Golden Tulip Paterswolde-Groningen

This hotel and area have far more of a rural feel than the other hotels we looked at in Groningen. It was nice to wake up to birdsong and be close to the lake. Easy, free, parking was also a big benefit. The hotel staff were very helpful and generally spoke good English. Rooms were clean. We always felt safe and well cared for. The hotel is also child-friendly. We had two rooms for a family of six - one adult and two young children in each room. We were very glad to be at the Golden Tulip Paterswolde! Finally - one odd note - when we stayed there in 2009, the pavilion on the lake had fallen into misuse and was occupied by squatters. This may sound very odd and dangerous to people from outside Holland, but the Dutch didn't seem that worried by it. Apparently it is common and legal for properties that have not been used for 1 year. It did deny us the ability to walk down to the lake and feel safe though. Also, apparently the hotel has seen better days and used to have a thriving jazz scene. It then became run-down and has only recently been getting fixed up. Our experience (apart from the lake pavilion) was that they had been doing a great job of the renovations. Perhaps booting the squatters out of the pavilion is on the to-do list. The only other issue was the over-priced restaurant. read more