Valk Exclusive Eindhoven-Best opened

Along the A2 motorway near Eindhoven-Best and a stone's throw from Eindhoven Airport, the hotel sits against a clear blue sky, shining in the spring sun. A stylish combination of 12 floors of glass windows in a radiant white concrete skeleton. You can see right through it, so to speak. After three years, the new Van der Valk location is almost finished. Daimy van der Valk (4th generation Van der Valk family) is at the helm of the brand new hotel that towers over the region. Enthusiastically, she takes HOTELVAK for an exclusive tour and unique look behind the scenes.

Upon entering, it is immediately striking. The natural wood tones, the warm decor, the geometric patterns and, as an eye-catcher, the huge wooden staircase. Light, warm, modern and a bit retro. "That's exactly it," Daimy explains over a cup of coffee in the cosy restaurant. "My mother Alice took care of the interior design. We faxed photos back and forth endlessly to come up with this concept that is warm, homely and at the same time fresh and contemporary. We ended up with natural materials in caramel, chocolate and mocha colours, with a nod to the 70s and 80s. Think vintage materials, unusual marble, mirrors, walnut elements and, of course, a touch of gold. We are implementing a subtle homely perfume that can be smelled everywhere." 

Here in the restaurant, you can see the geometric patterns - as Daimy calls them, "round shapes that embrace you, so to speak"- reflected in the central bar with marble and stylised palm trees, among others. "We call them the horns," laughs the hotel manager.

Further on, we look into the semi-open kitchen with retro tiles. "Designed by my mother who says from experience: when thinking out a kitchen, you should choose one line for the layout and not have too many different opinions." For the 600 available covers, Chef Thomas Voets and his team provide a French-classic menu every night. "We will cook with vegetables and herbs from our own food forest, we will make our own fries and, of course, we will serve Van der Valk classics like schnitzels and dame blanche. Thomas is someone people enjoy working with so our kitchen team is in good shape. Very happy with it!"

Walking around the open hall still feels a little uncomfortable. After a 'soft opening' in early May, the first guests - "super curious test sleepers we learn a lot from!"- are finding their way while the decorators are working on the finishing touches. "This is where the self check-in machines will come in, they'll get a gold accent first," he says.

Daimy says that sometimes things turn out differently than expected: "The columns over there by the men's toilet block have become a bit too dull so the painters are already busy painting a fresh colour over them. A little better every day... By the way, the toilets are very special: they are Trone toilets from France with a transparent water column. For the first time in the Netherlands!"

We are curious to know how the young hotel manager experienced the construction and start-up himself. "By nature, I am cheerful and down-to-earth. In the race against the clock to open, that came in handy when, for example, we suffered a serious leak during construction last year. That's part of the job. I like to roll up my sleeves myself. For instance, I designed the menus myself. I also started browsing for vintage elements. On Marktplaats, I found a cool marble table second-hand, and in Rotterdam I picked up a 'groovy' mirror for near the lifts." Daimy is also happy that staffing is looking good in this difficult time to recruit. "As hotel manager, I do a lot to include everyone in the family feeling. I am from South Holland myself and can really appreciate the Brabant atmosphere here. Celebrating Christmas, carnival and Easter together, for example. By the way, my sister, two brothers and two cousins also work here."

On the first floor is the meeting centre. The hotel has a total of 24 meeting rooms and has as many as 1,300 seats. The largest room can even accommodate 800 people. "We expect this hotel to become an important stopping point for business and leisure travellers. The area is an ideal cycling location. So we have electric bikes available for guests. In addition, we cooperate with the adjacent golf course and the bus to Eindhoven city centre stops in front of the door. Moreover, we work together with a taxi company that drives London cabs - another retro nod."

As throughout the hotel, the carpets here also attract attention: large geometric patterns on a relatively light background. A local party, EMRA Flooring, from Eindhoven, was collaborated for the carpets. The carpet is Solution Dyed, a different dyeing method than traditionally used for colouring the fibres. As a result, it is colourfast and more resistant to UV light. It is dirt-repellent and stain-resistant, as spilled liquids and the like are not absorbed by the fibres.

Through the glass frontage, the eye catches the adjacent thatched farmhouse with which the project started more than 10 years ago. "At the time, my father Marcus put a drawing pin by this area on a map because of its mix of activity and nature. He sent a letter on behalf of the family to the surrounding farms whether he could build a hotel here one day. Eventually, we got permission to realise that dream. We are keeping the farmhouse alive by converting it into staff housing."

While Daimy chats here and there, we take the lift to the 6th. In the spacious hotel rooms, the beds are arranged centrally, always with a great view. We see various modern facilities, such as Philips IPTV, wireless phone charger, Dyson hairdryer, bluetooth speaker and a coffee machine. Van der Valk: "From three trial set-ups, we put together the ideal room, always with both a shower and a bath. In the design, you see the same colour schemes and organic shapes again. The Swiss Sense beds and sheets have a QR code so guests can order them themselves. Funny detail: opposite the seat you will find a handy compartment for storing shoes. That's where you recognise my mother's practical hand. Our test sleepers were still missing cardboard cups, which we added immediately." The spacious luxury suites also feature a double whirlpool bath and private sauna.

The internal staircase takes us to the top floor (52 metres) with wide views over the trees and the city of Eindhoven. We can see the PSV stadium. While the decorators are still hard at work here, Daimy outlines the near future: "This is where we will soon install our multifunctional sky bar where high-level cooking and cocktails will be served. Furthermore, meetings can be held here with fantastic views. There will also be a gym plus wellness with several saunas and a giant swimming pool. This is going to be great!"

When saying goodbye, the Van der Valk descendant mentioned the hotel's 'secret spot': "A cosy pub for real Brabant conviviality will open in the basement. We will also rent it out for festive gatherings. So come back again soon!"

Outside, we are accosted by a lady from the neighbourhood who gets off her bike: "I have seen the hotel being built from the beginning. Is it open yet? Then I'll come on Friday night with my husband. I've already heard that the cooking here is very good!"