Hotel Saints: Heavenly luxury in the heart of the city

's-Hertogenbosch had to wait a while for it, but hotel The Saints opened its doors in March. Three historic buildings on the Parade together form the boutique hotel that not only Joost Tuinman but also the guests and the city have waited so long for.

Luxury, history and innovation. The Saints not only offers its guests stylish rooms with high-quality finishes and a keen eye for detail, but the hotel exudes history at the same time. Not surprising when you consider that the buildings in which it houses the boutique hotel are over 130 years old. Finally, innovation plays a major role, one of the main examples being the digital check-in and a real hologram reception. Joost Tuinman and his partner Martijn Wagemakers are the driving forces behind this prestigious project. During our visit, we meet Tuinman busy putting the very last finishing touches to the project. His colleague proudly shows us the result. 

Digital front office assistant

"Unfortunately, we are no longer allowed to put up the flags that previously adorned our facades," he says with a slight disappointment in his voice. Once inside, there is little to be disappointed about. "As soon as the guest reports through the intercom, our team - behind the scenes - gets to work. They check the reservation and open the door." Upon entering, you are welcomed by warm wood accents, a black and white tiled floor, a stately staircase and a striking canapé. A cupboard filled with books and trinkets allows guests to check in themselves. The digital front-office assistant is happy to assist with this. "Via a hologram of a real person, the room key is quickly made and breakfast can even be rebooked at the moment of arrival. In the unlikely event that the guest fails to check in this way, someone from our team is always on hand to lend a helping hand."

Local

At the time of our visit, The Saints does not (yet) operate its own catering business. "We like to keep it local and are looking at the possibilities of using drink tokens to be able to offer guests a welcome drink at one of the catering outlets here on the Parade." For those who have something to celebrate, the hotel treats with Bossche Koeken from the nearby bakery. 

Cosy

Cosiness is the common thread in the hotel. The monumental buildings are characterised by authentic staircases, centuries-old beams and original details. The design of the 25 rooms is well thought out. Luxury comes first and is reflected in modern furniture, high-pile carpets and Auping beds. Although the guest rooms lack nothing, there can always be a need for extra amenities. "Our guest corner meets that need. Here, toiletries, coffee and tea are available at all times."

The rooms spread across the three properties vary in size. The Souterrain Cosy Room measures 15m², making it the smallest room at The Saints. Whether the accommodation measures 23m² (Comfort), 30m² (Superior) or 45m² (Superior Deluxe), all immediately feel like coming home. The large bed invites you to sleep in until the sun rises. The bathroom, equipped with its own fragrance line and finished with brass-gold accents, ensures a fresh moment of the day. Those who unexpectedly cannot catch sleep stream their favourite service on the television. "Upon entering, the air conditioning is set to 19 °C as standard. Not too hot and not too cold, for a cosy, snug feeling upon arrival."

The Saints bring Gardener back to Brabant

We thank Willem for his tour of The Saints' premises and meet Joost in - already his favourite place in the hotel - the living room. A quiet spot with a view of St John's Cathedral. Furnished with French bistro tables including matching chairs with rattan elements and burgundy sofas adorned with cushions featuring black/taupe motifs. On the ceiling, the sunrays, which easily make their way in through the large glass fronts, play with the chandelier on the ceiling.  

 What a nice place, or as Joost calls it; "the soul of the hotel."

Whether because of his Brabant roots, Tuinman's cradle was in nearby Vught, or not this hotel is a project he would like to be present at as many moments as possible himself. "I would like to be involved," he reveals. Tuinman, who is active in various real estate projects in both the hotel industry and residential development, finds that the project, whose opening has been postponed several times due to the complexity of the renovation, has brought him closer to his roots. With the recent acquisition of Bliss Hotel in Breda, the entrepreneur may see a The Saints group in this province ahead.  

Opportunities 

"I always see opportunities," he laughs as he looks with satisfaction at the just-finished counter with a critical eye. "No one could have imagined at the start of this project that we would have to push back our opening date several times." The name, it was almost instantaneous. With the iconic St John's Cathedral as its neighbour, the marketing branding team suggested 'The Saints'. "Yes, that will be it, I thought immediately."

Opportunities for the Bossche hotel he worked out with Bulsink. "They have such a huge pool of experience when it comes to major conversions and renovations. I knew I could realise my vision with them." The asbestos present, was a setback that delayed the process. "When you look at what we were faced with, the bumps we had to take, all in all the construction process went surprisingly fast in the end," Tuinman positively observes. Needless to say, there are also valuable lessons to be learned from a project like this. "Anyone working with monumental buildings sooner or later runs into constraints. Breaking through a wall to connect the three plots together, impossible. We also had to experience that sound insulation within historic houses is of a different level than in modern(er) properties. In a possible next project involving working with centuries-old buildings again, I will definitely investigate this even more closely." Another learning moment concerns permit applications. "Those who think permits are issued quickly are, unfortunately, wrong. Such matters take time and time is money, as costs just keep running."

With the nice weather coming, Gardener is eagerly awaiting the terrace licence. "Together with the living room, that will be a big living room, a place for our guests and local residents." Successes have also come for the luxury 4-star hotel. For instance, The Saints was fully booked the first two weekends after opening. "We set up regional cooperation to make that happen, but many of our guests also found us on their own," he says. If it is up to Tuinman, during upcoming events such as Bourgondisch 's-Hertogenbosch and Theatre Festival Boulevard guests will (again) find their way to The Saints. And if we already look into the future and we speak to this entrepreneur again in 15 years, he might just run more than 10 hotels in the Brabant countryside.

Classic style with a modern twist

Whereas Tuinman engaged Bulsink for the conversion and renovation, he entrusted the design and fit-out of the beautiful historic premises to The Project Group, which transformed the old coach house and former mansions into a particularly atmospheric boutique hotel. We speak to Willem Hoefakker CEO of The Project Group about The Saints.

"Joost is a warm connection of ours. Being a family business, we enjoy working with the owner to achieve the desired end result together. You go through a process together where wishes and possibilities are weighed against each other. Sometimes, something falls through on the drawing board, at other times you manage to surprise each other with special insights and implementations. The light tones in the room stem from Joost's wishes, and although you find PVC on the floor in more and more hotels these days, with a nice rug under the bed, carpet was chosen here because of the acoustics of the premises. For The Saints, our approach is a 5-star look that is reflected in cosiness and luxury. To this end, we have used distinctive materials so that the room fits around the guest, so to speak."  

For Hoefakker, too, working in and with historical buildings required occasional adjustments. "Especially the fact that no two rooms are the same size made for exciting developments," he says. What all the rooms have in common are the Auping beds. "We like working with this durable brand.

By using rich fabrics and warm colours combined with wood and marble, we have ensured a classic style but in a modern twist. Den Bosch will be enriched by this special place."