Hotel Het Oude Raadhuis

I pulled up on the road opposite the hotel to find out where the parking was. Of course I had been sent some information, but it was in Dutch and I couldn’t work it out. I went inside via a code I had to tap into the keypad hoping to speak with someone. I couldn’t find anyone and all the information on an information sheet again was just in Dutch. I managed to call a lady who was helpful on the call. Turns out that the parking is roughly a 10 minute walk from the hotel. Weather was good, so this wasn’t a problem. Just hope that I don’t receive any problems from parking whilst I found out. I’ve found the Netherlands to be very strict and immediate to issue fines for menial things like this over the years. When settling into the hotel, I was very impressed with the design, space and comfort. They’d clearly invested lots of time and money bringing this old town hall to life. I sent a text message back to the one received about the car parking arrangements to ask where I could find an iron and board in the hotel. I didn’t receive a response. The church next to the building gives a nice backdrop, but the bell chime to give indication of the time every hour with a single chime every half an hour wore thin during the night. In fairness, there were ear plugs provided, but I struggle to wear these when asleep (tried it offshore). I went to see if I could get a decent coffee later, but failed to find anyone, anywhere. Therefore, I took a stroll around the lovely town. I had to leave the hotel by 05.00 the first two mornings, so I didn’t experience breakfast until the last day. The staff that I eventually met were lovely, attentive and there was a nice breakfast available before I checked out. The housekeeping was a little inconsistent. First day everything was left in a good standard, water replaced etc. Second day, coffee & water not replaced. Dirty mug and glasses left and a just a couple of fresh towels left on the bed. Despite the snags experienced during my stay, the charm of the place makes it a nice place to stay. Undecided if I’d come back, but enjoyed the hotel overall and was in a lovely location to explore once I’d returned from some offshore visits for work daily.

Lovely small Hotel in the centre of Castricum. Easy walk from the station with access to Amsterdam. We were there for a family beach wedding at nearby and superb Club Zand. Ended up taking over the whole hotel for a couple of nights so very much like a home from home for our family and friends gathering. Nice small outside seating area. Great breakfast and staff. Honour bar which was a nice touch. A very relaxed vibe and close to restaurants etc. Recommended.