Escape from everyday hectic - Our successful mission

Just a little longer and then hotel Van der Valk Delft will enter the operating phase. The opening will take place in February, but reservations are already possible now. After a five-year development process and almost two years of construction, this is a big moment for Rob van der Valk. "This hotel is our life's work. Moreover, we want to leave behind something we are proud of."

Rob and Magchelina van der Valk are the fourth generation in the family. The executive couple was previously responsible for the Plaswijck Rotterdam hotel and and hotel Assen. Rob talks about the couple's journey and the challenges of the construction process. 

"When starting up a new hotel, you notice what you take for granted in an existing hotel. Fortunately, we are not alone. Besides the knowledge we have gained, we benefit from the knowledge of our partners. In addition, there are our fellow Valk hotels. The willingness to help is very high." 

Rob took his first steps in the hotel business with his parents in Plaswijck Rotterdam. "From them I learned what hospitality is. They showed me that you always do it for your guests. My brother in Ridderkerk inspired me about how to organise well."

When Rob was just 24, he got the chance to run the Van der Valk Hotel Assen. "That was a great challenge. After all, the hotel employed people who had been in the hotel business longer than I was old! The step I took then, to start doing that, eventually turned out to be essential for our development here."

Over seven years ago, the development process of Van der Valk Hotel Delft began. "Many people don't realise how long such a process takes. Today's time brings a lot of uncertainty anyway. Of course there are a lot of permit processes and you have to deal with contracting and pricing. Construction requires a lot of attention and focus. However, in the development phase, many aspects such as uncertainty and impatience also come into play."

With rising prices, Rob says choices had to be made, which were not always easy. "The time of just doing everything is over. We have been critical and so we returned to basics. When the price per square metre rises, you have to start looking at whether something is a 'need' or a 'want'. For instance, placing certain technical equipment on the façade sometimes takes up a lot of space. So you have to make choices. We also opted for a lot of prefab work. This saves time and requires fewer people on the building site."

The hotel did not get a swimming pool. "In our opinion, this was more of a 'want' than a 'need'. The revenue model of a swimming pool is not clear to me. So, that became a 'No'. Besides, at this location, we mainly expect the business audience. Those people really don't all dive into the pool."

For other choices to be made, Rob drew on his own experience. "For example, I looked at other Valkhotels for the design. The sink kitchen looks like the one in Ridderkerk, the regular kitchen like the one in Breukelen. 

In doing so, we were critical of the size of the kitchen: how big should such a room really be? That's exciting, because actually it's only when it's in operation that we find out whether we made the right choices. For instance, whether there is enough storage space. After all, the sizes of these interior spaces cannot be adjusted then."

"By the way... the zoning plan still has 2,000 sqm available to expand. Depending on what the then current need is in the market, we can fill that space."

During construction, Rob has increasingly learned to rely on his own compass. "Of course I appreciate the advice I receive from everyone, but in the end you mainly do what your own compass tells you. That has been the biggest lesson for me personally." 

According to him, this was not always easy. "In the construction process, you have to exude calm and confidence to avoid unrest. Doubting is part of it, but choose your moment to express that doubt to the people you trust, so that you can make confident decisions during the construction meeting." 

Stubborn was Rob when it came to the round facade. "In Assen, I learned that anything round is awkward because it adds extra cost. Yet I specifically wanted this hotel to have rounded corners. That softens the look of the building. I really had to fight for this. Making a radius is often manual work, so we looked at how this could be cost-conscious. It turned out to be a beautiful colour steel sheet profile, which really catches the eye and colours with the daylight." 

Another special element is the canopy in front of the revolving door. "In the structure it rests on, the letters 'VDV' are very large. That crept in as the project progressed. Despite its size, it is subtle at the same time. I see it as a nice gimmick that is unique to this hotel."

What can guests expect from the Van der Valk Hotel Delft? "Our desire and goal is that the guest experiences a product that is Valk-worthy. Our mission is only successful if we can be an oasis in this busy Randstad corner, where guests experience tranquillity and also really feel that they can escape the hectic everyday life with us." 

The interior has been adapted to this by Magchelina van der Valk. "We chose a timeless, calm interior that also lends itself to change in the future," she says.

The hotel comprises 142 rooms, including luxury suites, a modern gym and facilities for conferences and events. There is a roof garden on the second floor and the à la carte restaurant (which features local produce on the menu) is located by the water. "The new building has been developed according to Gold GreenKey certification and the European Energy Efficiency Directive (EED) is met. The entire building is fully electric and gas-free," Rob concludes.