Book This Dutch Luxury Hotel For A Great Deal During Tulip Season

29.02.2024 - 23:07 / forbes.com

With spring fast approaching, De L’Europe Amsterdam, the storied grande dame of the Dutch capital’s hotel scene, is inviting guests to revel in the considerable splendor of Holland’s centuries-old heritage as a flower powerhouse.

To commemorate the arrival of tulip season (which peaks from late March to mid-May), the nearly 130-year-old hotel–which doubles as a champion of Dutch culture and craftsmanship–will brim with a bounty of breathtaking blooms, with the help of the flower whisperers at The Wunderkammer, its in-house floral studio. Those who prefer their blossoms with a healthy side of old-world cosmopolitan glamour can enjoy a four-night stay in one of De L’Europe Amsterdam’s luxurious rooms or suites for the price of three, including breakfast, from March 21 to May 21.

The hotel’s concierge team can also arrange exclusive access to Keukenhof, one of Europe’s most celebrated gardens, located just a short drive from the city. The guided tour begins with a scenic journey through the verdant roads of Lisse en route to the acclaimed botanical wonderland, which turns 75 this year and bursts with acres of blooming crocuses, daffodils, hyacinths, and the tulips for which Holland is famed. You can also try your hand at horticultural artistry in a floral masterclass, where you’ll glean tips from the expert team as you create your own bespoke arrangements.

On the culinary front, Marie, the hotel’s elegant canal-side brasserie, will transform into a flower-filled fantasia from March 21 to April 1. You’ll be invited to literally tiptoe through the tulips as you’re led down a flower path to the restaurant’s waterfront terrace, where you’ll bask in a Xanadu of blooms while dining on Gallic cuisine inspired by the springtime beauty of the Côte d'Azur, as you soak in the unbeatable city views.

Also debuting at the hotel this spring: a newly launched Dutch Afternoon Tea in the opulent lobby on weekends, featuring an array of light bites–like vol-au-vent with mushroom ragout and shaved truffle, and finger sandwiches with Old Amsterdam cheese–and a variety of desserts including scrumptious scones, mini apple pie, and lemon poppyseed cake.

A springtime sojourn to Holland during tulip season offers a lush immersion in a defining facet of the country’s history. First imported into the country in the 16th century from the Ottoman Empire, the flower eventually grew to be such a coveted commodity that in the 1630s, the Dutch’s fervor for them spurred a phenomenon called “Tulip Mania,” when tulip bulbs were so valuable–worth more than gold–that they were traded like stocks on the Amsterdam Stock Exchange. Tulips (and other flowers) became a major industry in the Netherlands in the 19th and 20th centuries, and remains