Written by: Paul Verlinden
Source: BN DeStem
What started in 2022 with 16 rooms has now grown into a hotel with 46 rooms, and the finishing touches are currently being put on another eight rooms. In May, Hotel Biesbosch on Marinaweg in the Drimmelen marina will be completely finished with a total of 54 rooms.
The hotel was built in phases and now connects seamlessly with De Sloep, located at the roundabout at the entrance to the harbour. De Sloep is a small building where boats can be rented, the tourist office is located, and the hotel reception is situated.
Now that the complex is complete, it immediately catches the eye when people enter the marina via the roundabout. ‘There's something there now. It really has character here,’ says Brenner Verhagen, who, together with his wife Marjolein van Schendel, owns both De Sloep and Hotel Biesbosch.
Completely stripped
The fact that the hotel could be completed in phases is partly due to its modular construction. ‘Modular and circular,’ says Verhagen. ‘We use units that have been used before, for example in schools or care homes. These have been completely stripped down so that all that remains are four posts, a roof and the floor. We have rebuilt them here and completely refurbished them.’
"Even in winter, we are always at least seventy percent full."
Brenner Verhagen, Hotel Biesbosch
The hotel was a success from the start. ‘Even in winter, we are always at least 70% full, and usually, especially during the high season, the occupancy rate is much higher,’ says Verhagen.
Initially, they had mainly counted on tourists. But it soon became apparent that business travellers also knew where to find the hotel, says Verhagen. ‘Here they find peace and space. Another factor is that half of the rooms have a kitchenette. They are more like studios. People who stay a little longer appreciate that. They don't always feel like eating out at a restaurant every night.’
New Brasserie (Bistro)
But if hotel guests want to go to a restaurant, there is an excellent selection in the marina itself. From Friday onwards, they will hardly even have to leave the building, because Brasserie De Koestering will be opening on the ground floor of the hotel (directly behind De Sloep).
Verhagen and his wife run the hotel themselves and also rent out boats. They are leasing the brasserie to Ronnie van Loon, Joey Brouwers and Kristel Abbenhuis. Since 2020, this trio has also been running Grand Café Het Witte Huis, a little further down Marinaweg. The building that houses Het Witte Huis also belongs to Verhagen and his wife.
Like Het Witte Huis, De Koestering has an accessible menu, says Ronnie van Loon. ‘The main difference is that Het Witte Huis also serves sushi, in addition to a French-Dutch menu. At De Koestering, the menu is also basically French-Dutch, but with different dishes.’
Cod
Van Loon shows us the dinner menu of the new brasserie, which offers a wide variety of dishes: from cod to sea bass fillet and from beetroot satay to grain-fed steak.
Another difference is that Het Witte Huis is open seven days a week, while De Koestering is currently open from Thursday to Sunday for lunch and dinner (although breakfast is served every day).
The new brasserie has ninety seats inside and a terrace that can seat at least a hundred people. Guests can enjoy views of the marina with its moored boats. ‘It's like a living painting,’ says Verhagen. ‘Whether it's summer or winter, there's always something happening. It never ceases to fascinate.’
Written by: Paul Verlinden
Photographs by: Pix4Profs/Edwin Wiekens
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