Hotel de Draak

Hotel de Draak is a historic hospitality business located on the Grote Markt in the center of Bergen op Zoom, in the Dutch province of North Brabant. It is generally dated to 1397 and is described as the oldest hotel in the Netherlands. The date refers to the documented existence of the hotel after a major city fire that devastated much of Bergen op Zoom; the building may have an earlier history, but the surviving evidence does not establish a more precise founding date. The property occupies one of the few buildings on the Grote Markt that survived the 1397 fire. The present structure is largely associated with construction around 1500. Its lower and first floors retain late-Gothic characteristics, while the exterior has been altered over time. In the nineteenth century, the original crow-stepped gable was replaced by a cornice, and the building now has a mansard and hip roof. The property is a protected monument, making architectural preservation an important part of the brand's identity and operating context. Hotel de Draak's offer centers on hotel accommodation in a historic setting. Its location in Bergen op Zoom's historic civic center gives it a positioning built around heritage, architecture, and place-based hospitality rather than standardized accommodation. The name, which means "The Dragon" in Dutch, is closely associated with the building and its long-standing presence on the Grote Markt. The available reference material does not provide a complete room inventory, pricing structure, restaurant concept, ownership history, or chain affiliations, so those details are not stated here. A major disruption occurred in 2013, when a fire originating in a sauna on the first floor caused substantial interior damage. The hotel was reconstructed relatively quickly, allowing the historic hospitality operation to continue while repairing the affected building. The incident illustrates the operational challenge of maintaining a functioning hotel within a protected historic property. On 16 February 2016, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands visited Grand Hotel de Draak and were welcomed by members of the Hazen family, identified in the reference material as the owners. The royal visit reinforced the property's local and national heritage profile. Hotel de Draak remains associated with Bergen op Zoom's historic center and with the continuity of hospitality at the site over several centuries.

Hotel de Draak is situated on the Grote Markt in Bergen op Zoom, a historic city in the Netherlands. The property is traditionally dated to 1397, when the hotel is recorded in connection with the aftermath of a large fire that destroyed much of the city. The fire consumed many buildings and also destroyed the city hall and its archives. Because documentary evidence from before the disaster is limited, it is possible that the building and the lodging business existed before 1397, but the available historical record does not permit a definitive earlier date. The building is notable because Hotel de Draak and the neighboring building known as De Olifant were among the structures on the Grote Markt that survived the fire. This survival gave the property an unusually strong connection to the continuity of Bergen op Zoom's urban history. The current building is generally associated with construction around 1500. Its ground and first floors were built in a late-Gothic style, reflecting the architectural character of the period. The exterior has changed since the building's medieval construction. During the nineteenth century, its original crow-stepped gable was replaced by a cornice. The structure now has a mansard and hip roof. Despite these alterations, the property remains recognized as a protected monument. Its architectural status affects both its public identity and the practical management of the hotel: the business operates within a building whose historical fabric is itself a central asset. Across its long history, the property has functioned as a place of lodging and hospitality in the city's central marketplace. Its identity is therefore tied not only to accommodation but also to Bergen op Zoom's civic and architectural heritage. The available reference material does not document every change of operator, renovation, or commercial development, so a complete ownership and management chronology cannot be reconstructed from the supplied sources. In 2013, a significant fire began in a sauna on the first floor. The incident caused considerable damage inside the building. Reconstruction followed quickly, preserving the hotel's role while addressing the damage to the historic property. The fire is the most clearly documented modern interruption to the hotel's operation in the supplied material. On 16 February 2016, the hotel received King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands. Members of the Hazen family, identified as the owners, welcomed the royal couple. The visit connected the property with a prominent national occasion and highlighted its status as a recognizable heritage location. Today, Hotel de Draak is best understood as an independent historic hotel brand rather than a documented international chain. Its principal distinction is longevity: a hotel presence associated with Bergen op Zoom since at least 1397, housed in a protected building whose surviving fabric reaches back to around 1500. Its commercial proposition rests on accommodation, central location, and the experience of staying in a building with an unusually long documented relationship to Dutch urban history.

• 2016

  Royal visit

  [1]Hotel de Draaken.wikipedia.org

  King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima visited Hotel de Draak on 16 February and were welcomed by the Hazen family.

• 2013

  Interior fire and reconstruction

  [1]Hotel de Draaken.wikipedia.org

  A sauna fire on the first floor caused major interior damage. The hotel was reconstructed after the incident.

• 1800

  Nineteenth-century exterior alteration

  [1]Hotel de Draaken.wikipedia.org

  During the nineteenth century, the original crow-stepped gable was replaced by a cornice, contributing to the building's present exterior form.

• 1500

  Construction of the present building

  [1]Hotel de Draaken.wikipedia.org

  The current building is associated with construction around 1500, including late-Gothic ground and first floors.

• Hotel associated with the aftermath of the Bergen op Zoom city fire

  [1]Hotel de Draaken.wikipedia.org

  Hotel de Draak is conventionally dated to 1397, the year a major fire devastated much of Bergen op Zoom. The building is among the structures on the Grote Markt reported to have survived.

Heritage hospitality in one of the Netherlands' oldest hotel properties, combining accommodation with a protected late-medieval and early-modern architectural setting.

• Hospitality

  Hotel accommodation

  The core offering is overnight accommodation in a historic hotel in the center of Bergen op Zoom. The guest experience is differentiated by the property's protected-monument status, long association with the city, and location on the Grote Markt. Detailed room categories and amenities are not specified in the supplied reference material.

• Heritage hospitality

  Historic-building stay

  Hotel de Draak offers the distinctive proposition of staying in a building whose documented history reaches back to at least 1397 and whose present structure is associated with around 1500. Late-Gothic elements, later nineteenth-century alterations, and protected-monument status form an important part of the property's identity.

• 2013

  Reconstruction after the first-floor fireOther

  Background

  A fire originating in a first-floor sauna caused substantial damage inside the historic hotel.

  Action taken

  The damaged interior was reconstructed, enabling the hotel to continue operating from the historic property.

  Aftermath

  The hotel remained associated with the protected building and resumed its hospitality role after the reconstruction.

  Source

1. 1Hotel de Draaken.wikipedia.org