Landgoed Hotel Groot Warnsborn

What People are saying

Could not expect better

niekenpiet on 07/11/2017 14:14

What is not good about this place? In a beautifully wooded area one drives op to a wonderfull estate with this wonderful mansion converted into a luxurious hotel. The rooms are excellent and spacious. The staff was very professional and helpful. They really understand hospitality!

High quality and beautiful surroundings at a high price

David H on 26/09/2017 15:27

My Wife and I stopped here for three nights at the end of a three week driving tour of Europe. We decided we wanted to treat ourselves to a bit of luxury before we went home.

It was a particularly important stop for my wife, as our visit was primarily to attend the weekend of commemoration that Arnhem holds for the Allied Paratroopers that dropped there in the second World War -of which her grandfather was one.

Location -
The Hotel is beautifully located in lush woodland, about 15 mins by cycle from Arnhem town centre

We arrived and were able to drive to the front doors to drop off our luggage before moving the car to a large, free, on-site car park (with ample space even when a wedding was being held at the hotel one night).

Upon arrival the staff and owner were friendly and courteous, all speaking very good English (for those, like us, who unfortunately have very poor Dutch).

Room -
We booked a large room in the front of the hotel with a private balcony. The room itself was huge and beautifully decorated. The bed was comfortable and there was a separate room for the toilet and the bath/shower/washing facilities. The walk-in shower was very large and had very good water pressure.

There was a coffee machine in the room with limited free coffee and tea - more could be purchased from reception. There was also a minibar but everything (even the bottled water carried a substantial charge). This is par for the course, and ultimately not a criticism. However, having been spoilt by a number of the expensive hotels on our trip offering unlimited free minibars it was a marginal disappointment.

The balcony was large and spacious, offering an amazing view over the front grounds of the hotel. However, I would *not* call it private. The large balcony area (seen in pictures above the front door and restaurant terrace) was shared with the room next door and overlooked by 3-4 other rooms.

In being shared by the room next door it is only nominally separated by plant pots, with gaps in between them. It would be very easy to simply wander onto the balcony area of the other room and be able to see everything (and every one) inside. If you are in a large party this may be a great benefit, allowing a shared private area for your party. However, on your own it may concern some a little.

Another issue was the WiFi. Our room was directly above the restaurant Lounge on the first floor, and yet the only way we could connect to the WiFi was to leave one phone in the very back corner of the room (where it received a one-bar connection) and use that as a hotspot to tether our other devices.

Given that for many of us the internet is an important tool in planning and organising our trips, this was very disappointing.

Hotel and Grounds -
The hotel is set back in a beautiful area of lush woodland. It is absolutely perfect for those that want to go walking or cycling in beautiful surroundings.

The hotel itself has a full, fine dining restaurant and a less formal lounge - both with terraces for outside eating and drinking (at the front and rear respectively).

The hotel also offers bicycles to rent at 12.50 Euros per day. This gets you a 7 gear bike (the website says three but they were far better than advertised) with a bungie-strapped parcel holder on the back, and strong bike locks.

We used these extensively to get all around Arnem and the surrounding area. The extensive cycle paths and woodland make them a safe, easy and fun alternative to driving.

The Staff -
The staff were beyond friendly and helpful, and an absolute credit to the hotel. Even over our 3 day stay they got to know us (even remembering our room number), and made sure that we always had everything we needed and we were happy. I have read in other reviews that some felt the staff were inattentive, but this was not our experience at all.

Meals -
We ate twice at the hotel, once in the lounge and once in the fine dining restaurant.

The Lounge offers a small variety of meal options but they are certainly not what one would call 'bar food'. They are much nicer, and far better prepared than that. That being said they didn't really stand out and were certainly well above the price of regular bar food as well. However, the staff were wonderful and very friendly.

The meal at the fine-dining restaurant "La Belle Source", by contrast, was one of the highlights of our entire holiday. We opted for the 'surprise menu' in which you choose the number of courses you want and then are surprised with a selection from the chef (although you are asked in advance if there are any food types to which you are allergic or simply wish to avoid).

The food was simply amazing. We were treated to an incredible variety of dishes, each expertly prepared and just fantastic. Likewise, the wine selection was superb. When we were sat we were greeted warmly and welcomed. It was explained to us that this was not intended to be a quick meal, but rather a long, relaxed dining experience, which is exactly what we received.

Throughout the meal the staff were friendly and attentive. The serving of the food was exemplary. Every dish was introduced to us and explained in detail, and discussed with us afterwards. Our glasses were never allowed to empty and never needed to be filled by us. The staff were always watching every table to ensure they received prompt but unobtrusive attention.

Although the meal is objectively fairly expensive, when you consider the quality of both the food and the service provided it is actually very reasonable.

The only major issue that we experienced at the hotel came to a head at this meal. There was a group of 10-12 American and British men staying for the same period as us, who were loud and frankly obnoxious. We really aren't 'delicate flowers' who balk at any raised voices, and are well up for a good time and a lively atmosphere.

