Grand Hotel Karel V ★★★★★

I hadn’t been to the Netherlands much before, apart from a short stopover in Amsterdam, so I was looking forward to a luxury weekend break, exploring one of its oldest cities – Utrecht.

Coming in from the train station in the new part of town, I wasn’t too impressed, but as soon as I entered the old town, I knew I had made the right destination choice – canals meandered in every direction, crisscrossed by quaint bridges and traditional red and yellow brick houses lined the water’s edge.

Arriving at my hotel, the luxurious five-star Grand Hotel Karel V, in the historic heart of the city, I was happy to see I had made the right decision once again, as I set my sights upon the magnificent walled complex of buildings surrounding an impressive courtyard and 14th century manicured gardens.

The was once a monastery where the Knights of the Teutonic Order resided, with Charles V and his sister Maria of Hungary among their most prominent guests, and now, where I was about to spend the night too.

I was welcomed, as royalty should be, and shown to my equally regal room in the Napoleonic wing, classically styled with cherry wood furniture, a graceful four-poster bed and dressed in tones of rich reds and golds.

My first point of call was a stroll round the beautiful 14th century gardens, which had been calling me from the wide window in my bedroom, followed by a drink on the terrace – one of the best in the whole of Utrecht, I had been told. It was indeed the ideal start to my Utrecht break and my jaunt around its medieval old town.

My two wonderful days here consisted of wondering around marvelling at the sights – the St Willibrord Church, one of the most stunning neo-gothic churches in the Netherlands; the Papel House, one of oldest buildings in the city and the Town Castle Oudaen, built in 1296. These were interspersed with samples of various Dutch beers at the many canal-side cafes and boat trips downriver.

In the afternoons, I would return to the leafy sanctuary of my hotel to savour the Karel V’s sophisticated afternoon teas or enjoy lunch at the Goeie Louisa Brasserie.

Of course my luxury weekend break wouldn’t have been complete without treating myself to a pampering session in the spa and wellness centre. Located in the new Roman wing of the hotel, it’s the perfect place escape and hideaway, relaxing in a Zen-like state. I began with a spa circuit; being pummelled by massage jets in the hot tub, sweating it out in the sauna and getting thoroughly cleaned in the steam bath, and followed this with an overall body scrub and deep tissue massage.

I wasn’t too familiar with Dutch cuisine – apart from those sticky caramel waffle biscuits loved by everyone – but was eager to try out the hotel’s restaurant to see what it was like. Housed in the old monastic refectory itself, the seasonal menus created by chefs Vito Reekers and John Kragtwijk definitely lived up to expectations with starters such as soft shell crab and trout, and mains such as grilled sole with watercress and black pearl caviar, and lamb with aubergine, artichoke and lavender.

I knew that I would be returning to Utrecht again to continue my exploration of the city and that the Grand Hotel Karel V would definitely be first choice of accommodation.