A future with flair for a hotel full of character

German entrepreneur and enthusiastic hotel broker ensured dignified handover of Twente icon

On an estate on the outskirts of art town Ootmarsum lies an extraordinary four-star hotel. Parkhotel De Wiemsel is the life's work of German entrepreneur Henning J. Claassen, who personally revived the establishment after a bankruptcy in 2015. Ten years, thousands of improvements and millions in investments later, he is transferring the hotel to Fletcher Hotels. Not without hesitation, and only after he was sure his vision would be preserved.

Claassen is not your average hotel investor. Above all, he is a lover. Of art, of hospitality, of quality. "We came here regularly for ten years and really fell in love with the hotel. However, when we wanted to book again, the hotel turned out to be bankrupt. The takeover by another party failed and gallery friends asked us: don't you want to take it over? That set something in motion."

Although he had no plans to expand his hotel portfolio, Claassen decided to make a low offer once. "To our surprise, this was accepted and we struck a nice deal. Then we completely renovated the hotel, so in the end it was not a good deal anymore (laughs)." The entrepreneur focused entirely on this new project, but as an enthusiast, not an investor. "Everything had to be right, because a good hotel consists of many small details: the rooms, the staff, the lighting, the breakfast. Every month we had meetings on hundreds of small points for improvement. In the end, we implemented 5,000 of them."

The results were to it. Occupancy rose from 40% to 60%, guest satisfaction remained above 96% for years. Yet Claassen, now 81, knew it was time to secure the future of his beloved hotel. "I still work seven days a week, but I wanted to be prepared. I sold a hotel before to a group that didn't understand it at all and I don't want to go through that again."

A discreet search

Claassen engaged VDW Hotelmakelaars to handle the sale with discretion. Jeroen Pontenagel, a specialist in hotel real estate, worked with a shortlist of candidates. "Mr Claassen was clear from the start: no anonymous investor, no parties with no hotel experience, and certainly no quick deal. We acted with extreme care."

The sale took time. Not everyone saw the uniqueness of De Wiemsel, or was willing to make the investment. VDW first spoke to Fletcher about the hotel in 2024, but at the time they did not come to a financial conclusion. "I also had my doubts," Claassen admits. "Fletcher is big, and this hotel is quite small-scale. Besides, I didn't want De Wiemsel to disappear into a standard formula." The introduction of the Fletcher Deluxe label changed this perspective. "After talks with the management, I felt their sincere appreciation for what the hotel is. That gave confidence."

Pontenagel remembers the tipping point well. "Fletcher came to have a look and was immediately impressed. The quality, the location, the look, it fitted perfectly with their luxury positioning. From then on, everything went fast and by 2025 the sale was complete."

Takeover with an eye for detail

From bespoke services, Jeroen Pontenagel was involved in the entire process. VDW also drafted all contracts in Dutch and had them professionally translated into German. The practical takeover was carried out by Fletcher's TOP team (Transformations, Acquisitions & Projects), which ensured the smooth integration of all systems. Staff were also carefully briefed and remained employed. "The most important thing is that care was taken to look at what makes this hotel unique, and that they want it to exist," he says.

What does Claassen hope for the future of the hotel? "That people keep paying attention to the little things. It was all about discipline, attention and speed. I would recommend that to every hotelier: respond to guests directly, and lead by example. If you work hard, so will your people."

Pontenagel looks back on the process with satisfaction: "Mr Claassen is someone who really understands the business. His dedication to hospitality is exceptional. It was an honour to accompany him on this transfer." With the sale to Fletcher Hotels, a new chapter begins for Parkhotel De Wiemsel. Since 1 June 2025, it will be the Fletcher Parkhotel De Wiemsel.