Look out! It is time for a little Luxury at Center Parcs De Eemhof, Netherlands.
Flashback to 2014:
Continuing along on our 3 1/2 week European road trip in the Netherlands, we said goodbye to Center Parcs Het Meerdal and ventured a little North to Center Parcs De Eemhof. It was a very short and easy drive for us, so we arrived very early. Check in starts at 3pm and it was only 12 noon, so we thought we’d ask if we could just enjoy the grounds while waiting. As we approached the entrance in our car, we were greeted by a staff member. He advised us to just wait for the green light and we could “check in”.
The green light? We looked up and there was a building with 3 drive through windows on either side. There was a large board displaying the numbers 1 – 6 and each had either a red X or a green light. This was showing which window was open for you to drive up to and check in. How cool is that? I don’t know about you, but we were pretty excited to have drive-through check in.
The check in process was a breeze and they did advise us our room wasn’t quite ready. They gave us all of our paperwork, advised us we would be in the Marina. (I’m thinking “Marina? There’s a Marina in a Holiday Park?”)
They provided us with our keys, but asked that we wait to enter the room. No problem for us, we were now Center Parcs experts and knew how everything worked, We also thought we could assume how the Holiday Park would be laid out.
We just parked the car and headed over to the cycle center to pick up our bikes. I have to say, at each of the Center Parcs properties, we have found the staff members to provide excellent service, but this cycle center really topped the charts. They were not only very friendly, but also efficient and informative. It was great, within minutes we each had a bike and we were on our way to just ride around the entire park.
We first spotted the Market Square, this is when we noticed it was similar yet different from our other experiences in Center Parcs Het Meerdal and Sunparks De Haan aan zee Belgium. The other locations had a Market Dome and the shops and restaurants were all located indoors. This was like a mini terraced outdoor shopping mall. With gourmet restaurants, shops, fountains and more. It was very upscale and felt like a European village.
Next, we hopped back on the bikes and explored a bit more. We rode past several of the cottages and they looked very similar to Het Meerdal, surrounded by gorgeous wooded and grassy areas. Then a special cottage caught our eyes. There was some sort of tree house with a big yellow slide popping out the side of one of the cottages. Oh Cool! I recalled that they offered a kids cottage, so we took a closer look. Sure enough it was an extra little cottage attached to the main cottage, just for the kids. Awesome!
We continued on with our bicycle journey and it all began to sink in. This park was something special and it was HUGE. We looked on a posted map and realized we had only covered a very small portion of the park. We decided to venture over to the marina area and see what that was all about. We followed the well-marked signs to the marina and found some very nice waterfront condos. We scoped out the area and there was also a yacht club with many private boats, a laundry facility and restaurants. It was a real marina!
I don’t know why, but I was expecting a little lakeside place with a “marina” for paddle boats or something. Nope, this was legit! We were going to be living out our long weekend in style. At this point it was time to go check out our accommodation. We were on the 2nd floor, so up we went. We opened the door and…
All I could say was WOW!
In fact, we all kept saying WOW!
I couldn’t help but start singing the song from the Jeffersons “We’re movin’ on up…”
We provide you with a detailed review below.
Center Parcs De Eemhof Netherlands is now in the Spotlight!
Location
Center Parcs De Eemhof is located about 40 minutes East of Amsterdam, in Zeewolde along Lake Eemmeer. It is surrounded by big beautiful trees and natural waterways. and is particularly stunning at sunset. It is also very close to an adorable town named Amersfoort. This town is worth checking out with many monuments. The Koppelpoort, wall houses, the Onze Lieve Vrouwen tower and the patterns of the old streets and canals are typical of 14th century Amersfoort.
Accommodation at Center Parcs De Eemhof
We stayed in the waterfront Marina condos. We had 2 bedrooms, each with a king bed and lake/yacht club view. There was one bath/shower room that came complete with a sauna and a Jacuzzi tub. We also had a separate toilet room, for that extra privacy. As we moved down the extra wide hall, we entered into the well equipped kitchen with bar counter. This was open to the living and dining area with a flat screen TV. We even received fresh-baked bread at our door each morning!
One entire wall was windows with a very large glass door out to our spacious terrace. This was perfect for dining, but that’s not all. Our favorite thing was to take an evening bike ride and return to our terrace. We’d pour a glass of wine and watch the sun light up the sky and lake, with an array of colors each night. Sometimes it was reds, oranges and yellows, other nights it was purple and pink, but every time it was spectacular.
We have photos of additional accommodation options in the gallery at the end of the post.
There is no shortage of activities at Center Parcs De Eemhof
I couldn’t possibly mention all of the activities on offer at Center Parcs De Eemhof. Let me just assure you, it is impossible to get bored here. Along the marina you can swim in the lake or take up kite surfing, paddle boarding or windsurfing. They offer lessons for all and it is an ideal environment too. They had beach volleyball as well as lounge chairs along the beach for bathing. Within the park, there was everything you could think of. I was on a morning ride one day and watched some kids enjoying the “Cool Factor” option offered. It is basically a 2 1/2 hour challenge of fun and team building activities.
There is an enormous game room and billiards area, located in the Action Factory. In the evenings they provided live entertainment and this is also where the bowling alley is located. You are in for some fun there, for sure! Right next to the Action Factory was a go-kart track and the petting zoo. They also offered paddle boats and those big clear balls, that you go inside and walk around on water.
Of course we can’t forget to mention the family favorite, Aqua Mundo!
This was an indoor water park like no other. There were a total of 5 big water slides, several pools, a lazy river and toddler pools. There was a sun room and massage area all accented with a tropical jungle feel with caves, tunnels and waterfalls. It was full of fun and the snack shack helped us out a few times with the munchies.
Please check out their website at the bottom of this post for a listing of all of their activities.
Food
This place has something for everyone and every budget. There were several restaurants in the Market Square, inside and out. The buffet offered is amazing and very filling. The grocery store was very well priced and was open until 10pm, that was a big bonus.
Overall
Of course this was incredible! We loved it here and would recommend it to you year round. Most of the activities were located indoors and can be enjoyed no matter what the weather is outside. Center Parcs De Eemhof offers a wide variety of accommodation options, each providing you with a different feel and style. You have cottages located deep in the woods, some along the small creeks, canals and lake within the park. Additionally you have luxury Marina condos with a lake and sunset view.
Every single person we met on the staff spoke perfect English and we had no communication problems at all. The service was always exceptional and there was never a dull moment. We always felt safe allowing the kids to roam around and we loved the variety of accommodations offered.
Tips
- Book early if you can. The earlier you book, the bigger the discount and potentially a few more extras. Check their website below for current offers.
- Rent Bikes! We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again. This is a very large car free park and bikes are really the best way to get around.
- Upgrade your package if you can. The extra touches of the VIP package really makes you feel special. It was one of our last nights in the Netherlands, so it was a great treat.
- Be prepared for a wonderful vacation!
Where are their Holiday Parks located?
Sunparks has 4 locations within Belgium and Center Parcs Europe offers over 20 locations in several countries. Some of the locations are sustainable and great nature breaks.
Booking and Contact Info
Center Parcs France – Click here for the best holiday park deals in France
Center Parcs Belgium – Click here for the best holiday park deals in Belgium
Center Parcs Netherlands – Click here to view the latest luxury family holiday Netherlands deals.
Center Parcs Germany – Click here for the best holiday park deals in Germany
Enjoy our full photo gallery:
Disclaimer: We would like to thank The Center Parcs Europe for sponsoring a portion of our stay. All of the reviews, recommendations and opinions are our own.