Access Low-res version
Print Send via e-mail/ GPS
Add to My Saved Items

"A Vintage Bed & Breakfast"

23-02-2009

By Myra Prinsen
Ineke and Erik Hoetjes not only share their noble white house in the beautiful Dutch countryside with their guests, but also their vintage car collection.



© De Vledderhof

A stay at the Vledderhof estate is exclusive in every respect. Guests stay in a luxurious first-floor suite offering magnificent views of a country estate that makes up part of the Drents Friese Wold nature reserve. It’s a wonderful place for nature lovers with deer walking through the garden, the occasional passing fox and a clan of badgers that have burrowed a network of setts.

The sitting room of the suite overlooks the back of the house. From the terrace you can see sycamores and the old bakhuisje [an old farm baking house]. Further back is a pond with a backdrop of rhododendrons, lime trees and, in the far distance, a forest. The view from the front of bedroom offers more natural views of the estate with grazing Scottish Highland cattle and forest.

There is only one bed and breakfast suite available so guests have exclusive use of facilities. Although the suite is big enough to accommodate a small family, places are limited to two guests at any one time, offering a perfect retreat for couples wishing to escape their hectic lives and find the perfect setting for a few days of rest and maybe even a bit of romance. In addition to the living room and bedroom, with its romantic bed and decorative wooden church bench - guests can also hire an adjoining room featuring a private cinema.  An old pulpit staircase connects the bedroom to the bathroom and toilet on the ground floor and near the stairs is a wooden angel that gives the Bed & Breakfast its name: In den Engel.


© De Vledderhof

A day trip in an English vintage

If the location of the Hoetjes family home in Drenthe Vledder is exclusive, even more so are the three vintage cars that are available for day-tripping guests to rent. After breakfast the host will drive the Morgan to the front of the house for collection, unless, of course, the guests have opted for the 1953 MG TD or the right-hand drive 1948 Triumph Roadster.
 
For most guests, however, it has to be the Morgan, a thoroughbred handmade, luxury sports car.  All three convertibles are British made. Erik, who takes care of the cars’ maintenance himself, explains the reason: "As we are catering for couples we only have two-seaters available. In contrast to vintage American cars, for example, these cars are smaller in size and, therefore, easier to handle and more sporty. When it comes to two-seaters, the British offer the widest choice and beautiful elegant design."

Clearly, a great deal of thought goes into providing guests with an unforgettable experience. "We try to be flexible because our primary objective is to deliver a great day to our guests," explains Ineke who, in the morning, will prepare a well-stocked picnic basket, complete with blanket, to ensure that guests can lunch in style.
 
Complementing the romantic vintage car experience, neck and head scarves are offered to female guests, whilst for the men driving caps are made available.


© De Vledderhof

Meeting people

Guests are often romantics who come to Vledder for the nostalgic experience of driving a vintage car, hair flying in the wind, and touring the roads that link village to village. The cars are not designed for speed junkies or would-be rally drivers looking for rough and bumpy terrain.
 
For insurance purposes guests must agree to certain terms and conditions. Motorways are out and cars must remain within a 50 kilometre radius of Vledderhof. However, the restrictions do nothing to spoil the fun as the Drents-Frisian region offers plenty of scenic routes and beautiful countryside for a relaxing day of touring in a vintage car.
 
Erik and Ineke clearly enjoy living in their beautiful environment and sharing their vintage collection with others: "We’ve been driving the cars for so long now and we’d heard so many people say that this was a dream of theirs too. But not everyone has a garage to accommodate a car collection or is handy enough to carry out the maintenance themselves. Or maybe they just don’t have the financial means to buy their own cars. By renting our vintage cars we can provide other people with the experience. We are fortunate to be in a unique place in the Netherlands where we can live and do all the things we enjoy. The gate to our land is always open to walkers and we have opened the Bed & Breakfast to run on a small scale to ensure guests benefit from maximum rest and enjoyment. Meeting people is central to our business. We enjoy meeting people and we choose to run everything ourselves, without staff. Having just one suite enables us to manage things as well as our own family life. "

Landgoed Vledderhof, B & B In den Engel

Vledderhof 3
8381 XR Vledder
Tel. 06-53345968
www.vledderhof.nl

ViaMichelin Websites

viamichelin.at
viamichelin.be
viamichelin.ch
viamichelin.co.uk
viamichelin.com
viamichelin.de
viamichelin.es
viamichelin.fr
viamichelin.it
viamichelin.nl
viamichelin.pl
viamichelin.pt

Commercial

Business services
Advertise on ViaMichelin
Press area
ViaMichelin Local

ViaMichelin and you

Tourism & Gastronomy Newsletter
All Tourism articles
All Gastronomy articles
Car & Motoring Newsletter
ViaMichelin labs
ViaMichelin.co.uk/navigationgps
Help us to update our maps

Products and services Michelin

Which tyres should I choose?
Discover Michelin maps and guides

© Michelin 2009

About ViaMichelin
Legal information
Privacy
Map directory
Tourism directory
Recruitment
Contact us