The sign outside this iconic Hilversum hotel states **** HOTEL GOOILAND****, but the **** is misleading - this is decidedly not a 4-star hotel. That said, my stay was quite comfortable, not least because the rooms have individually controlled airco, and I arrived in the midst of an unseasonably early (June) heat wave. This hotel is a great option for all the usual reasons: location, extremely comfortable Auping bed, nice towels, good-quality and ergonomically positioned TV, etc. However, in the wake of their recent renovation project (clearly oriented toward 20- to 30-something guests, for whom 'design' is more important than comfort and functionality), I would like to comment on a few issues that I feel compromise the guest-friendliness (and safety) of Hotel Gooiland: 1) By far my biggest irritation was the filthy fabric sack containing a blow-dryer, affixed to the bathroom wall right next to the sink. The intrusive position of this hideous item notwithstanding, both the sack AND the cord were immutably BOLTED to the wall, which lent a cheap 'we don't trust our guests not to steal our crappy blow-dryer' feel to the bathroom. More to the point, though, my TOWEL belongs there. 2) The little booklet in the room self-righteously states: 'It was our conscious decision not to have safe boxes in the rooms. You can leave your valuables at reception for safekeeping. We'll put them in the hotel safe for you.' First of all, who wants to wander around a hotel carrying their valuables? Second of all, I don't want a third party handling my valuables - that's what programmable hotel safes are designed to bypass! And third, apparently it WAS the hotel's conscious decision to place a massive, clunky, ceiling-high palm tree in the corner of my room which not only interfered with my access to the window-blind cords but also would have been a logical spot for both a safe and perhaps (wishful thinking here) a small fridge. This 'conscious decision' is rather unfriendly in my opinion, and cheapens the hotel experience. 3) The room was stocked with a high-tech Nespresso coffee machine, which - considering the massive amount of non-biodegradable metallic and plastic trash those things generate - is inconsistent with the usual bathroom preach about re-using one's towels. In addition, the Nespresso's water tank doesn't fit properly in the bathroom sink, making it virtually impossible to fill with much water. (Same thing applied to filling up my regular 500 ml. water bottle - newsflash, a hotel bathroom sink needs to be primarily functional; being cool-looking is secondary.) Each tiny Pickwick teabag was also individually packed in plastic - foei, Hotel Gooiland! 4) The wall-mounted towel rack in my bathroom was strategically positioned to virtually guarantee that a guest between about 4'10" and 5'4" WILL bump into it and either swear vile oaths or sustain a concussion while venturing to the bathroom for a nocturnal tinkle. 5) Continuing in the bathroom, the recent hotel renovation apparently involved sheathing the entire bathroom floor with a single slick 'n industrial-looking but treacherously slippery layer of sheet vinyl. The rain shower contains a narrow and only marginally useful sheet of glass to prevent the entire bathroom floor from getting soaked. Unless the hotel starts stocking the bathrooms with a rubber bath mat, it's only a matter of time before they get sued by an older or less mobile guest who slips and injures himself... 6) OK, enough about the bathroom; on to the balcony, such that it is. Each room (on my floor, anyway) contains a door to a communal gallery/terrace, where a guess can theoretically step outside and admire the view, etc. However, this bit of real-estate is not divvied up roomwise; it runs the entire length of the hotel - in other words, it's likely that at some point during your stay, perfect strangers will saunter right past your windows, so privacy is suboptimal unless you close up the horizontal blinds entirely. Tip: although I realize it would compromise the hotel's slick 'n industrial style, adding a translucent vitrage to the otherwise large, bright bank of windows would let light in and afford a nice view while still ensuring privacy. read more

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