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Summary of reviewsHotel Grandcafe De Doelen is celebrated for its prime location in the heart of Franeker, providing guests with an ideal base for exploring the town’s historic charm and key attractions. The central setting on a cozy square puts shops, restaurants and cultural sites within easy reach, adding to the appeal of the hotel.
Guests consistently praise the breakfast offerings, describing them as delicious, extensive and well-catered to various dietary preferences, including gluten-free options. The friendly and attentive service, along with the elegant presentation of breakfast at the table, enhances the dining experience.
The hotel’s restaurant also garners high marks for its overall dining experience. Guests appreciate the delicious and well-organized à la carte dishes served for lunch and dinner, such as the flavorful ossobuco. The spacious café setting and reasonably priced meals make the restaurant a popular choice for both guests and locals.
Rooms at Hotel Grandcafe De Doelen are generally well-received for their cleanliness, spaciousness and tasteful decor. Many rooms have been recently renovated, offering modern fixtures and ample amenities. However, some rooms are noted to be basic or in need of upgrades and occasional issues with temperature control and noise from the restaurant were mentioned.
Cleanliness is a standout feature with numerous reviews commending the spotless and well-maintained accommodations. The hotel’s commitment to hygiene ensures that rooms are kept in excellent condition throughout guests' stays.
The staff at Hotel Grandcafe De Doelen are frequently highlighted for their exceptional friendliness and helpfulness, contributing significantly to the positive guest experience. Their prompt and courteous service, combined with a welcoming atmosphere, makes guests feel at home and is a key element of the hotel’s charm.
Lastly, the beds receive generally favorable comments for their comfort and quality with most guests finding them conducive to a restful sleep, despite occasional remarks about them being too narrow or soft.
Overall, Hotel Grandcafe De Doelen offers a delightful blend of prime location, excellent dining, comfortable accommodations and outstanding service, making it a highly recommended choice for visitors to Franeker. Show more
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Categories
Dog Friendly Hotel
This hotel welcomes pets, allowing guests to enjoy their stay without leaving their companions behind. It also offers a grand cafe and bar where guests may be able to dine with their pets.
Hotel with EV Charging Stations
Hotel Taking Steps Towards Sustainability
Family Friendly Hotel
Small Hotel
Room Types
Twin RoomThis room features a private bathroom with a shower and a toilet. A flat-screen TV, minibar and desk are also included.
Guest Reviews
8.2
Very Good
Location
Hotel Grandcafe De Doelen enjoys a prime location in the heart of the charming town of Franeker. Perfectly situated in the city center, guests appreciate the convenience of being close to shops, restaurants and key attractions like the planetarium and the Oortwolk art fountain. The hotel stands on a cozy square in the middle of Franeker's beautiful and historic old center, which adds to its allure. This central spot makes it an ideal base for exploring the picturesque surroundings of Friesland. The location is particularly praised for being very accessible with free parking available within walking distance. Whether it’s for a weekend getaway or a leisurely exploration of Franeker's rich heritage, Hotel Grandcafe De Doelen offers an enviable and beautiful setting right in the center of town.
Breakfast
Hotel Grandcafe De Doelen impresses guests with its outstanding breakfast offerings. The breakfast is often described as delicious, extensive and very well taken care of, catering to various tastes and dietary preferences, including gluten-free options. Guests appreciate the wide selection and the fresh bread, croissants and traditional Dutch items such as sugar bread.
The service is frequently highlighted with staff described as exceptionally friendly and attentive. Breakfast is not only served with care but also presented generously, often at the table, adding a touch of elegance to the morning experience. For those with an early start, the hotel is accommodating, ready to serve breakfast even on Sunday mornings.
In summary, guests consistently praise the breakfast at Hotel Grandcafe De Doelen, making it a memorable highlight of their stay.
Dinner
Hotel Grandcafe De Doelen's restaurant has garnered high praise for its dining offerings. Guests consistently describe the food as delicious with numerous mentions of both dinner and breakfast standing out as top-tier experiences. Visitors enjoyed excellent à la carte dishes, which were consistently well-organized and tasty. The convenience and quality of the restaurant were highlighted with multiple guests enjoying both lunch and dinner at the establishment. Specific dishes such as the ossobuco were noted for their tasty sauce, though one review mentioned the lack of cheese in the cordon bleu. Overall, the restaurant is lauded for its friendly service, delicious food and its role as a great place to enjoy a meal or drink, enhanced by a spacious café setting. Meals were found to be very good and reasonably priced, making it a reliable choice for those staying at the hotel.
Rooms
Hotel Grandcafe De Doelen offers a variety of room experiences with many guests praising the cleanliness, spaciousness and tasteful decor. Several reviews highlight rooms as being beautifully furnished, neat and very clean. Many rooms are described as spacious, providing ample seating and necessary amenities, such as large televisions and minibars. Some rooms have been recently renovated, adding to their appeal with modern fixtures and decor.
Certain rooms, however, are noted to be basic or in need of renovation, including issues like outdated facilities and insufficient lighting. Comfort levels varied with some rooms being described as pleasantly warm and cozy, while others were noted to be either too cold or too hot. The lack of air conditioning in some attic rooms and inconsistent heating were points of concern.
The location within the building also affects the experience; rooms above the restaurant sometimes suffer from noise and accessibility issues. Despite a few shortcomings, many guests found the overall stay enjoyable with the positive aspects of room size, cleanliness and aesthetic qualities generally outweighing the negatives.
Beds
Hotel Grandcafe De Doelen generally receives favorable comments about its beds with many guests describing them as excellent, very comfortable and great. Numerous reviews emphasize the comfort and quality, highlighting that the beds are very good. While most feedback is positive, noting that the beds are good and comfortable, some guests found them to be too narrow and occasionally too soft, which detracted from their overall comfort. Nonetheless, the majority consensus suggests that guests can expect a restful sleep on the hotel’s beds.
Cleanliness
Hotel Grandcafe De Doelen receives high marks for its cleanliness. Guests frequently praise the hotel for its clean and tidy rooms, noting that the accommodations are both beautiful and spacious. Hygiene is consistently highlighted with many reviews mentioning that rooms are kept perfectly clean and organized. The extra cleaning done during stays adds to the overall positive impression of cleanliness. Despite some minor maintenance issues with woodwork and occasional remarks about sanitation, the general consensus is that the rooms and accommodations are very nice, neat and exceptionally clean.
Staff
The staff at Hotel Grandcafe De Doelen consistently impresses guests with their exceptional friendliness and helpfulness. Reviewers frequently highlight the welcoming and accommodating nature of the team, often describing them as extremely friendly and attentive. Guests appreciate the professionalism and kindness of the staff, noting that service is both prompt and courteous. The staff's proactive approach and focus on hospitality contribute to a pleasant experience, making interactions with them feel like encountering family. Despite some mentions of inexperience, the overwhelming sentiment remains positive with many guests commending the staff's ability to make them feel at home. Overall, the staff at Hotel Grandcafe De Doelen is often cited as a key element of a great stay, leaving visitors with memorable impressions of excellent service and genuine hospitality.
No, Hotel Grandcafe De Doelen doesn't have any pool.
No, a spa isn't available at Hotel Grandcafe De Doelen.
Yes, Hotel Grandcafe De Doelen welcomes dogs.
No, parking facilities aren't available at Hotel Grandcafe De Doelen.