Hilton The Hague, The Netherlands

The Hilton The Hague is located in the heart of the city center, within walking distance of many of The Hague's most popular attractions, including the Binnenhof (the seat of the Dutch Parliament), the Noordeinde Palace, and the Mauritshuis museum. The hotel is also close to public transportation, making it easy to get around the city.

The Hilton The Hague has 285 guest rooms and suites, an executive lounge, an on-site restaurant and bar, a fitness center, a spa, a business center, and meeting and event rooms.

The Hilton The Hague was developed by S. van Eijkelenburg Holding B.V., a Dutch real estate development company. In 2007, S. van Eijkelenburg Holding B.V. purchased the former Dutch Post office building, a fine example of Dutch neoclassical architecture listed as a national monument, for €25 million. The company invested €75 million to renovate the building and convert it into a hotel. The renovation project, which took three years to complete, was successful and the hotel was awarded the Dutch Construction Award in 2010.

The architect design of Hilton The Hague was led by Dutch architecture firm MVRDV. The design of the hotel was inspired by the former Dutch Post office building, a fine example of Dutch neoclassical architecture. MVRDV carefully restored the building's facade and preserved its original features, such as the grand columns and the glass roof of the lobby. MVRDV also added a modern extension to the building, which features a glass facade and a rooftop terrace. The extension is designed to complement the original building and to create a sense of openness and transparency. The interior design of Hilton The Hague was led by Dutch interior design firm Barzileye Concept & Design. The design of the hotel's interior is inspired by the Dutch Golden Age and features a mix of contemporary and classic elements. The hotel's lobby is a grand space with high ceilings and marble floors. The lobby is furnished with plush sofas and armchairs, and features a large fireplace. The hotel's guest rooms and suites are also decorated in a classic style, with features such as hardwood floors and four-poster beds.

The story ideas design of Hilton The Hague is based on the theme of the Dutch Golden Age. The hotel's design is intended to celebrate the Dutch Golden Age, a period of great prosperity and cultural achievement in the Netherlands. The hotel's interior design features a number of references to the Dutch Golden Age, such as paintings by Dutch masters, Delft Blue tiles, and crystal chandeliers. The hotel's restaurant, which serves Dutch cuisine, is also named after a Dutch Golden Age artist, Vermeer. 

Le Méridien Hotel des Indes in The Hague, Netherlands

Of course branding is not just related to the interior’s design or furnishings but more strongly to the operational parameters of service, the smile guests are welcomed with, cleanliness, food etc. Contrasts between hotels within the same brand in this area are potentially more problematic than they are in design. Driven by a sense of history, and by a familiarity with a restaurant in Paris designed by Jacques Garcia, the new owners of the Hotel des Indes spent around €40 million on commissioning the Frenchman to refurbish the hotel. For a long time minimalism has ruled the roost as a design style in Europe, and many a guest has prayed for the day when pattern and fabric would return to banish the Scandinavian bleakness of many hotel interiors. If pattern is the measure of success, then here the prayers have been answered. As a young designer I was told that patterned carpets hid the dirt and wear of everyday use and should be preferred to plain carpets. The carpets here may well have hidden depths, and they have a patterning that goes back to the same era that appears to drive much of the decoration. That era relates to the original building of the hotel, once a favourite haunt of Royalty and International diplomats, and the designer has attempted to create a feel in keeping with the era of carriages and top hats.

Problem solving is a key designer skill. I would imagine that this hotel was an early pioneer of the use of electric light because of the way in which the fittings were made a part of the original ornate plaster mouldings in the ceiling, and this posed a problem seeking solution by the designer. Probably faced with a large bill for ripping out all the plasterwork and replacing it in order to remove the fittings, the designer has opted to keep them in place installing small lamps into them. The result is to create an interior in which lighting plays a dominant rôle. The lamps follow the form of the columns and arches, much in the way that lighting is traditionally used to outline a big top or on a fairground wagon. When added in to the patterning of the carpets, the liberal use of red, black and gold, the palms and marble the opulence of the interior is overwhelming. The intent of the designer is fairly clear and it may be that when the palms achieve the scale one sees in photographs of Victorian interiors then it may start to achieve that intent, but the over-lighting tends to flatten the interiors except in areas like the bar where outline lighting is missing, allowing the designer to achieve more subtle variation of light and colour.

Le Méridien Hotel des Indes in The Hague, Netherlands, was developed by the hotel development and management company, Marriott International. Marriott International is a global hospitality company with a vast portfolio of hotels and resorts worldwide. Le Méridien Hotel des Indes is a luxury hotel located in the heart of The Hague. It is housed in a historic building that dates back to 1858 and offers a blend of classic elegance and modern comforts. The hotel is known for its exquisite design, impeccable service, and upscale amenities, making it a popular choice for both business and leisure travelers.

JACQUES GARCIA