The new Rosveld Hotel in Limburg

Hotel Rosveld in Nederweert opened its doors last spring. For the owners, the Loverbosch family, this is the fifth hotel under their care. Designer Leonie Loverbosch was responsible for the interior and provided this Limburg location with its own identity and atmosphere.

What does the guest want? That question is always central for Loverbosch. "All our hotels have their own identity and appearance. This identity must be lived and experienced throughout the entire stay, from start to finish. For me, this means that I deal with all aspects, from large to small. So from interior design, styling and use of materials to the choice of a logo on a napkin."

When asked what inspires her, she has a clear answer. "I don't really look for that. The goal is central for me and at Rosveld that was 'a cosy home for the business traveller and nice luxury getaway for the leisure guest'. Turning that goal into a tangible and tangible result is my inspiration. All materials are my 'tools' here. Some of them were, of course, a given. At Rosveld, it was mainly the concrete. That made my main goal to create optimal acoustics, using warmth as a counterpart. The complete range should create cosiness. But nowhere should it become fussy or stuffy. Stylish and serving the identity and the experience for the guests, that's what we had in mind here." 

The complete filling-in of Hotel Rosveld created an extra challenge for Loverbosch, by the way. During the process, Marius Akkers died. He had been involved in all construction matters from the beginning and knew this building inside out. "That was a great loss. First and foremost as a human being, but also for the construction of the hotel. Together with colleagues, we divided the tasks. My focus was on finishing and detailing. Yes, that was a learning experience for me."

Anyone entering the hotel immediately understands what goal Loverbosch had in mind. The deliberate choice of lots of clean-work (visible permanent) concrete combined with honest materials such as oak, steel, richly upholstered furniture and plants contribute to this. "My main focus was the human scale. This is not a place for a short stay but for a longer time, sometimes even days. People feel the same way. We are already dealing with returning guests. They feel at home here.

That combination of concrete and wood has been used not only at the entrance, reception and bar, but is also reflected in the rooms. This hotel forms a unity."

The outdoor terrace at the front also has the same atmosphere thanks to the combination of concrete, wood and steel. To give guests a comfortable and cosy feeling, a generous scissor-type awning was installed there. This covers the entire terrace, creating a protected, warm look and no one feels lost in a huge space. "The top floor houses the roof terrace, roof bar and a gym. In short, an ideal place for both leisure and business guests." 

A big challenge was in optimising acoustics. Opting for the industrial look was a conscious decision, but it meant using a lot of concrete in the interior. "That does not dampen. Guests engaged in conversation in the breakfast room or at the bar do not want to hear their words echoed back. Hence the choice of lots of relief, an acoustic system ceiling in islands with cove mouldings all around and a number of decorative accessories such as acoustic cloths and richly upholstered furniture. The same choices were made in the rooms. These are stylish and comfortable with standard air conditioning, smart TV and Auping brand beds, among others. When people enter these, there should be a wow experience, so to speak. Given the initial reactions, we have succeeded in this."

An important part of the Rosveld identity is the breakfast buffet where not only the culinary surprise but also the sustainability aspect is central. According to Loverbosch, the approach is important because it will later be applied at the four other hotels. "This is a pilot. At this buffet, we present all products without packaging. It looks more attractive and also reduces waste. Also, all technical installations, such as coolers, heat lamps, induction plates et cetera, are fully integrated into the interior. This ensures a functional approach where the focus is on the products and not on the technology. This way, everything comes into its own better. In the coming months, we will study this critically, fine-tune it if necessary and then apply it to our other four hotels. Environmentally friendly, sustainable business is essential because we like to think in terms of solutions."

According to Loverbosch, the sustainability aspect plays an important role in the hotel anyway. "It has been built with the technology and knowledge of our time. Both the roof and the facade incorporate solar panels. In addition, a whole series of heat pumps provide the 77 rooms, long-stay flats and all communal areas with heating, air conditioning, hot water and so on."

Incidentally, this is more than a hotel. It is also a place for meetings, conferences, presentations, working alone or as a meeting point. This is possible thanks to the flexi-working spaces on the mezzanine. "We have three different meeting rooms. The boardroom can accommodate up to 12 people. The other two meeting rooms each have space for 50 people and when we link the rooms even 100." 

A surprising new hotel on a historic site where meadows and farms used to dominate the scene. Why exactly the choice of this location? Loverbosch smiles and says: "Look around you. Everything is happening here. New business premises and halls are being built everywhere. It is a high-profile location along a main road from the north to the south of the Netherlands, close to the A2 motorway and close to the borders of Belgium and Germany. We deliberately chose this location because a second ring around the Randstad is developing. Many companies are moving to these new, attractive areas from the west. This hotel is part of phase 1. There is still a lot to be done in this area."