Hotel Des Indes

Hotel Des Indes is a landmark luxury hotel on the Lange Voorhout in The Hague, Netherlands. Its origins lie in a city palace completed in 1858 for William Thierry, Baron van Brienen van de Groote Lindt, a personal adviser to King William III. The baron assembled several adjoining properties and commissioned architect Arend Roodenburg to create a substantial residence suited to political entertaining, receptions and private hospitality. The building included a large inner court, ballroom, stables, accommodation for family and servants, and a rotunda that originally allowed horse-drawn carriages to enter and turn before departing. After the baron's death in 1863, the palace passed to his son, who soon sold it because of its size. Hotelier François Paulez acquired the property and transferred it to his daughter Alegonda. She and her husband, Friedrich Wirtz, converted the residence into a hotel. Following four years of work, the establishment opened on 1 May 1881 under the name Hotel des Indes, a reference to the then-famous Hotel des Indes in Batavia, in the Dutch East Indies. The name was intended to appeal to travelers and colonial officials with connections to the Netherlands' overseas territories. The façade also adopted the coat of arms of Batavia in place of the original family arms. The hotel began with approximately 120 rooms and quickly developed a reputation for elegant hospitality, grand social events and prominent international guests. Its importance increased around the 1899 Hague Peace Conference. General manager Christian Haller, formerly associated with London's Savoy Hotel, secured the hotel as the official accommodation venue, helping establish it as a diplomatic and political meeting place. Haller introduced modern amenities for the period, including telephones, a front-desk intercom, and hot and cold water in guest rooms. A hydraulic lift was installed in 1902, and the inner court was later redesigned with a formal staircase and a glazed roof. The business endured severe financial pressure during and after the First World War. In 1918 its assets were sold to the Nederlandsche Uitvoer Maatschappij, which intended to turn the property into offices. Public opposition, supported by The Hague's mayor Patijn, helped persuade the Dutch government to acquire the hotel in 1919. Government ownership continued for decades, while the property remained in hotel use under the Haller and Rey families. Henri Rey became sole director in 1922. The hotel introduced unusual services for its time, including a male-dancer service for female guests in 1925. The 1930s brought both tragedy and rebuilding. Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova died in one of the hotel's rooms in 1931, and a ground-floor salon was later named in her memory. That same year, an electrical fault during celebrations for Queen Mother Emma caused a fire that destroyed much of the third floor and damaged the roof. Reconstruction enabled the addition of a fourth floor. The Dutch government again helped sustain the hotel during the Great Depression. During the Second World War, Hotel Des Indes became a meeting point for German occupying authorities and housed the Dutch headquarters of the Wehrmacht High Command. It had also been used briefly to hold the German ambassador and his staff after the outbreak of war. Despite the property's wartime associations, hotel management sheltered a small group of Jewish people from persecution; the group survived. After the war, Jean Jacques Rey returned from service with the Royal Air Force and took over management in 1946. Changing expectations in the postwar hotel market weakened the hotel's position during the 1950s and 1960s, as travelers increasingly favored newer facilities. The hotel announced its closure in 1971, but a campaign involving Prime Minister Barend Biesheuvel and other political figures led entrepreneur Julius Verwoerdt to rescue the property. He purchased the building from the Dutch government and carried out a comprehensive renovation of its infrastructure, rooms and central hall. In the 1970s and 1980s the hotel also hosted informal cross-party political discussions on socially contentious subjects, later known as the Des-Indes Deliberations. The property subsequently passed through several hotel-management and ownership structures. Verwoerdt sold his hotel company to Crest Hotels, the hotel subsidiary of Bass Brewery, in 1979. Inter-Continental management, already involved since 1975, acquired the hotel's assets in 1990 but put them up for sale again the following year because returns were difficult in a market heavily dependent on budget-conscious diplomats. Le Méridien assumed management in late 2002. A major renovation in 2004–2005, designed by French interior architect Jacques Garcia, added a recessed upper floor and changed the façade from white to yellow. The hotel reopened in November 2005 under Starwood's The Luxury Collection banner. Westmont Hospitality Group acquired the hotel in 2015. In December 2018, after Starwood had become part of Marriott International, the management agreement ended. Hotel Des Indes subsequently joined The Leading Hotels of the World. Its present identity rests on the combination of luxury accommodation, historic architecture, diplomatic heritage, central The Hague location, and continuity as one of the city's best-known grand hotels. Changing expectations in the postwar hotel market weakened the hotel's position in the 1950s and 1960s, as travelers increasingly favored newer facilities. The hotel announced closure in 1971, but a campaign by political figures including Prime Minister Barend Biesheuvel persuaded entrepreneur Julius Verwoerdt to save the property. He bought the building from the Dutch government and carried out a major renewal, replacing aging heating, kitchen, electrical and guest-room infrastructure. Under Verwoerdt the hotel also hosted informal tripartite political meetings on subjects such as abortion, euthanasia and same-sex marriage, known as the Des-Indes Deliberations and associated with the political conversations preceding the Netherlands' later Purple coalition government. In 1979 Verwoerdt sold his hotel company, which had expanded to thirteen hotels, to Crest Hotels, the hotel arm of Bass Brewery. Inter-Continental had already managed Hotel Des Indes since 1975 and acquired the hotel's assets in 1990. It returned the property to the market a year later after concerns about investment returns, particularly because many guests were diplomats operating under strict budgets. Inter-Continental continued managing the hotel until 2000. Le Méridien became manager in late 2002. A major renovation carried out in 2004–2005 cost approximately 28 million euros. French interior architect Jacques Garcia redesigned the interiors, an additional floor was inserted behind the historic façade, and the exterior was repainted yellow. The hotel reopened in November 2005 as part of The Luxury Collection following Starwood's acquisition of Le Méridien. Westmont Hospitality Group acquired the hotel in 2015. In December 2018, after Starwood merged with Marriott International, the Starwood-linked management arrangement ended. Hotel Des Indes then joined The Leading Hotels of the World. It remains an active luxury hotel whose appeal combines heritage architecture, diplomatic history, event hospitality and a prominent address in central The Hague.

