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Since the beginning of this year, Terschelling has added a striking new destination: Elements Terschelling. This new Dutchen label brings hotel rooms, flats, gastronomy and wellness together in one place in the middle of the dunes. Here, nature, design and hospitality flow seamlessly together and everything revolves around tranquillity, comfort and a high-quality but relaxed experience. General manager Herman van de Vliet: “Guests should feel like they have been in another world for a while.”
According to Van de Vliet, the name Elements refers directly to its location and architecture. “The building is located entirely in the dunes and is designed to fall away into the landscape. You constantly feel the wind, the sand and the sea here. The natural elements are present everywhere; in the views, in the materials and in the design. Hence the name Elements.”
For Dutchen, the choice of Terschelling was self-evident. CEO Audry van de Merwe: “Our business philosophy is to offer holiday accommodation in or near nature. Guests should be able to really experience a destination in privacy and comfort. We already do that with our holiday homes. Elements forms a new label within Dutchen. Where the rental label focuses on luxury holiday homes, this project combines hotel rooms and flats with gastronomy and wellness. We mainly target the urban traveller who comes here to recharge. A retreat-like destination for people seeking tranquillity, nature, good food and wellness.”
Lighting plan
Illum Artificial Light
Light that suits dune and design
For Hotel Elements Terschelling, Illum Kunstlicht, a specialist in lighting plans and lighting advice, designed the complete lighting plan. “We designed the lighting for the hotel rooms and flats and selected the luminaires,” explains owner Merel Roozen. “We chose track rails here for practical reasons, but also because they fit perfectly with the elegant, industrial interior. In consultation with interior designer Hinabaay, we ensured that everything forms a single entity in terms of colour and appearance.”
According to Roozen, a hotel project is all about balance. “Atmosphere and functionality have to come together. All lighting is dimmable, so guests can set the desired ambiance themselves. That makes a room more personal and comfortable.”
According to Roozen, the project also had logistical challenges. “As the hotel is located on a Wadden Island, site visits and deliveries were more complex. But the prospect of such a special hotel, overlooking dunes and sea, made it extra special. We knew beforehand: this will be a unique project that you don't often come across in the Netherlands. The end result therefore turned out very cool.”
Elements Terschelling has sixteen hotel rooms and suites and twenty-five flats, all with views of dunes or sea. According to Van de Vliet, the core concept of Elements is barefoot luxury: high-quality finish, comfort and service, but without rigidity. “Guests should feel free. You can walk into the restaurant on flip-flops after a walk on the beach without changing first. Guests can count on an approachable, open and casual atmosphere with us. ”
According to Van de Vliet, the desired guest experience can easily be summarised: “Guests should feel like they have been in another world for a while. As soon as you enter here, your heart rate automatically drops. This is also reflected in the feedback we get from our guests.”
Van de Merwe sums up the philosophy: “Doing ordinary things unusually well. Sleeping perfectly, eating well and relaxing in the wellness. If you offer that at top level, you don't need crazy frills. In short: high-end, but without glitz and excess ”
The development of Elements presented specific challenges. For instance, the building is sunk into the dunes and follows the natural differences in height, which required customised architectural construction. In addition, building on an island requires precise planning. “Materials, people, installations: everything has to go by boat,” Van de Vliet explains.
“That makes each construction phase complex. Together with Friso Bouwgroep, which has a lot of experience in building on the Wadden Islands, we managed to realise the hotel almost entirely on schedule.”
Kitchen appliances
BSH Netherlands
Recognisable quality for hotel guests
With high-quality household
equipment, BSH (an abbreviation of Bosch Siemens Hausgeräte) is an industry leader worldwide. Guido Joziasse is account manager projects at BSH Netherlands. “For Hotel Elements Terschelling, we supplied equipment from Siemens. This included built-in appliances as well as washing machines and tumble dryers for use in the twenty-five hotel flats.”
The leisure sector is a familiar target group for BSH Netherlands. “At hotels and holiday parks, the choice almost always falls on Siemens. We also supply the Bosch, Neff and Gaggenau brands, but Siemens is the market leader in built-in appliances and has high recognition among end users. That offers a lot of confidence and makes hotel guests feel good.”
It also offers advantages for the operator. “The equipment is extremely user-friendly, high quality and has good service and warranty conditions. This also makes Siemens a strong and reliable choice for the hotel itself.”
According to Van de Vliet, Elements adds a new segment to the existing hotel offer. “There are beautiful three- and four-star hotels on Terschelling, but a combination of high-end design, gastronomy, wellness and this location in the middle of the dunes did not yet exist. We want to attract a new target group without detracting from existing providers.”
Collaborations with specialised partners reinforce that positioning. “Our restaurant Dún is headed by the 212 Group's renowned two-star chefs, while internationally renowned wellness partner The Tides handles the spa offerings. For each component, we work with partners who excel in their craft. As a result, with us, for example, wellness is not a separate facility, but an integral part of the concept.”
Despite the high-end positioning, local cooperation remains essential. Van de Vliet: “On an island with 4,900 inhabitants, support is crucial. We want to be part of the community, not a stand-alone resort.”
Elements therefore collaborates with local suppliers and entrepreneurs: from baker and laundry to guides and producers. Many island products are used in restaurant Dún. Van de Merwe: “For guests, the story of the destination is just as important as the hotel itself. We promote what the island has to offer, such as the Dark Sky Park, nature and local fisheries. That completes the experience.”
Staffing remains a concern in the sector, but Van de Vliet takes a pragmatic approach. “Instead of focusing on tightness, we look at what is. You have to be an attractive employer and use technology smartly. Administrative reception tasks are partly automated via an app, so employees can focus on personal contact. We put people where they make the difference: with the guest.”
Hinabaay Interior & Design was engaged for the interior design. Interior designer Fleur Westerweel was involved in the project early on. “The assignment was to completely balance the interior with building and surroundings. The phenomenal view from all flats and hotel rooms was the main starting point. We really put that view at the centre of the design. We worked with long sightlines, so that your gaze is always led outside in the interior.” According to Westerweel, it was essential to bring the outside in, so to speak. “Large windows play an important role in this, but also in the colours and materialisation we sought to create a feeling where inside and outside merge.”
The powerful, almost brutalist architecture of the building required a warm counterpart in the interior. “In the interior, we therefore chose warm, soft materials and lots of wood. This creates a nice balance and brings peace and comfort.” Sustainability also received explicit attention. “The fabrics of all the furniture are coloured with natural materials and treated in a natural way. In addition, everything was produced in Europe, with carefully chosen wood types and production partners.”
Since the official opening in January, Herman van de Vliet has been at the helm of Elements Terschelling as general manager.
“Audry van de Merwe of Dutchen and I have known each other since 2000. We both have a background in high-end hospitality and worked together a lot in the past. Then we each went our separate ways. Audry became director of Dutchen and when this project on Terschelling took shape, we saw a great opportunity to work together again. What's extra special is that Audry and I are partners in the company. As a result, we are building something together that is our own and can put our own stamp on it.”
“I worked for NH Hotels and Hilton for many years in different places in Europe. After that, I had my own café-restaurant in Amsterdam with my husband. Then I was involved in the opening of a small-scale hotel and holiday park in the Tuinen van West near Amsterdam. During that period, I again came into contact with Audry and with Dutchen, which was then growing strongly. Gradually, cooperation also developed with Erwin Miedema, initiator and developer of Elements Terschelling.”
“Moving to an island is quite a step, but again, not an emigration to the other side of the world. You're back on shore in an hour. I really like it. The nature, the peace and the environment make it very special to work here. It is a privilege to run a hotel in such a place.”
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