Perfect base for a weekend in Breda: the renovated Leonardo City Hotel

Weekend in Breda? ‘Gère’, as I would say as a born-and-bred Brabant local. (That means ‘gladly’.) As a proud former resident, it still hurts a little that I recently left the Pearl of the South. If, like me, you occasionally visit (or return to) Breda, I have a great accommodation tip for you: the renovated Leonardo City Hotel. 

The hotel opened its doors in Breda in 2018. About five years later, in November 2023, the large-scale renovation of the hotel began. The hotel rooms, reception, lobby, bar, restaurant and basement were given a major makeover. The reopening took place on Thursday, October 3, 2024, and was celebrated in grand style.

From the station and city straight into bed

The Leonardo Hotel is conveniently located in Breda. Are you at the station? You can practically roll into your hotel room: the hotel is literally right next to the station. You only have to walk down the street to reach Valkenberg Park. From there, you can be in the heart of the city center within a few minutes. Ideal, if you ask me. No hassle arranging taxis, looking up bus schedules or renting GO scooters to get to the hotel—or into the city center.

Fun fact: a long time ago, the building that now houses the Leonardo Hotel in Breda was a post office. Today, it has around 88 hotel rooms, 40 of which were included in last year’s renovation. The other 48 rooms had already been given a makeover before that.

You can clearly see that everything is wonderfully new and has been given a hipper look. And the hotel room? I slept fantastically—and I am genuinely a terrible sleeper. What also helped was the incredible view from our room. When we opened the curtains, we were looking straight at the Grote Kerk of Breda. A familiar sight to me that I will never get tired of.

New concept: a look inside the open kitchen

New at the Leonardo Hotel City Center Breda is the restaurant concept: Chef’s! Food & Drinks. As a guest, you can now literally take a look inside the open kitchen. Breda is one of four Leonardo locations in the Netherlands to offer this concept. The menu features several options for each course. After an amuse-bouche from the chef (tuna with wasabi cream and macadamia nuts), I had a Local Chef’s Starter. It was a delicious flatbread with wild mushrooms, tomatoes and bacon. Although the name might suggest otherwise, this dish does not necessarily contain local ingredients. It is a creation by the chef that can change daily and is made based on the ingredients available. Smart!

The Local Chef’s Specials were an option for every course. My dining companion went for a generously filled autumn salad with Parma ham and mozzarella. For the main course, we opted for two regular menu options. We enjoyed Cajun Fish Taco’s with tomato salsa and avocado salad, and a Swedish Pork Rack with scampi, celeriac mousseline, yellow beetroot and shellfish jus. One was a kind of street food, the other wonderfully autumnal: it shows that the menu offers plenty of variety. Both dishes were well-seasoned, generous in portion and beautifully presented.

Afterwards, we were told that the chef wanted to surprise us with a dessert of his own creation. And it was absolutely wonderful! Crème brûlée, homemade boerenjongens ice cream, cheesecake with peanuts and dates, tarte bourdaloue with pear, a warm apple and nut tart… I suddenly realize that this may also be why I slept so well that night.

At home in the south

As if such a grand dessert to finish off the meal weren’t enough, the next day starts cheerfully with an extensive breakfast buffet. With treats that will undoubtedly also appeal to international guests, such as quintessentially Dutch poffertjes. Another nice touch: you can squeeze your own orange juice. I definitely prefer that to the juice from a carton that you normally get.

All in all, it was a wonderful stay and a highly recommended spot if you feel like visiting the south. I know that whenever I miss my old city, I have a place to visit where I feel at home.

Stationsplein 14, Breda (Leonardo Hotels is part of the Leonardo Hotel Group, which has nearly 300 hotels across Europe)

Also read:

• 5 other Brabant delicacies you really should know
• 4 of the tastiest sandwiches in Breda
• Saltimbocca alla Romana: how to make it