The building now occupied by Hotel Des Indes was commissioned in 1858 by William Thierry, Baron van Brienen van de Groote Lindt, a royal adviser who wanted a grand city residence in The Hague for entertaining political and aristocratic guests. He acquired and demolished three existing houses on the Lange Voorhout and adjacent Vos in Tuinstraat, then engaged architect Arend Roodenburg to design a palace. The completed property cost 150,000 guilders and contained reception rooms, a ballroom, an inner court, stables, guest and servant quarters, and a carriage rotunda. Its political setting reflected The Hague's role as the Netherlands' administrative and diplomatic capital. Following the baron's death in 1863, his son inherited the palace but sold it because it was too large for his requirements. Hotelier François Paulez subsequently acquired the property and gave it to his daughter Alegonda. Together with her husband, Friedrich Wirtz, she supervised its conversion into a hotel. After four years of alterations, the hotel opened on 1 May 1881. The name Hotel Des Indes alluded to the celebrated Hotel des Indes in Batavia and was chosen partly to attract travelers connected with the Dutch East Indies. The building's original family coat of arms was replaced with the arms of Batavia. The hotel opened with 120 rooms and soon became known for formal banquets, receptions and refined service. Its early facilities were considered luxurious even though there was initially only one bathroom on each floor. In 1894, Wirtz took responsibility for another hotel in Scheveningen, and Hotel Des Indes was placed under the newly formed Maatschappij tot Exploitatie van Hotel des Indes nv. Christian Haller, who had experience at London's Savoy Hotel, became general manager. His tenure was central to the hotel's transformation into a major international establishment. Haller won the right to serve as the official hotel for delegates to the 1899 Hague Peace Conference, overcoming competition from other local hotels. Haller modernized the property rapidly. By 1900 the rooms had telephones, a communication system linking rooms and reception, and bathing facilities with hot and cold water. A hydraulic elevator was installed in 1902, and architect Foek Kuipers redesigned the inner court with a formal staircase and a glass-covered rotunda. The hotel attracted diplomats, monarchs, politicians, artists, industrialists and scholars. Its international profile was reinforced by the constant flow of visitors to The Hague's courts, conferences and diplomatic missions. The First World War severely damaged the hotel's finances. In 1918 Haller decided to sell the company's assets. The purchaser, Nederlandsche Uitvoer Maatschappij, intended to convert the property into offices, provoking a public campaign to retain the hotel. The Hague mayor Patijn and other supporters persuaded the Dutch government to buy it on 2 May 1919. The government valued the building as a reserve location for emergency offices, while the Ministry of Foreign Affairs appreciated the strategic usefulness of a large luxury hotel. Ownership changed, but the building continued operating as a hotel. Haller's wife and her brother Henri Rey managed the establishment; Rey became sole director in 1922. During the interwar period the hotel experimented with new services, including a male-dancer or gigolo service introduced in 1925 for female guests. The 1930s opened with the death of Anna Pavlova in a hotel room on 23 January 1931. Later that year, a short circuit in lighting used for celebrations of Queen Mother Emma caused a fire. The blaze destroyed the third floor and damaged the roof. Reconstruction produced an opportunity to add a fourth floor that had been contemplated in earlier plans. The Great Depression again weakened the business, and the Dutch government intervened to help keep it operating. The Second World War gave the hotel a complicated and often contradictory role. Henri Rey attempted to flee to England when the war began; he and his children escaped, but his wife was accidentally killed by Dutch gunfire near the Hook of Holland. On 1 May 1940, German ambassador Julius von Zech-Burkersroda and his staff were brought to the hotel as prisoners and held there for about two weeks. After the Dutch capitulation, the hotel became a popular meeting place for German occupiers and housed the Dutch headquarters of the Wehrmacht High Command. Deputy manager Van der Wert operated the hotel during Rey's absence. At the same time, management hid a small group of Jewish people from persecution, and all members of that group survived the war. Henri Rey died in England in 1945. His son Jean Jacques Rey returned to The Hague in 1946 after serving as a Royal Air Force pilot and assumed management. He also became Monaco's consul general in The Hague. The hotel remained a socially prominent institution, but by the 1950s and 1960s the market was changing. Modern hotels offered newer infrastructure and more contemporary accommodation, while Hotel Des Indes struggled with declining occupancy. Rey introduced changes that restored a degree of stability, but the long-term trend remained difficult. The hotel announced closure in 1971. Prime Minister Barend Biesheuvel, a regular diner, held a final official dinner with ministers including Norbert Schmelzer and Arnold Tilanus. The group sought help through private contacts and persuaded entrepreneur Julius Verwoerdt to take over. Verwoerdt bought the property from the Dutch government for 1.38 million guilders and commissioned a substantial renewal. The works replaced the coal-fired kitchen equipment, repaired the failing steam-heating system, renewed electrical wiring, and renovated the guest rooms and central hall. Under Verwoerdt, the hotel also hosted informal tripartite political meetings about subjects such as abortion, euthanasia and same-sex marriage. These discussions became known as the Des-Indes Deliberations and are associated with the political conversations that preceded the Netherlands' later Purple coalition government. In 1979 Verwoerdt sold his hotel company, which had expanded to thirteen hotels, to Crest Hotels, the hotel arm of Bass Brewery. Inter-Continental had already managed Hotel Des Indes since 1975 and acquired the hotel's assets in 1990. It returned the property to the market a year later after concerns about investment returns, particularly because many guests were diplomats operating under strict budgets. Inter-Continental continued managing the hotel until 2000. Le Méridien became manager in late 2002. A major renovation carried out in 2004–2005 cost approximately 28 million euros according to the cited historical account. French interior architect Jacques Garcia redesigned the interiors, an additional floor was inserted behind the historic façade, and the exterior was repainted yellow. The hotel reopened in November 2005 as part of The Luxury Collection following Starwood's acquisition of Le Méridien. Westmont Hospitality Group acquired the hotel in 2015. In December 2018, the Starwood-related management arrangement ended after Starwood had merged with Marriott International. Hotel Des Indes then joined The Leading Hotels of the World. It remains an active luxury hotel whose appeal combines heritage architecture, diplomatic history, event hospitality and a prominent address in central The Hague.

