The Vibe: Set in 11,000 hectares forest, the former Royal Dutch family hunting grounds were turned into a contemporary hotel and gourmet temple.

The Area: Het Loo Royal Estate, part of National Park the Veluwe in Hoog Soeren, near the town of Apeldoorn.

The DNA: A family business since 1955, restaurant de Echoput is well known for wine and food pairing, thanks to owner Peter Klosse, son of the founder, who shares his theory about flavour and tasting in the Multi-sensory Dining concept and cooking school. Klosse is also one of the founders of the Dutch Academy for Gastronomy and professor at the Hotel Managementschool Zuyd in Maastricht. The original restaurant was demolished in 2004, to be replaced by today’s luxury complex. The hotel is named after the deep well famous for its echo, built under the reign of king Louis Napoleon, between 1809 and 1811.

Suite-Me-Up: The contemporary 70m2 (750 sq ft) tower suite comes with views over century old trees. With a bit of luck you can spot or hear wild boars, roebucks or deer from the (bath)room or balcony.

✅ free Wi-Fi • size matters: 42 rooms and suites (30-70m2) (323-753 sq ft) • hotel opened: 2004 • architecture: PBV Architects ✅ free on-site parking • no pets allowed • 24-hour front desk • wheelchair accessible