Efteling Hotel’s (W)under Water suite
During my previous trip to Efteling theme park in Kaatsheuvel, Netherlands, I stayed in a “regular” room at the Efteling Hotel, and absolutely loved it (see my review). The whimsical and slightly weird theming, the attention to detail, the cleanliness, the helpful and cheery staff, and the relatively low price made it one of my favorite hotel experiences ever. It totally blew away Disneyland Paris’s horrible Hotel Santa Fe, and I’d say it’s easily on par with any of the Deluxe Walt Disney World resort hotels.
So it was basically a no-brainer that I’d stay there again on this trip. However, this time I wanted to splurge a bit and see what it was like to stay in one of their twenty ultra-themed suites. It was tough choosing which one to book, since they all look incredible, but ultimately the (W)under Water Suite’s whirpool bath swung the vote.
The suite cost $440 a night, which included two days of theme park admission for two (normally $47 a day per person) and a breakfast buffet for two. Compared to similar packages at other theme parks, this is a great deal, and it’s also extremely convenient: the park is an easy five minute walk from the hotel, and guests are granted early admission through a special back entrance.
The room ended up being just as cool in person as it looked in the photos on their website. A bunch of complimentary candy was artfully arranged on the beds prior to our arrival, which was a fun surprise. And sitting in the whirlpool tub, drinking a glass of wine from the reasonably priced minibar was glorious after a long day of walking around the park. The only two downsides were the lack of a shower (there was a showerhead, but it was at stomach-height), and the unfortunate placement of the toilet, which was attached to the master bedroom and lacked any form of ventilation. That said, I can’t wait to go back and stay in one of the other suites – I’m thinking I’ll try the awesomely creepy Laaf Suite next time!
Leonard Kinsey is the owner of Bamboo Forest Publishing, and the bestselling author of “The Dark Side of Disney”, the Anarchist Cookbook of Disney travel guides. He has lived in Baltimore for over 15 years, and enjoys drinking craft beer in unique places, eating nachos and pizza, listening to 80s hair metal, and arguing about Star Trek minutia, often all at the same time. Watch out ladies!