Hotel Ter Zand - Handwritten Collection: Relaxed, Peaceful, Welcoming

If relaxation is a luxury in The Netherlands, then we find luxury by the bucketful at Hotel Ter Zand. We arrive mid-week at this peaceful hotel deep in rural Zeeland straight from our busy urban lives and desperate for restful moments to draw breath. And sure enough, by the end of our few days there, we both find it very hard to drag ourselves away from this quietly zen place, where all we hear is birdsong, the rustle of marram grass and the gentle whisper of waves on the shore. As we soon discover, at Hotel Ter Zand, everything – from the décor to the dining – is geared towards helping guests unwind and get back to nature.

The lobby is a home-from-home, comfortable, stylish and woven through with pops of soft greens, blues and woody tones embellished with the occasional splash of black marble or bronze, all reminiscent of Zeeland’s spectacular seascapes. It’s as if the beaches, dunes and wild seas have been transported indoors and incorporated into the hotel’s very soul.

A sense of calm flows from the lobby to the bar and award-winning Le Poirier restaurant. Something tells us – even before we’ve seen our tranquil garden retreat – that we’re exactly where we need to be. Somewhere soothing and nurturing, where we can stretch ourselves physically trying new activities together, enjoy exceptional dining and – most importantly – have time to rediscover each other.

It is love at first sight in the understated elegance of our suite, set among wild grasses and pear trees in the hotel’s leafy gardens. With the décor of wood and calm, natural colours by The Designers Guild reflecting our surroundings, highlights are a sublimely comfortable double bed, a Nespresso machine for morning caffeine boosts and bespoke armchairs in a mossy green from London-based interiors guru William Yeoward.

Our bathroom has the same muted palette, with bronze tiles, high pressure in the walk-in shower and toiletries by sustainable brand The Botanist & The Chemist. What raises all this to the exceptional is the wooden hot tub, steaming gently on our private terrace. We jump in, breathe deeply and gaze up to see stars twinkling in the night skies above us – what a moment for quiet meditation!

Fast becoming a go-to dining experience in Zeeland, Le Poirier is named after the pear orchards that once surrounded Burgh-Haamstede village. The restaurant is run under the inspired guidance of Chef Terence van Lenten, who earned his gastronomic stripes at culinary school in Breda before winning the prestigious Olivier Roellinger cookery competition with one of his signature fish dishes. As a proud ambassador for the Zeker Zeeuws (Definitely Zeeland) quality mark, his culinary style is ambitious: high-end, delicate and seasonal with quality ingredients sourced locally; small surprise that his warm, welcoming restaurant is already highly rated by the French dining guide Gault&Millau.

Service starts with a tempting buffet breakfast featuring bread baked using local sea water, Van Lenten’s own take on pannenkoeken (savoury or sweet pancakes), and waffles smothered in syrup. We make great inroads on Zeeland’s own delicious Zeeuwse bolus cinnamon rolls sticky with caramel, along with lashings of good coffee to set us up for a day of outdoor adventure.

Drinks and tempting bites are served early evening in the cosy bar, but it’s over dinner in Le Poirier, softly candlelit and restful after dark, when Chef’s unique skills really begin to shine. We try the superb six-course tasting menu, which changes with the seasons and showcases the very best of Zeeland produce. Arctic char and haddock arrive on our plates straight from the North Sea or Oosterschelde estuary, while zero-miles Zeeland beef and pork cheek come from animals reared on local farms.

Desserts are all exquisite and colourful creations, and we pair our gourmet feast with top-notch wines to round off this exceptional dining experience.

So eager are we for a blast of fresh air that on our first morning we hot-foot it straight down to the beach – a scenic 20-minute stroll through dunes sculpted by the wind, knitted together by marram grass and home to scuttling rabbits. This being off-season, we’re not up for swimming, but nevertheless we paddle in the shallow waves and also catch sight of grey seals basking on sandbanks just off the beach. A wander through oak, ash and pine trees in Westerschouwen Forest takes us north across Het Zeepe – a protected landscape of woodland, dunes and waterways – where we spot wild ponies and roe deer grazing on undulating pastureland.

Our day’s adventuring ends at West Schouwen Lighthouse, standing proudly over the North Sea coastline and at 58 metres, the tallest of Zeeland’s phalanx of lighthouses. You can’t go in, but we have truly spectacular views over the waves – and a beautiful moment of reconnection with nature as the sun slips over the horizon.

Chilling has been our watchword so far, so now it’s time to try some of the activities on offer at the hotel. First of all, we hire bikes and pedal along the boardwalk to the beach, where we pass a happy hour cantering through the waves on horseback, with the wind in our hair and daily woes magically slipping away.

Next up is a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon foraging for wild oysters – prized for their firm texture and creamy taste – on Burgh-Haamstede Beach, under the expert tutelage of a local guide. There’s just time for a rejuvenating dip in our hot tub – you can swim or use the sauna for free at the sister hotel next door too – and then it’s back to the hotel bar to sample our bounty, grilled in garlic butter by Chef van Lenten and served accompanied by a glass of icy white wine. The perfect end to a simply perfect day!

On our final morning at Hotel Ter Zand, we take a day off from beach-combing to explore handsome Middelburg – about half an hour’s drive over the impressive Oosterschelde Storm Surge Barrier. It’s a quaint provincial capital, with all those quintessentially Dutch landmarks – windmills, red-brick churches, a Gothic town hall in the market square – and canals lined with cosily ‘gezelligheid’ cafés. We even have time to pick up a couple of handmade, scented candles in a Segeerstraat boutique to take home as souvenirs.

• Active Gen Xers (like us!) keen to keep fit and maintain their well-being.
• Guests happy to meander on relaxing beach strolls in bracing sea air.
• Couples looking to re-ignite that romantic spark in serene rural surroundings.
• Gourmets hoping to discover the next Dutch Michelin-starred restaurant.
• Dedicated environmentalists searching for new experiences like oyster-picking on the beach.

• Waking up in our luxury suite: The restful view over the hotel gardens – planted with wild grasses – to the sand dunes is simply stunning.
• Strolling across the dunes to Burgh-Haamstede Beach: Their drifting shapes form an ever-changing seascape.
• Posing in front of red-and-white striped West Schouwen Lighthouse at sunset: It’s one of Zeeland’s best-loved landmarks.
• Chilling together in our hot tub: So revitalising after a day spent foraging for molluscs on Burgh-Haamstede Beach!
• Dining on the dainty dishes in Le Poirier: Chef van Lenten’s seasonal tasting menus certainly deserve their Gault&Millau award.

Address: Hogeweg 59, 4328PB Burgh-Haamstede, Zeeland, Netherlands
Directions: An hour's drive from Rotterdam The Hague Airport and Rotterdam Europoort Ferry Terminal