It is perfectly possible to step away from the hotel world within the Van der Valk family. “In fact,” says Luiten, now director of Van der Valk Den Haag-Wassenaar, “my parents actually encouraged me to do something else. My brother, for instance, is a chef in France.” Luiten himself took a more winding route: he attended hotel school, went on to study finance in Barcelona, and worked as a business controller and treasurer. Even so, the family business kept calling him back.

“After three years managing a hotel in Melle-Osnabrück in Germany, together with my wife Roxanne, I’ve returned to the place where I was born,” he says, gesturing from the restaurant towards a house beside the hotel grounds. “That’s where I grew up, and of course I spent much of my childhood here in the hotel as well. While other children were playing with Lego, I was in the kitchen, completely absorbed by the daily buzz. I even used to pop out the little butter portions from their trays as if they were ice cubes.”

Solar panels

A great deal has changed since those early years. Solar panels now cover the roof of his grandmother’s former house, and over the past three years the hotel has undergone a complete transformation. “Roxanne and I took over from my aunt and uncle, who ran the hotel for 46 years. We had an unusual start, though: the pandemic.” He smiles. “It forces you to think creatively.” Once that period passed, long planned renovations finally began, with a strong focus on sustainability at one of the Netherlands’ earliest and most recognisable Van der Valk locations. The hotel now offers 225 contemporary rooms.

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“The entire building has been redeveloped,” Luiten explains, “fully in line with BREEAM standards, an internationally recognised sustainability certification. We have 380 solar panels on the roof, which generate around twenty per cent of our total energy use. The gas we still require is produced on site using a biodigester fuelled by food waste from our restaurant. Even the fireplace runs on it throughout the year. Around the grounds, we have our own kitchen garden, where we grow fresh produce that goes straight onto our guests’ plates.”

For guests staying more than one night, the hotel also offers a more sustainable option. Through the Green Stays programme, they can choose to skip daily room cleaning. For every day they opt out, a tree is planted in North Macedonia. “Why there?” Luiten says with a grin. “It might sound random, but it ties in with a carpentry company we’ve worked with for years. They’re based there and have strong connections with the local forestry authorities.”

The nest

When asked about his favourite dish on the menu, Luiten does not hesitate. “The Iberico steak is excellent. At the same time, it’s striking that no matter how much we refresh the menu, the schnitzel remains the firm favourite among our guests.”

Some things, it seems, do not change: the proximity of nature and the sea, the sense of hospitality, and the relaxed atmosphere the hotel offers. Everyone feels welcome here. Even on the roof. “We’ve installed a falcon nest up there. It apparently takes about six months on average before they settle in. There’s a webcam, so anyone can watch along. Sooner or later, a falcon will make its home here.”

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