On 28th December 2007 we booked the ‘Oud en Nieuw Arrangement’ at the Hotel Du Commerce in Middelburg after having the Fletcher Hotel Group website recommended by a young professional couple from The Netherlands. The telephone booking was pleasant and efficient. We were told that we could book the package, however that the only room left available was quite small. We happily agreed as the size of the room was not of importance to us and we looked forward to a nice New Years in Zeeland, thinking everything was taken care of. The package included a welcome drink with ‘oliebollen’, two nights accommodation, dinner on both nights and breakfast both mornings, as well as New Years Eve festivities.

After a long car journey from London via France, we managed to arrive at the hotel about quarter past six in the evening. It must have been busy in the bar as we barely got handed our key and were told that we were expected in the dining room before seven.
Slightly taken aback by the welcome (or lack of), we took the lift up to our room, as we wanted to freshen up after our day of travels. We felt rushed to make it back down in time for dinner: we had not received the expected reception or even had time to enjoy a drink before sitting down to eat.

Moreover, upon entering our hotel room we were greeted by a very unpleasant odour. The room smelled strongly of boiled cabbage. At the time, we were trying to deal with it in good humour; after the cancelled ferry, the ridiculous long drive, our smelly room seemed to top off our long day which should have been relaxing after the busy weeks of Christmas. Little did we know there was more to come that would definitely wipe the smiles of our faces. The toilet was so tiny that you were unable to close the door. The room door however, was opposite the toilet, so I suppose you have to make sure to lock that instead.

After a quick shower (the actual shower separated from the bed by a curtain), we arrived in the dining room. There were three rows of tables packed in the room, mostly occupied by couples, and low and behold, there was one small table free in the middle of the room. As there was no one from the staff around, we assumed we were to sit down and wait for further explanation. We had no idea of what the evening would entail, whether there was a set menu, or a choice of dishes, or what would be on the menu. We finally managed to attract the attention of a waiter and asked him whether we could see a wine list and if he would be so kind to explain the course of the evening (meaning the course of events, but also the courses of the menu). A wine list was not available; we could choose from red, white or rose; and we were told that everyone would be given the same starter, main and dessert. However, we did not find out at this time what they would be.

Still determined to enjoy our evening we decided wait and see. After quite a long waiting time, the starters arrived, spreading through the room very slowly, until two plates of smoked salmon were placed in front of us. The salmon was cold, bland and tasteless. The strange thing was that there was no staff to be seen in either of the two dining rooms. After finishing the starter it took a very long time for the plates to be taken away, and it seemed almost impossible to get another beverage. The atmosphere in the dining room was very uncomfortable. We could hear people discussing the lack of service and the long waiting periods, and the couple on the table next to us even left before the main course, as they were so dissatisfied they felt they would rather find themselves a different eating establishment. When a waiter came to clear our starters, we informed him we weren’t quite happy with the food and service, to which he replied that tonight was his first evening, and they were a lot of staff members off sick. We remarked that it would be nice if there was better communication; people are more likely to be understanding if they are not just left without any explanation. Eventually the main came out, lukewarm steak, cooked to the chef’s discretion, placed on a couple of overcooked beans and a few bits of cabbage, with some nice side potatoes and a pathetic salad consisting of iceberg lettuce, cucumber and tomato.

We decided we not wait around for another indefinite period of time for dessert, but to go for a nice walk through town. On our return, we spoke to what seemed to be the manager of the evening, explaining to him why we were disappointed, mentioning our absent reception, the foul smelling room and the terrible dinner experience. He replied that he was unable to change our room or deal with the odour problem, as the cabbage smell most probably was coming from a badly placed or designed kitchen extraction, and the kitchen would be used again the next day. There was no other room free. He explained that tonight’s dinner had been a bit of a fiasco as more people had turned up than expected and many staff members were off ill. We replied that we were quite understanding, however having worked in hospitality ourselves for many years, we do know that the key to satisfied costumers and problem solving is mainly good communication. We addressed the fact that we did not want to ‘take our chances’ with the dinner the next day. The manager told us he would not be able to arrange a booking at a restaurant for us, but he would be in at eleven the next morning, if we wanted to let him know our definite decision.

We went back to our room, regardless of the smell, were we discovered yet another thing. Even though it seemed impossible to us that because of its size, the room would be used with two single beds separated, our bed consisted of two single beds pushed, though not held, together. When booking a double room as a couple you should be able to expect a bed arrangement that does not let either person fall into a gap in the middle!
During the night the fire alarm of the hotel went off. People were coming out of their rooms, but then the alarm stopped and everyone seemed to return to their beds. In the morning, again, there was no communication, no apology or explanation about the disrupted night because of the fire alarm. Fuses tripped during breakfast. Even the hotel itself seemed to be complaining!

