Bitter en Zoet

Nice environment and easy to visit if you like quiet. The Kolonie van weldadigheid, is an interesting part of history. Besides this not much to see. Breakfast is basic, but okay.

Peaceful and green Super peaceful, rural location. Looks great for biking and hiking, though for us was just an overnight stop. Unusual conversion of a hospital into hotel. Interesting architecture, amazing LARGE windows. Very friendly and helpful service. No restaurants particularly nearby but nice to eat at the hotel and great breakfast included.

Appartement, in rustige omgeving, prima

Went for a UNESCO heritage trip with my Dutch husband. His family lives in the area and recommended this hotel. It's a very interesting location, both the village, the area as the hotel itself. Many things to see and do if local history, walking and cycling are your thing(s). Communication was basic but friendly. Easy to find and beautiful, spacious reception area. Nice range of books about the area and some locally made products. Room was a bit on the old-fashioned side, but a good size and comfortable. History aside, I was also here for some peace and quiet, which is also how the hotel markets itself. This, however, was not achieved. The goings-on and noises and activities were just relentless and rather surprising for such a location. Noise never stopped, which, at least for us, made true relaxation impossible: There's a short increase in traffic (I assume around the time the prison staff starts and night staff leaves), which, if you have a room facing the street, might wake you up, as most cars speed and many have loud music on, which feels entirely out of place. There was a very present continuous hum in our room, we couldn't find the source, maybe a ventilation system or a big cooler somewhere. We were told there's an 11pm curfew, but people stayed on the patio/terrace long after that, laughing and shouting and talking louder and louder, without staff saying anything. My husband asked the restaurant staff to say something, but they replied with something about not wanting to disturb their guests’ fun and it not being their place because there was no management. Wow. Mowing the lawn with an industrial big mower and loudly trimming hedges at 9pm directly adjacent to the terrace, with ear splitting noise and a lot of dust, is just not done. Another guest suggested that it might be for the adjacent surgical clinic, not the hotel. Can't imagine that being the case, but if it is, the hotel should have a conversation with them. Speaking of the surgical clinic: this building was part of the former hospital complex so I assumed it was part of the hotel as well, but somebody told me it wasn't. Either way, it's noisy and it's 24/7 - our first evening stroll through the patch of woodland at the back of the hotel was our last, because the noise of the clinic could be heard throughout, meaning that even in the middle of the night, no quiet can be found. At the other side of that small patch of trees, there are workshops of the prison. During the day, there's a significant amount of noise coming from their ventilation shafts. At least that stops around 4pm, but I'm sure the noise level can be easily decreased with some adjustments or upgrades (I think the same applies to the clinic). There are many deliveries with big trucks. Deliveries are done right through the terrace. So we were sitting outside, as were a few other guests, and had to move inside or walk away a few times because of the insane noise of trucks parked literally two metres from the table

Everything ok

Bitter en Zoet is een bijzonder cultureel erfgoed hotel. Kleinschalig en gezellig. Comfortabele kamers en vriendelijk personeel. Er is geen lift dus vraag een kamer begane grond als je moeite hebt met trappen lopen. Een prachtige groene omgeving en een uitstekend restaurant op basis van verse regionale ingrediënten van het seizoen. Heel geschikt als uitvalsbasis om Drenthe te verkennen.