Hotel Maritime School part 2: The renovation

In the previous edition of Hotelvak, we followed Joost van Damme, who wants to realise his dream by converting the Maritime School in Vlissingen - a national monument - into a hotel. For a while, the tide seemed to be against him, but the project is now back on track. In part two of this series, the permit is in. We now follow Van Damme and designer Hans Kuijten during the conversion.

"A dream is coming true," says Van Damme. "As a native of Vlissingen, I consider it an honour to be able to realise this infill in this beautiful and unique building. The building will belong to everyone again. To be visited daily. Continuous conviviality. Flushing will get 'a hotel with a living room' through Hotel de Zeevaartschool that we can all enjoy, for many years to come." The entrepreneur and hotelier is relieved that the last bottleneck has been overcome. "The objections that still seemed to be there we were able to remove in a good conversation. It is a happy moment, but we are not celebrating yet. A lot still needs to be done."

A major stumbling block until now has been meeting the hotel's power needs. This has been solved by continuing to use gas in part. "Perhaps there will be more room on the power grid in the future, but we unfortunately had to invest in gas boilers and other equipment for the kitchen now. All common areas will also be heated with gas soon."

Hotel De Zeevaartschool will have seventy rooms, divided into four different room types. 45 Standard rooms, five family rooms, six suites and 14 sailor rooms on floor 0. "The main bulk are standard and deluxe rooms with sea views. At the very bottom, however, smaller rooms will be situated in a lower price segment. So something for everyone." In addition, the hotel will also have a restaurant, bar and lounge. Contractor Bulsink from Son and installer DWT from Goes have meanwhile started the renovation and refurbishment, the design is in the hands of Studio Hans Kuijten. 

When Hans Kuijten was approached for the project, he immediately saw potential. "However, the building does not yet breathe much atmosphere, so we are going to add that. Another challenge was that we were not allowed to remove any walls. So the structure of the building is already defined by the rooms." Because of the hotel's location, a maritime and intimate concept was quickly chosen. "In my designs, I take the incidence of light into account a lot, because by the sea the light is very different from that in the woods. We therefore chose light tones and let the history of the building be reflected in the materials. Not sleek and white, but a warm atmosphere through the use of rugs, fun fabrics, wood tones, copper and brass elements. It won't be a maritime museum, but the maritime atmosphere is definitely there."

Anyone entering a hotel for the first time hopes for a 'wow' feeling. This is also what Kuijten wants to achieve in The Seafaring School. "When you enter through the main entrance, the hotel bar is the first thing you see. This is the central heart of the hospitality area." No pillars or walls were allowed to give way, so Kuijten integrated these elements into the design. "We build the bar around a pillar, and in a large wall we realise a wine cabinet." The restaurant, bar and lounge actually form one whole. "The idea is that guests can sit down with their plate anywhere, whether it's breakfast, a conversation or drinks. We want to create a living room feel with an international character. It should be a hip, classic affair." The hotel's reception is deliberately further back.

The hotel rooms will have the same look and feel, with calm colours and light wood tones. "They are all equipped with double beds, while the family rooms have two more sleeping places on a mezzanine. This creates the family rooms. We add a sense of luxury with wallpaper, and more luxurious rooms get carpets. The sailor cabins are smaller, but also suitable for two people, and have a characteristic round window." Kuijten is proud to contribute to the hotel. "I think we give a rather light and chilly building a warm atmosphere, through the colours and materials we apply. These are lighter than people are usually used to from me, but this is also a welcome change for me. It is going to be a very warm blanket, I am convinced of that." Hotel De Zeevaartschool hopes to open its doors in December 2024.  

The building's special turret will be given a multifunctional purpose. It will soon be available for rent for a very small 'event'. A meeting at a unique location, a marriage proposal with champagne, or a romantic dinner for two. Outside these reservations, guests can just walk in here. To remind of the building's history, plaques will appear on the wall, and the annual commemoration of students who died in the First and Second World Wars can still take place. A circular room under the turret will house a mini-museum.