Boutique Hotel De Salon van Fagel was born in 2016, when the owner had a dream for the beautiful monumental building the hotel is located in. Creating a place where people from all countries can experience a pleasant introduction to The Hague. We were looking for that pleasant place to stay in The Hague. We visited The Hague before, but a long time ago and only on day trips.
Location de Salon van Fagel
Boutique Hotel De Salon van Fagel is located in a monumental building in The Hague, which has a long and partly royal history. It was built in 1701 by an architect who designed several places in The Hague, including the Kneuterdijk Palace. The original name of the building was ‘Huis Fagel’, named after Francois Fagel, the longest serving clerk of the States General. In 1859 King William III bought the property that remained in the possession of the royal family for thirty years. The ‘dome of Fagel’, part of the former residence, is now part of the garden of Noordeinde Palace. Many original details have been preserved, such as the beautiful ceiling and fireplaces.
The boutique hotel is located right in the heart of the city center of The Hague. You simply can’t get a more central location than this one. It’s located between Noordeinde Palace and the palace gardens. Noordeinde is one of the most famous shopping areas in the Netherlands. In addition to the Noordeinde Palace, the working palace of King Willem Alexander, the chic Noordeinde in the old center of The Hague is mainly known for its characteristic fashion boutiques, galleries, antiques and art shops, all located in beautiful Art Nouveau buildings.
The jewelers, antique dealers and galleries in combination with the chic coffee cafes and restaurants make Noordeinde worth a visit for everyone traveling to The Netherlands.
Looking for cool things to do in Holland then check out our list of the best places to visit in The Netherlands.
Rooms
Just recently, in June 2022, the hotel expanded with 12 extra suites, making it a total of 18 suites, each with its own style and charm. De Salon van Fagel is a contemporary and idiosyncratic boutique hotel, offering 18 rooms and suites, 5 of which have a lovely private outdoor area.
We were given one of those suites with a private outdoor area, a huge outdoor area! We had suite no. 8 which is called ‘Secret Wonderland’. I must admit, you get super curious to see your room when the name is actually stated on the door. Secret Wonderland doesn’t let you down there. It’s a huge room with a large and comfy bed. It has plenty of space and even a separate seating area.
The bathroom is a dream, super modern. A large shower cabin, separate large bath tub and enough space.
We arrived late at night, when it was already dark, so the biggest surprise came the next morning, when we opened the door to a huge private outdoor area. Absolutely amazing. The only thing you could hear were the birds chirping, just lovely. When sitting in your private yard, it’s hard to imagine that you’re actually in the center of a big city like The Hague.
Review
What I love most about this hotel is that it offers you everything you need and no more than necessary. I would almost subscribe it as ‘basic’, but that wouldn’t be fair to the hotel at all. What I mean by basic is that they offer 18 rooms, a breakfast room and a reception, and that’s it.
Staying at this hotel means that you can call the Dutch King and Queen your neighbours, even if it’s just for one night. Noordeinde Palace is basically next door, how cool is that?
The best part is that all the shops and interesting sights, such as the Palace and the Parliament Buildings are all within walking distance.
Being located right in the heart of the city can be difficult if you plan to travel by car. Good news, you can book a secured parking spot with De Salon van Fagel when making your booking. We did so, as we came by car ourselves. You can then park the car in the parking garage under the Hilton Hotel at just a 5 minute walk from De Salon van Fagel, just perfect! When checking in you get instructions on how to get to the parking garage and how to park there.
Breakfast is served daily from 8AM – 11AM and is pretty basic with bread, some sweet and savoury toppings like jam, ham and cheese, yoghurt and fruits. You can have eggs made fresh, any style you like.
The Hague must do
When visiting The Hague some must do’s simply can’t be missed, so we want to highlight our favorite classic The Hague must do’s.
Noordeinde Palace & Palace gardens
As mentioned before, the Noordeinde Palace is located at just a minute’s walk from De Salon van Fagel. So you basically can’t miss it when staying here. Nowadays King Willem Alexander works here. When he is in the country, the flag, the royal standard, flies over the palace. Unfortunately he wasn’t there when we visited.
Hidden between Noordeinde Palace, the Royal Stables and the Royal Archives is the Palace Garden. Open to the public, but unknown to the general public. A stroll along the flower lawns, ponds and old trees gives you a taste of the atmosphere of long ago, the time of princes and princesses. A picnic is one of the best ways to enjoy the Palace Garden. The park is accessible from sunrise to sunset via the Prinsessewal.
Dutch Parliament Buildings
The Binnenhof, the Ridderzaal, the Torentje of the Prime Minister and the Hofvijver in The Hague are among the most recognizable places in the Netherlands. They are all part of the Dutch Parliament buildings and one of the top things to do when visiting The Hague. The Binnenhof is possibly the oldest parliament complex in Europe that still serves as such.
The beating heart of our democracy is being renovated from mid-2021. The entire Binnenhof will disappear behind scaffolding for more than five years for a large-scale renovation.
Traveltomtom’s travel tips for The Hague:
We spent two days in The Hague and explored the city to the fullest. We like to share some of our favorite spots we discovered while exploring.
Butcher Shop Dungelmann
A traditional butcher and purveyor to the court for many years, your place for quality and specialties. I hear you thinking, are you seriously recommending a butcher shop here? Yes we are!
We accidentally walked past this shop and saw people outside eating the most delicious sandwiches. We got a little hungry ourselves, so we decided to go in. They have a wide range of sandwiches, so picking one was the hardest thing. We went for the hot chicken grill sausage sandwich. Just delicious, seriously good!
We have been told that their meatball sandwich, classic croquet sandwich and their royal croquet sandwich are also recommended. We paid €7,00 for two sandwiches, which is very reasonable nowadays.
The Passage
The Passage is the only remaining example in the Netherlands of this type of covered shopping street, very popular in major European and American cities in the 19th century. With the passages of Milan, Moscow and Brussels, The Hague Passage is one of the most beautiful surviving arcades in Europe. The passage, built in 1882 has a beautiful appearance with its arcades, glass domes, walkways and carved facades. If you like shopping and special places, make sure you pay the Passage a visit!
Japanese Gardens
The Japanese Gardens in Clingendael Park, my number one favorite thing in The Hague! These gardens are located in the middle of Clingendael Park, a short 10 minute drive from the city center. You will find rare trees and plants in these gardens. Because the garden is quite old and fragile, it is only open 8 weeks in the year!
When we visited late October we were extremely lucky to be visiting on the last day they were open for 2022. They will open again in Spring 2023 and the best part, visiting these gardens is free of charge so it definitely is one of the best free things to do in The Hague.
Visiting The Hague any time soon and looking for the perfect place to stay with the best location? Look no further! Boutique Hotel de Salon van Fagel is a great place to stay with unique rooms and suites and the perfect city center location.
This blog was written by travel writer and Traveltomtom team member Ashley. She stayed at De Salon van Fagel, on behalf of Traveltomtom, and wrote this blog about her experiences.
Enjoy your trip to The Hague!