• 2018

  Move to The Leading Hotels of the World

  [1]Hotel des Indes (The Hague)en.wikipedia.org

  The hotel left its Starwood-linked management arrangement and joined The Leading Hotels of the World.

• 2015

  Westmont acquisition

  [1]Hotel des Indes (The Hague)en.wikipedia.org

  Westmont Hospitality Group purchased Hotel Des Indes.

• 2005

  Luxury Collection reopening

  [1]Hotel des Indes (The Hague)en.wikipedia.org

  The hotel reopened after a major Jacques Garcia renovation under The Luxury Collection.

• 1990

  Inter-Continental asset acquisition

  [1]Hotel des Indes (The Hague)en.wikipedia.org

  Inter-Continental acquired the hotel's assets, although it returned them to the market the following year.

• 1979

  Sale to Crest Hotels

  [1]Hotel des Indes (The Hague)en.wikipedia.org

  Verwoerdt's hotel company was sold to Crest Hotels, a Bass Brewery subsidiary.

• 1971

  Closure threat and rescue

  [1]Hotel des Indes (The Hague)en.wikipedia.org

  The hotel announced its closure before political intervention helped Julius Verwoerdt take over and begin a major renewal.

• 1931

  Fire and fourth-floor reconstruction

  [1]Hotel des Indes (The Hague)en.wikipedia.org

  A fire damaged the upper floors and roof; reconstruction included the addition of a fourth floor.

• 1919

  Dutch government acquires the hotel

  [1]Hotel des Indes (The Hague)en.wikipedia.org

  The government purchased the threatened hotel after plans to convert it into offices triggered public opposition.

• 1902

  Hydraulic elevator installed

  [1]Hotel des Indes (The Hague)en.wikipedia.org

  A hydraulic lift was added as part of the hotel's early modernization program.

