The most beautiful Pizza Hut in the world

by Annie Scott on


Is it a shame, or is it fantastic? Rather than tear down a former royal building in The Netherlands’ historic Den Haag (The Hague), it’s been turned into a Pizza Hut. What do you think about that, National Trust for Historic Preservation? Taco Bell at Hemingway’s house in Key West anyone?

Seriously, this Pizza Hut maintains the ornate, gorgeous, original mid-18th century ceiling of what used to be the Grand Salon, and is decorated with appropriately decadent chandeliers. There’s a lovely fireplace, classy dark wood fixtures, and well … I have no qualms calling it the most beautiful Pizza Hut in the world. I encourage you to try and find a lovelier one. Queen Wilhemlina’s treasury was once here, for Pete’s sake.

At the end of the day, though, it’s still Pizza Hut. Check out the photos below for a tour of this anachronistic, WTF wonder. If you weren’t thinking of heading to The Hague, which is just 45 minutes from Amsterdam, perhaps this will change your mind — and if you’re into the chandeliers, check out the ones in The Hague’s Escher Museum here on Luxist.

%Gallery-78464%

This trip was paid for by the Netherlands Board of Tourism, but the ideas and opinions expressed in the article above are 100% my own.

Cool contest for a free trip to Amsterdam

by Annie Scott on
The Netherlands Board of Tourism and Lloyd Hotel (pictured) have teamed up to bring one lucky winner (and a buddy) to Amsterdam for free — well, almost free.

This contest is about sacrifice: they want to know what you would give for a trip to Amsterdam … literally. To enter, visit Holland’s Facebook page and “submit a photo and brief description of something you are willing to trade in return for the trip — a prized possession that invokes the conceptual, almost art-like spirit of Dutch design.”

So, what’s free airfare, a three night stay (breakfast included), and a free dinner worth to you? A bicycle? Your remote control? That mug your niece made you in pottery class? Choose wisely; the winner’s object will be displayed at Lloyd Hotel.

You have until December 7 to enter. Just snap a photo of what you’d trade and upload it — what have you got to lose?

Utrecht tour guided by the homeless

by Tom Johansmeyer on

If you really want to learn what happens on the streets of a city, you’re best off talking to someone who’s lived there. In the Dutch city of Utrecht, five people are about to become tour guides … five people who used to be homeless. Their training from the tourism bureau will help them with the more formal aspects of their duties, but it’s the time they lived in the streets that will make their perspectives interesting.

The tours, called “Utrecht Underground,” will begin on September 13, 2009. They’ll be 75 minutes long and cost a mere €5. In addition to the usual sights of the city, guests will get to see where their guides “used to sleep or do drugs.”

When in the Netherlands – stay in the fabulous Kurhaus hotel

by Scott Carmichael on

Most tourists heading to the Netherlands prefer to stay in Amsterdam – that is after all where most of the “action” is. If you’d prefer to see more of the country you really need to grab a train to The Hague. This governmental capital of the country borders the nations most popular beach destination – Scheveningen.

If you have the time, you definitely need to consider spending a night in the Kurhaus hotel. The history of this amazing beach hotel reaches back to 1818, and the building survived fire, war, renovations and the shortest concert ever performed by the Rolling Stones. The name “Kurhaus” comes from the German word to cure – the wind off the North Sea is considered to be one of the most beneficial in the world.

Rooms start at EUR141 (add about EUR40 for a beach side room). For EUR1075 a night, you get the presidential suite, complete with your own private balcony.

During the summer, the beach is packed with tourists enjoying the comfortable waters or having lunch at one of the many beach pavilions Scheveningen is so famous for. Of course, they had to spend hours in their car getting there, and all you have to do is walk downstairs.

%Gallery-65115%

Amsterdam says “we are all gay” – begs gays to visit them

by Scott Carmichael on

The Dutch tourist bureau is reaching out to American gays by trying to convince them that “everyone is gay in Amsterdam”.

The bureau says that gays are one of the few remaining tourist groups with any disposable income left, and they are trying to paint Amsterdam as a very gay friendly city in the hope that they’ll make the trip and spend their cash in the Dutch capital.

To deliver their message, they’ll be inviting the gay community in the US to visit Amsterdam using TV commercials and magazine ads.

Gay TV channel “Here TV” is even planning to show a documentary about gay friendly Amsterdam.

Of course, the whole promotion could also have something to do with the fact that Amsterdam really isn’t as gay friendly as it used to be, and that many other European cities have bypassed them.

%Gallery-67539%
%Gallery-64352%