I stayed at the Golden Tulip Lion D'Or whilst on a business trip to nearby Beverwijk. The hotel is conveniently located beside the railway station which meant getting to and from Beverwijk and Schiphol airport was easy. To reach the hotel from the station, exit in the opposite direction to the Centre into a large square, look diagonally to the right and you will see the grey shutters of the Lion D;Or on Kruisweg; literally 1 minute from the station.

The hotel lobby is naturally lit, spacious and well presented, with the bar/restaurant, stairs and lift access spanning off the lobby.

Check-in was a tedious process with an old-fashioned request to copy my passport, a request to which I politely refused. I then had to complete arduous "legal paperwork" which was another issue for me, given the information being requested and the amount of identity theft that goes on these days.

I was given my room key (on a large, heavy fob and therefore to be left at reception before leaving each morning) and directions to my room, which was number 25 on the second floor. I had to ask for information about the bar and restaurant (both closed on a Sunday night, when I arrived) and breakfast service. These are details that should be offered by the receptionist and not prompted for by the guest.

Since I had luggage with me I opted to take the very small and dated elevator to the second floor. Each of the communal landings boasts PIR lighting, which isa good thing. These communal areas were pleasantly decorated with quirky furniture and antiques.

Room 25: The heavy bedroom door leads from the corridor into a dressing area with wardrobe space and a laptop sized room safe. The window opens fully and faces onto a side street,but due to the location of the hotel there is a lot of noise from the street at night from people leaving the bars and from idiots revving motorbike engines in competition against each other at midnight and later.
The bedroom has an efficient air cooling system, thankfully, because the room was like a sauna on arrival, but cooled quickly to a pleasant temperature. The bedroom was a good size, with a desk and sitting area included. The bed however, is two single beds pushed together. There is a good selection of television channels to drown out the noise from the neighbouring rooms although it won't block any of the noise from street level.
I found the housekeeping and maintenance of the bedroom to be substandard: the carpet and curtains were badly stained; the wallpaper is scuffed; the base of the floor lamp has possibly never been cleaned and was thick with grime; instead of a fresh duvet there were sheets and nasty blankets - unless they are washed after each guest's stay you might as well be sleeping in someone else's bedding, this is so unhygienic. I removed the offending blanket (complete with someone else's hairs), turned up the room thermostat and slept under an over-starched sheet. This is not acceptable in a hotel that charges 4* rates. On the plus side, the bed was comfortable to sleep in.
The ensuite is tastefully decorated and basic toiletries are provided. However, the bathroom also requires closer attention from housekeeping staff - someone else's hairs on the side of the bath and on the bathroom floor, not acceptable.

The poor housekeeping extends to the furniture in the hallway also, where someone at some point in the past has written 'sale' meaning 'dirty' in the dust on the glass table, upon which several more layers of dust have settled, undisturbed. I doubt anyone has chosen to sit in the white leather chairs for some time; they were so filthy they appeared to have just been removed from a demolition site. Unacceptable.

The bBreakfast buffet, which is served inthe restaurant, is typically Dutch comprising pastries, breads, cereals, fruits, meats, eggs, cheeses, hot and cold drinks. The breakfast staff were welcoming and professional. The tables are well spaced apart so although quite busy, there wasn't a sense of cramped space or eating with strangers.

I didn't eat in the restaurant but I did have a glass of wine on the Monday night while I waited for a carry out meal to be delivered. Incidentally, I ordered from a Thai place nearby and spent the evening with a bout of food poisoning thanks to the lumps of chicken that were lurking at the bottom of the allegedly vegetarian soup. This is not a relfection on the Lion D'Or and should not be treated as such.

Internet is not provided free of charge, which is utterly ridiculous in a business hotel charging as much as the Lion D'Or. T-Mobile internet cards aresold at reception for a hefty 14 euros for 3 hours; this is extorionate.

To check out I had to first navigate through the trolleys of used bed linen - and I noticed there wasn't a single one of the disgusting blankets being sent to the laundry. The check out receptionst asked me if I had a pleasant stay, which I did. Had she asked me if everything was ok with my stay, I would have had a different response.

All-in-all this hotel boasts a convenient location but is considerably over-priced, poorly maintained and in need of a thorough clean. Because of the poor maintenance and housekeeping I wouldn't stay here again. Management needs to train the reception staff to be firendly, welcoming and professional and they need to give the chambermaids much more time and resources to clean the rooms properly. If this is achieved the Lion D'Or might even be able to justify the inflated room rates.