• 1899

  Hague Peace Conference hospitality role

  [1]Hotel des Indes (The Hague)en.wikipedia.org

  The hotel became the official hotel associated with the first Hague International Peace Conference.

• 1894

  Hotel placed under a public operating company

  [1]Hotel des Indes (The Hague)en.wikipedia.org

  Following Friedrich Wirtz's move to manage another hotel, Hotel Des Indes was placed under Maatschappij tot Exploitatie van Hotel des Indes nv.

• 1881

  Hotel Des Indes opens

  [1]Hotel des Indes (The Hague)en.wikipedia.org

  The former palace opened as a 120-room hotel on 1 May after a four-year conversion.

• 1858

  City palace completed

  [1]Hotel des Indes (The Hague)en.wikipedia.org

  A new palace designed by Arend Roodenburg was completed on the Lange Voorhout for William Thierry, Baron van Brienen van de Groote Lindt.

A heritage luxury hotel positioned around historic architecture, diplomatic and royal associations, refined service, and a central location in The Hague.

• Hotel accommodation · 1881

  Guest rooms

  The hotel's core offering is luxury accommodation within a historic former city palace. The rooms form part of a property whose design has been repeatedly modernized while retaining the building's ceremonial setting and architectural identity.

• Hotel accommodation

  Suites

  Hotel Des Indes offers suite accommodation as part of its luxury hospitality proposition. Suites extend the property's appeal to long-stay, diplomatic, leisure and special-occasion guests seeking more space within the heritage hotel environment.

• Food and beverage · 1881

  Dining and tea-room hospitality

  Food and beverage service is an important part of the hotel's historic role. The former carriage rotunda is now used as a tea room, while the property also provides restaurant, bar and social hospitality associated with a grand luxury hotel.

• Meetings and events · 1881

  Events and private functions

  The palace's ballroom, central hall and other formal spaces support receptions, banquets, meetings and private events. This continues the building's original function as a venue for political entertaining and ceremonial gatherings.

• 2018

  Change hotel affiliationStrategy

  Background

  The Starwood management relationship ended after Starwood had merged with Marriott International.

  Action taken

  Hotel Des Indes ended the management contract in December and joined The Leading Hotels of the World.

  Aftermath

  The property moved from a major-chain luxury collection to an independent luxury-hotel consortium model.

  Source

• 2004

  Undertake major heritage-sensitive renovationGeneration change

  Background

  The property required modernization while retaining its identity as a historic luxury hotel.

  Action taken

  Le Méridien commissioned a major refurbishment led by interior architect Jacques Garcia, including new interiors, a recessed additional floor and a yellow façade.

  Aftermath

  The renovation culminated in a 2005 reopening under The Luxury Collection.

  Renovation cost. €28,000,000 (2004–2005)

  Source

• 1971

  Rescue and comprehensively renovate the hotelStrategy

  Background

  Declining demand and competition from modern hotels led to an announced closure.

  Action taken

  Julius Verwoerdt took over the property, bought it from the Dutch government and replaced aging heating, kitchen, electrical and guest-room infrastructure.

  Aftermath

  The renovation enabled the hotel to continue operating and helped preserve its historic role in The Hague.

  Purchase price. 1,380,000 guilders (1971)

  Source

• 1919

  Accept government acquisition to preserve the propertyStrategy

  Background

  Postwar financial problems led the operating company to sell its assets, and the buyer planned an office conversion.

  Action taken

  After public and political pressure, the Dutch government purchased the hotel and retained it as a functioning hotel and potential crisis-office facility.

  Aftermath

  Government ownership prevented the immediate loss of the hotel as a prestigious hospitality institution.

  Purchase price. 1,335,071 guilders and 19.5 cents (2 May 1919)

  Source

• 1899

  Pursue official Peace Conference hotel statusStrategy

  Background

  The Hague's international diplomatic events created an opportunity for a hotel capable of accommodating senior delegates and officials.

  Action taken

  General manager Christian Haller competed successfully to make Hotel Des Indes the official hotel for the 1899 Hague Peace Conference.

  Aftermath

  The arrangement strengthened the hotel's reputation as a diplomatic home away from home.

  Source

• 1881

  Adopt the Hotel Des Indes nameStrategy

  Background

  The new hotel sought an identity that would resonate with travelers and officials connected to the Dutch East Indies.

  Action taken

  The owners named the Hague establishment after the well-known Hotel des Indes in Batavia and placed Batavia's coat of arms on the façade.

  Aftermath

  The name connected the hotel to an established colonial-era hospitality reference and became its enduring identity.

  Source

1. 1Hotel des Indes (The Hague)en.wikipedia.org
2. 2Hotel Des Indes official websitehoteldesindesthehague.com