So, there I was staying in a suite doing housekeeping during my vacation. I expressed my shock to the frond desk that they were not wearing masks like in most countries in the world, and they brushed it off as, "It's Holland we take risks." In my room, the bell boy told me, "Don't worry, we won't make fun of you if you continue to wear your mask." The hotel would not at all accommodate me (I am a high-risk group), which meant I had to carry heavy trays of room service down the long flight of stairs because the waiter would not wear a mask (they had been wearing masks only the week before as per Dutch law), nor would the maid put on a mask. I arrived to The Netherlands to discover that all Covid precautions had been abandoned the previous week in a wayward national policy that has since resulted in Holland becoming an epicenter of infections and hospitalizations in the whole world. I booked the most expensive room at the hotel, but I did not receive the minimal service you would expect from any hotel, let alone a guest in the best room of a luxury hotel. There are some still graver serious service issues that make this hotel fall well under their competitor down the way (The Ambassade) and the other three Czech hotesl I experienced during my most recent escape to Europe. This meant that for three weeks, I was down nearly 4500 USD for a 2000 USD expense. If it is a little more, then they add it if it is a little less, the money held is reduced. In every case, the money that is held on your card becomes the basis for the charge. No other hotel does this, and I have been to hundreds-if not thousands- of hotels in my life. When I checked out, I was charged separately, which meant I had in excess of 2,100 Euros held on my card for three weeks IN ADDITION to the charge of about 1800 Euros for the stay (plus I had a one-night hold for a free night that I did for one additional room). The Bad-and some of this is very bad I had a hold on my credit card for the first night and then a separate hold for the entire stay. It all seemed perfect for a writer's retreat. It would have cost 100 dollars where I live in San Francisco. The bouquet I ordered for a mere 25 euros kept my eyes entertained the whole stay, and it stayed fresh. I loved the room (really, a large room rather than a suite) with its six-foot diameter brass chandelier, the silk throw on the bed, the bold patterns and fascinating textures to be soaked up over a period of days. Honestly, you don't need to leave the hotel to be inspired with beauty everywhere you look. The yogurt is decorated with an artist's verve-a splash of different berries and edible flowers. The breakfasts are lavish and beautiful with gorgeous pressed linens, six little bottles of jam and endless croissant and baked goods. From the stationery to the check-out invoice to the slippers, the hotel puts its design stamp on every detail and makes each an object of art to be contemplated. To that end, I booked the Orange Suite, a spectacular, baroque expression with all the panache that the Estherea interior design team could muster. During the whole pandemic during which I could not enter Europe, I was looking forward to a writing retreat in an aesthetically inspiring space in The Netherlands. The Good: In a city where most of the historic properties have been gutted to produce sterile, weirdly designed spaces (bathtub in the middle of the room, a sink next to the bed), Hotel Estherea stands out.
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