Sleepover Test: Hotel des Indes in The Hague
FavorFlav’s Vincent said it already: hotel restaurants, once the neglected child of the hospitality industry, have suddenly become the only places where we can still go out to eat. And completely safely, too! The only drawback is actually an advantage: you have to stay the night. In the coming weeks, we’ll therefore be testing out overnight stays at hotels. In search of the best restaurant hotel, but also to give the hospitality industry a helping hand. Today: the renowned Hotel des Indes in The Hague.
When my mother and I wanted something special, we would occasionally go there for a cup of tea. But staying overnight? That had always remained a dream until now. So I had to pinch myself when we received an invitation from this beautiful hotel to come and sample the three-course menu and then spend the night. What an experience!
Des Indes breathes history
Des Indes has an impressive history, from the enormous parties Baron van Brienen (advisor to King William III) held there when he had it built as a city palace in 1858, to the corridors steeped in history, where greats such as Tsar Nicholas II, ballerina Anna Pavlova and Winston Churchill once walked. But also The Rolling Stones and One Direction—and I’m mentioning the latter, of course, to make my children insanely jealous.
A warm bath, outside the room too
We receive the warmest of welcomes and take our bags to our truly magnificent hotel room overlooking Het Toernooiveld. The bed is top-notch, the bathroom spacious and lovely, and I briefly recline on the sofa to enjoy this particularly chic interior. Shortly afterwards, we’re given a tour of the hotel’s highlights. The decor is impressive, with plenty of grandeur and glamour while remaining intimate at the same time. The rooms aren’t gigantic; you can feel that this was once an (admittedly large) residence, which makes you feel completely at home. The lighting is subdued, you walk on soft carpeting, and there are cozy little corners to sit in everywhere: this is somewhere you’ll want to stay for days.
Finally, no sweatpants for drinks
Just as important as the setting and the overnight stay in this feature, of course, is the food! And yes, the drinks too. We start in the lounge, where a small number of tables are cozily occupied by fellow guests. Games are being played here and there, a father and mother are celebrating their daughter’s twentieth birthday, and an older, newly formed couple are laughing at each other—the atmosphere is once again cozy, but with a slightly deliciously fancy twist. That feeling of being happy you finally got to take your smart clothes out of the closet again. We each have a delicious cocktail and then make our way leisurely to the restaurant, with the same pleasant company as in the lounge. And then three courses of very good food follow!
More is more
First up is an appetizer of ultra-fresh tuna sashimi, served on a beautifully presented plate with, among other things, a roasted soy marshmallow, the crunchiest pickled cucumber I’ve ever eaten, and dollops of curry mayonnaise. Yes, there’s a lot going on on this plate, but the chef clearly knows his craft because everything is very well balanced. The same goes for the main course of beef tenderloin: extremely tender, with a delicious Maillard-seared crust, a lovely umami mushroom sauce and some cuttlefish-ink garlic mousse. Excellent!
And for dessert, a warm chocolate lava cake with fresh sorbet. You can’t go wrong with that—although, actually, you can go completely wrong with it, but that certainly didn’t happen here. This one is absolutely excellent: classic, comforting, everything you want. The accompanying wines were a wonderfully full-bodied Viognier, a robust Malbec, and, for dessert, not one of those overly sweet heavyweights that immediately knock you out, but a light, tingling red with soft fruit notes. You say cassis, I say pour it!
The Court Capital is a cool city
Then comes a night of deep rest, which is an added bonus after being so thoroughly pampered. If it hadn’t been so stormy, rainy and windy, we certainly would have taken an evening stroll through that stately city center of The Hague. But you can imagine that relaxing in the room was also wonderful, and rolling straight into bed after a sumptuous dinner is an indescribable luxury… And then to wake up and sit down to a wonderfully fresh breakfast! You can choose whatever you like from the breakfast menu, making it a fantastic start to the day once again, with a table full of delicious things and plenty of coffee.
You deserve this, really
In short, see this December as the perfect time to treat yourself. Hotel Des Indes is a monumental place where you can have an unforgettable experience if you book their Dine & Stay package. And the same applies here: at these prices, it would be virtually impossible to have such a festive experience in non-pandemic times! From €132 per person, you sleep in the same hotel where royalty and world stars have stayed, and you also get a fantastic three-course menu and breakfast included. Don’t hesitate—book now, is our advice!
Hotel Des Indes, Lange Voorhout 54-56, The Hague
Also read:
- 15x delicious culinary hotel packages throughout the Netherlands
- Sleepover Test: Restaurant Jansz. / Hotel Pulitzer Amsterdam
- At Jack’s BBQ Shack, order the best cauliflower I’ve ever eaten