We spent most of the day trying to look for a restaurant that would be open that evening, instead of leisurely spending the day together. When we, after hours of disappointment as all restaurants seemed closed, (except for a pizzeria, which was fully booked) sat down in a café for lunch, we asked a waiter for help. We explained that we were staying in a hotel, but that our dinner experience had not been very pleasant and that we were looking for an alternative. Without us mentioning where we were staying, the young man said: ‘Let me guess, you’re staying in Du Commerce?’ ….
Not sure whether to feel slightly better or worse for knowing that the hotel is renowned in Middelburg…

Moreover, we were still without a restaurant for the evening and it seemed that our only option would be to drive to Domburg where there would be places open, and hope that someone would have a table for us. We discussed all our options; driving to Domburg and back on the off chance of finding a restaurant, having dinner at the hotel (which was not really an option), a take-away pizza, we even bought some snacks to have on the windowsill of our room, until we decided that we could not put up with our foul smelling room for another night and that we should leave.
Whilst checking out prematurely we were then told another room had become available due to a cancellation (we were not surprised). We were however surprised that whilst the hotel reception was aware of our inhabitable room we were not offered to change rooms until we gave notice that we were leaving!

Luckily we have family in the Netherlands that were able to offer us alternative accommodation for the night. Unlucky for us it meant we had to drive another couple of hours before we could finally relax and enjoy our New Years Evening. It also meant that we had to do yet more driving on New Years day, rather than the planned coastal route from Middelburg to the Hoek van Holland.

We had chosen Hotel Du Commerce because of its location -we already drive hundreds of miles because of our work-, and its all-in package.

There were so many things wrong with our stay that we felt the incentive to write this letter. The manager had disappeared; the food wasn’t taken off our bill, even the second night and the reservation charges were left on. Very, very disappointing!!

I had an unbelievably bad experience here. On arrival, they couldn't find my reservation for some time, but eventually gave me a room. The room, on the fourth floor, was tiny, completely filled by the double bed, with nowhere to put my suitcase. And there was a very bad smell from the bathroom, probably from the drains. I complained about my room and the smell, but there were none others available, although they said that they would do something about it the next day.

In the evening, when I returned around 11pm throught the open main entrance door, and found that my key would not open my room door. Reception was closed and there was no bell and no contact details for a night porter. I decided to go back out to the pub to ask my colleagues what to do, but now the door was locked and I couldn't leave!! The doors were locked and there was no way to open them from the inside! I tried the fire exit from upstairs, but this just led to a tiny locked yard at the back of the building. In the end I had to phone the emergency services from my mobile phone, and the police called a night porter who was asleep in a room on the first floor. He let me into my room (saying that the keys were always failing to work), and did not seem interested in the fact that I could not leave. In the morning I checked out, although I was booked in for the week, and at least they did not try to charge me anything. They said that I should have been issued with a key for the outside door, and seemed unconcerned that the fire exit did not lead away from the building. They also had no record of my complaint about the room on arrival. I moved to the hotel next door, the Nieuwe Doelen, which was very nice, with a decent-sized room, free internet, very friendly staff, a pleasant terrace, and doors that opened!

I was attending a conference at the Roosevelt Academy in Middelburg, and the organisers told me that they had a large number of complaints from guests in this hotel, and no problems with the other hotels. The Nieuwe Doelen next door is fine and infinitely preferable.

Been here on several occasions and initially fell for the '30's atmosphere the exterior breathes. On every single visit, however, something in the room was broken or not working etc. (light, hot water, etc.) and there was not one time the receptionist was even slightly interested in our problem or attempted to solve it. Even after we said that, as regular customers, we would go next door (Hotel De Nieuwe Doelen, which is a better option), employees made the impression they couldn't care less. Rooms are small in general, if not tiny, cramped, old fashioned, sometimes dirty and always noisy. Prices are pretty steep (100-120 euros), even for cupboard sized 'rooms'. Breakfast is average but definitely nothing special. Please don't go here when possible, there are far better options in a beautiful place like Middelburg.

When we arrived the first thing what the receptionist mentioned was that we could not eat in the hotel, because the restaurant was fully booked. Nice welcome, NOT. The staff was very rude to us and other guests, no service at all. The room was very dirty and 50% of the lights was not working, before we went for dinner outside we asked for to change the lightbulbs. When we returned after two hours still the lights were not repaired and the reception told us that we had to wait to the next morning. It was not possible for to read any book. We do not have a problem that something cannot be fixed at that moment, but then we do not want to pay a four/five star roomrate. At the check out they charged as well reservation charge. As you can understand we will not stay again at this hotel anymore when we are in the Netherlands.