De Waard van Ternaard - Ternaard - Friesland
With minimalist, Zen-like interiors, you would never know this fabulous five-room hotel is located deep in the Frisian countryside.
Somewhere in the north of Friesland in the sleepy village of Ternaard not far from the coast lies a design hotel called Herberg De Waard van Ternaard. This is no traditional country hotel; rather it is the sort of chic accommodation one would expect to find in London or New York, but definitely not in the Frisian countryside. When you first arrive at the hotel, which is on a quiet leafy square bordered on one side by an old church and a graveyard, it is impossible to imagine what lies within.
The owner, Gjalt Pilat better known for the design furniture enterprise, Pilat & Pilat, converted the building, which used to be the village social hall (“dorpshuis”), into an outstanding showcase not only for the furniture, but for their vision of what a hotel should be. The unifying theme is one of simple luxury.
All rooms, including the restaurant and lounging areas, have high ceilings and large windows that convey a sense of infinite light and space. All five bedrooms, the dining room, and common areas are filled with Pilat & Pilat furniture and accessories: contemporary wooden tables and chairs with strong, simple lines and warm accents in neutral monochromatic tones. The strategic use of woven hanging lampshades in rich chocolate or deep crimson provides a strong counterpoint to the neutral tones.
The bedrooms are spacious and decorated with restraint to create an oasis of calm. The bathrooms are sleek affairs of wood and glass with minimalist faucets and fixtures. The beds are pure decadence: large fluffy pillows, luxurious comforters and bed linen.
It is easy to imagine staying in your room surrounded by all that understated luxury, but then you would miss the restaurant, which is really the heart of the hotel. Large wooden tables and chairs, striking pieces of art on the walls and woven lamps create a wonderful atmosphere for dining. The food is outstanding; the kitchen uses fresh ingredients from the area and stays away from the stale, traditional cooking that is the curse of most hotels in the countryside.
Gjalt Pilat and Garmt Visser have certainly succeeded in creating a seriously chic place that is luxurious and stunning, but also laid-back and inviting.
- De Waard van Ternaard
- Rooms start at Euro 140,-
- De Groedse 3
- 9145 RG Ternaard
- 0519 57 18 46