This group were WELL beyond that. Getting very drunk every night and yelling so loudly that many of the other guests couldn't hear their own conversations.

This was at it's worst during our meal in the restaurant. This group had (inexplicably) chosen to have a meal in the small fine-dining restaurant which they apparently intended to be a drinking competition.

This is not an exaggeration; at one point I had to call a waitress over to explain that they were literally playing 'university student-style' drinking games (LOUDLY) at their table.

This group were similarly behaved throughout our whole stay. The rest of the time, although it was not pleasant, we took the attitude that they were just having some boisterous fun.

However, when we are paying over 250 Euros for a meal for two intended to be a fine dining experience, this really isn't acceptable.

It was clearly bothering all the diners in the (small, bijou) restaurant during that meal, who were struggling to talk to their dinner companions and sharing knowing looks among themselves and with other tables. The staff were clearly struggling with them too.

In fairness this behaviour is not the hotel's fault. Also to be fair, when it finally got so excessive that my wife and I were having to raise our voices to talk we had to complain (I suspect we were not the only ones). At that point the maître d' did step in, first asking them to calm down, and (when it became apparent that they were too drunk to be able to do so) he did move them and their whole meal to the lounge area instead.

So, on the one hand well done to the staff for dealing with it in the way they did - tactfully but firmly, and I do appreciate these sorts of situations are rare and very difficult for the staff to deal with. However, as counter point it really shouldn't have been allowed to carry on for nearly as long as it did (an hour or so), nor require complaints from diners before management intervention.

The staff were at least very apologetic afterwards and went out of their way to ensure the meal was still overall a good experience.

Summary -
In summary this is a wonderful hotel with amazing staff in a beautiful and convenient location, but issues like the WiFi need to be addressed.

(NB/ If you find yourself visiting for the para commemoration, the hotel is also about 30 mins cycle/10 mins drive from the heath on which much of activity takes place, and about 10 mins cycle/2 min drive from the Cemetery in which the Sunday service takes place.)

Expensive, but so well-located. it was worth it

Michael L on 25/08/2017 21:38

We had not spent time in the Arnhem area on other European trips, but the museums and parks (Kroller-Muller, Het Loo, Burgers Zoo, Open Air Museum, Veluwe) were so close by that we paid a little more to stay here. The location is out of town, but beautifully situated, with a garden near the Orangerie that is quite lovely. The rooms are huge and the service was very good. Paying about $20 per person for breakfast (cold scrambled eggs, unfortunately - no one watched to see if they were warm) is a negative, but since there really aren't easy alternatives, we did not have much choice. The staff was very helpful and recommended places to go and, in particular, a wonderful place to eat for dinner - De steenen tafel.

At least the mouse liked the cheese

vicki p on 19/08/2017 23:49

We stopped in this hotel on our way to Calais from Nes and after two lovely weeks in the Netherlands . The hotel was in a beautiful setting - but was living off that because it had little to commend it internally . Our room was very tired and very 1970s from the gritty artex walks to the grubby maroon carpet and the over the bath shower with mouldy tiles and grouting, a too-short shower curtain and very thin towels. The TV screen was laptop sized, the bed very bouncy and sagged in the middle and the dark depressing furniture reminiscent of an old aunt's house.
The bar menu included 'old cheese and dry sausage' . We headed out for dinner instead and on return decided to brave the bar for a nightcap. We ordered cheese and biscuits and got literally a plate of old cheese ends, very sour and smelly. They had no biscuits or crackers and were baffled we asked for them. No fruit or celery or grapes - just old cheese. Whilst eating tiny pieces of it and drinking two overpriced glasses of medium róse we watched as a mouse ran backwards and forwards from the fireplace to the door! Breakfast the next day was simply horrid. No service, rock hard boiled eggs, butter still in the packet, milk bottles on the servery, cheap jam, dry 'empty tasting' bread, no toaster or toast, sweetened reconstituted orange 'juice', very little fruit - a pineapple slice I think and an orange find your own cutlery and coffee, tea etc and at the hatch some of the previous nights dry sausage and a greasy bowl of cold pasta.
Simply awful.
Couldn't get out fast enough and would never go back. It was old fashioned but in a way which means in need of modernisation rather than quant it r traditional . I'd say steer clear unless you want to take a very old aunt .

Third Visit and still very enjoyable!

Veronica B on 30/07/2017 16:27

We stayed for two nights at the end of May and last visited two years ago, we stay when visiting the Reichswald War Cemetery.
Nice all inclusive package of dinner + breakfast + room with a discount from our previous visit. Staff always friendly and welcoming (and good at remembering faces!), dinner outside was a pleasure and really enjoyable.
Only disappointments were a scarcity of coffee for the room coffee machine and the post visit discount is now only valid for 6 months and for Grande Deluxe or Premium Rooms. Receiving the discount card on departure also felt special.