The Best Hotels to Book in Domburg, the Netherlands

Perfect for an lazy beach holiday or an intimate weekend away for two, the modern, gabled apart-Hotel Bommelje is also your smart base for exploring the province of Zeeland. Inside there are smart little studios for two, in tonal expanses of black and white, some with kitchen spaces. Moving up, roomy Family Suites sleep four, with space for an extra bed. You can grab coffee in the restaurant before hitting the clean wide sands, or pedalling off on a rental bike. Alternatively, if here with a car, motor to Walcheren, with its creeks, abundant plants and birds.

Here’s a recently renovated hotel in Domburg that absorbs three characterful buildings with eye-catching steep red-tiled roofs. Decor is uniformly lovely – jaunty stripes in black and white on armchairs and a dash of nautical-clapboard panelling for bedheads. The rooms and studios are within easy walking distance of the main street and sands – we advise booking a beach hut to store your paraphernalia in. A nice touch is the terrace around the hotel, where guests gather for end-of-day ales. Don’t be shy – you’re welcome to join them.

If you’re a stickler for a space with character on holiday, this family-run hotel won’t disappoint. Its rooms are nicely done out – rich-ginger-timber walls here, sloping ceilings there – delivering the ideal antidote to routine stress. Hotel Kijkduin is almost cocooned in nature, a five-minute walk from those wide, welcoming sands and the forest. From the hotel, you can rent a bicycle and bike through the many lanes meandering between historical towns and villages close by.

Vierwegen is patronised by locals all year round. The reason? The fine restaurant. You might twig from the name that it’s big on pancakes, that Dutch favourite. A street or two back from the sands, it’s an attractive proposition, with its illuminated front dining terrace. You can choose between a double room, a four-person family room and an apartment (two-bedded, also for four). Sunny balconies make guests’ days, hence the repeat-visitor count.

Villa de Wael seduces you the moment you set eyes on it at the top of the drive: a late-19th-century mansion with art nouveau flourishes, it’s now a highly individual B&B that wraps its guests in high-ceilinged elegance, with stained-glass outbreaks in, for instance, the light and airy breakfast room. Expect polished bare floorboards and empire-stripe wallpaper in the timeless bedrooms, furnished with plush bergere chairs and contoured dressers. All in all a lovely slice of history to inhabit for a few forgetful days.

How many hostels do you know tucked within an ancient, dramatic landmark? Stayokay Domburg occupies an honest-to-goodness 13th-century castle – complete with a moat, pencil turrets and stern walls. There’s family accommodation with bunk beds for kids; play areas; and heavily curtained communal spaces with smart, funky furniture – highly conducive to socialising for the clientele of big groups as well as backpackers. The spreading green grounds are a lovely sight through the castle windows, and stepping out you can be on the beach in minutes.

Spring-fresh bedrooms in gentle pastel tones are the main attraction at this hostel – ideal for solo holidaymakers, travelling trios and families. Its attractive setting is also a pull, just below the Domburg dunes, and while it’s not blessed with a restaurant, you can grab free tea and coffee in reception. They’ve got breakfasts to go (extra to the room rates), so you can start the day in the warm breezes of the terrace, or on the sands, which are right on your doorstep.

The cosy Hotel Nehalennia is one of the trendiest hotels in Domburg, with its pale, quiet rooms in shades of cappuccino and slate, designed for deep slumber. The whole place faces the North Sea and the beach, a perfect spot whatever the season. At the hotel, and on the sands, depending on the time of year, you can sign up for yoga, surfing and kayaking, among the many sports on offer. Start your day the right way with the hotel’s smoothies, berries and fresh, healthy bread.

With big windows opening onto balconies, Hotel Duinlust is a perfect place to enjoy the bracing breezes of the sea. Only 100m (330ft) from the beach, it’s a calm domain of toothpaste-fresh interiors. The establishment also runs a natty little B&B in the town, as well as holiday homes. This spruce, family-run holiday experience includes a sophisticated restaurant with a nice wine list.