Unusual places to spend the night in Holland

Lay your head down to rest on the church organ in this beautiful Baptist church from 1904. The church can also be rented for performances or events, but you’ll have it all to yourself if you decide to spend the night here. So play a little ditty on the piano or cosy up to the wood stove. The owner Dick Stukkien has plenty of stories to share about this special place.

Spending the night in an old food silo is always a unique experience, but this one is made even more special because of its location in a botanic
garden. The silo’s interior is decorated with furniture, made from materials that were gathered in the Hortus and include a desktop made of plant cards. The Hermitage is a retreat. You can stay here for two nights or more, from May till October. According to a romantic, 18th-century custom, hermits were given permission to sleep in the botanic garden, as they were regarded as symbols of the reflective man who is close to nature. And now you can follow in their footsteps.

Many prisons have often been likened to hotels, because of the luxurious conditions in which the prisoners were held. Now that more and more jails are closing their doors, some are being converted into hotels. You can spend the night in the Blokhuispoort, in a sparsely furnished dormitory, or share a bunk bed in one of the cells. For more luxurious accommodation, book a double room with an ensuite bathroom. If your cell feels too claustrophobic, then head to one of the common rooms where you can cook, read a book or have a beer.

This tiny octagonal house near a large white water tower is situated in the Netherlands’ first sustainable ‘ecodistrict’, which is also car-free. It also happens to be near popular Westerpark. The Windketel project was set up by ten locals, who manage the hotel apartment. The house has a modern look and feel, with Dutch Design furniture, and can be booked for stays of three or more nights.

Local entrepreneur, bunker aficionado and former photographer Peter de Krom transformed this former WWII-bunker in the dunes with a great eye for detail and a high standard of style and comfort. Lots of original details found their way into the modern and stylish interior. It sleeps two adults and two children, and has a lovely little patio. Profits are reinvested into maintaining and developing cultural heritage and nature.