to Christ, he will build another wing to it; he sees this as a fun challenge."

The rooms of Hotel de Leijhof

8 Deluxe rooms of 24m²: the colours for these rooms are inspired by forests and fens, with an image of the forest in the bathrooms.

5 Junior Suites of 34m²: more richly furnished than the Deluxe rooms, characterised by shades of brown. Has a large bed wall, high ceilings and a separate bathtub.

3 Sensation Suites of 29m²: with large LED screens, a freestanding bathtub and a rain shower.

2 Signature Suites of 42m²: designed by designers. A pink and purple room was designed by Joris van Spaendonck. Charlotte Molenkamp chose a design in which blue and green play the main role.

1 Master Suite of 72m²: The George is often used for weddings. The colour theme is black, brown and gold, with a 15m² bathroom. This contains a double rain shower and a freestanding bathtub.

General Manager Thomas Dijst knew when he was fifteen that he wanted to work in the hospitality sector. After hotel school, he first joined luxury hotels in Amsterdam, but the Brabant conviviality kept beckoning. Since 2015, he has played a key role in upgrading De Leijhof into a 4-star superior boutique hotel, first as hotel manager and now as general manager.

"My first jobs were in dishes and breakfast; so I have actually worked in all parts of the hotel industry. This helps me stay accessible in my current position. We do it together, so I don't want to be in an ivory tower. During my internships at Ritz-Carlton, Hotel Arts in Barcelona and The Dylan, I learned to pamper guests, something that comes with the 5-star segment, including at my former employer Hotel Okura."

"Every hotel has its own stories. For instance, during Willem-Alexander's coronation, I worked at the Okura, where the entire royal family stayed. Hotel Arts regularly hosted movie stars, but our job was to treat them the same as any other guest. At all luxury hotels, the personal guest experience is central; elements from this we also apply. As a visitor, I think Ritz-Carlton is a great example of this; they have a whole procedure for how to approach the guest. I was also very impressed by Atlantis The Royal in Dubai, where dining is truly an experience, with attention to all the details."

"I saw it as a great challenge to bring a luxury boutique hotel to Brabant. Owners Christ and Annelies had a vision that suited me very well, and so I enjoyed working here for 7.5 years. I then took a year off to work at Efteling Hotels & Resorts, but the position at a smaller-scale and more personal hotel suited me better."

"I want to give the spotlight to the team and stay in the background myself. My team is the heart and face of our hotel. Every day they do their utmost to ensure a fantastic stay for our guests."

"I know him as someone with heart for the business. He is a perfectionist and always strives for the utmost. We get along in many areas and when he notices something, he is actually always right. If something goes wrong, he says, 'You don't do that at home, do you?' He always wants the best for the hotel or guest, because details make the difference between good and excellent. Because there is little hierarchy here, we can often arrange things quickly among ourselves. I am very proud of everything we have achieved in the past seven years; there are few hotels that look like and can offer what we do."