About us

The history of the building explains many of the striking contrasts. Nick Timmers' father, Pieter Timmers, explains.

This building was constructed in the late 1980s by Mr. Wong. He created a remarkable building with hotel rooms and dining facilities for the elite, a replica of the imperial palace in Beijing. He had raised thirty million guilders to make Oriëntal Palace one of the top ten hotel restaurants in the world.

And so in the middle of the Green Heart, a fifteen-meter high building in red, green, and golden yellow, with dragons on the walls and a roof made of thousands of roof tiles imported from China. In the garden, visitors could sit in tea houses by ponds overlooking a Great Wall of China.

The company had five stars, the cheapest room cost 280 guilders per night, the most expensive 750 guilders. Unfortunately for Wong, his Oriental Palace, as the business was then called, went bankrupt within five months. The restaurants were booming, but not enough rooms were being rented. The construction costs exceeded the budget and building up the customer base took longer than expected. The furniture was auctioned off and the building was put up for sale.

My wife and I went to see it once, before it went bankrupt, Pieter says. We were in casual clothing, and we were looked out the door. A spring roll cost 25 guilders, so only the happy few could afford it.

At that moment, Van der Valk came into play. We bought the empty building for 15 million guilders gross and initially invested 2.5 million in the interior. It has been completely renovated and redecorated. We did not do anything on the outside. It was simply a distinctive and well-known building. Moreover, the renovation would cost a lot of money and involve many procedures.

Finally, the 'common people' were allowed inside. The interest in the curious-looking building was overwhelming, especially after all the publicity about its downfall. "People parked their cars on the emergency lane of the A2. They had to wait for one and a half to two hours before their turn, and then another hour for the food. They didn't find any objection to it."

Although Hotel Breukelen has not been a Chinese restaurant for decades, the employees were still occasionally asked in the first 15 years why there was no noodles on the menu. "You will keep being amazed by it! Although it is also understandable, given the appearance of the main building back then", said Nick Timmers. Nick grew up in Hotel Breukelen where his parents Pieter and Til used to be in charge. Together with them, he built a daughter hotel, Van der Valk hotel Veenendaal, and managed it on a daily basis from 2014 to 2019, but now he is back 'in his parental home'.

I also lived here as a child, so it really feels like coming home. It's such a great opportunity to start where my parents started. Hotel Breukelen is in a prime location, it's amazing to be able to work here.

In December 2011, a completely new wing of Hotel Breukelen was put into use. In addition to a complete Wellness Center with swimming pool, sauna facilities, and advanced fitness room, this annex building contains a total of 86 luxury hotel rooms and 6 suites. In 2014, an extension was built on the other side, where a luxurious and extensive conference center was created.

in the previous layout, the meeting rooms and restaurants were mixed together, we wanted to separate them. When you enter the entrance, you go left to the business center and right to the restaurants and hotel bar. The annexes are connected to the main building, creating a whole. In addition, a permanent buffet restaurant has been created in the restaurant and the à la carte restaurant has been completely renovated.

The main building has also undergone a complete transformation, both inside and on the outside. "We've made it 'un-Chinese'," says Nick laughing. "The striking orange roof tiles have remained, because that colorful roof is really our eye-catcher. But all Chinese elements, such as dragons and symbols, are gone. In their place, natural materials have been used, such as natural stone, making the exterior much better suited to the modern and stylish interior of the hotel."

In 2023, once again, the focus will be on renovation, this time of the hotel rooms. During this renovation, our comfort rooms in the main building will receive a complete makeover with new ensuite bathrooms. Additionally, our Deluxe and Superior rooms will be restyled, and our suites will be completely renovated with a fantastic new and trendy design.