TRIBE Hotel Den Haag Centraal: Simple Luxury; No Fuss

Everything about TRIBE Hotel Den Haag Centraal is inspiring and bold, starting with its landmark blue façade, the multi-storey work of Dutch super-architect Carel Weeber in the 1980s. Once inside, it reflects the very latest in 21st-century interior design – the stylish, warm Living Social Spaces are an informal mix-and-match of vividly coloured furniture, bespoke paintings, ceramics and glassware crafted by Dutch artists. Walls and patterned rugs of deep blue reflect the building’s minimalist exterior, and the same colour theme is reflected throughout the streamlined guest rooms and vibrant public areas.

They put people first at TRIBE; contemporary travellers expect 24-hour facilities, and you get exactly that here. The vibrant Living Social Spaces are on the go around the clock, and everybody is welcomed and checked in with ease and good humour. There are hidden corners where nomad workers can concentrate on their screens, brightly hued sofas for friends catching up over a cup of tea, and the sun-trap terrace for dining on balmy evenings.

You can always get something to eat or drink too; the restaurant, with its chill West Coast vibe and healthy menus is open all day, and late owls can depend on the Grab & Go, open 24 hours a day, for coffee and snacks. And the guest rooms? They've got the same attention to detail and comfort as the rest of the hotel; simple, pared-back luxury and no unnecessary frills.

So there we have it. All bases are covered for TRIBE's ever-changing cast of international guests – and that’s why we need a massive call out for the chilled, smiley staff members who take care of us all so well… It’s our kind of place!

TRIBE’s guest rooms are all about simplicity, efficiency and cosiness – and we think they’re spot on! Our luxurious TRIBE Max room is on the 9th floor, with views over city-centre skyscrapers. Its striking design incorporates the restful deep blue of the hotel exterior, with a vividly patterned rug, ornamental mirror and statement headboard. On our first night, we slip on comfy dressing gowns and cosy up to watch our favourite show on catch-up TV. We sleep fantastically well under crisp white linens in our signature TRIBE queen-size bed, and waking up in the morning to freshly made Nespresso coffee is a sheer pleasure. 

Everything in this cleverly thought-out space really is where it should be, from the charger points and nightlights slotted into the headboard to the surprisingly spacious work desk tucked into a corner of the room. Our bathroom is another triumph of the form and function that make this hotel exceptional, with white tiles on the walls, a marble basin and spacious rainfall shower. Along with sustainable Kevin Murphy beauty products, there’s a handy back-lit mirror for shaving and make-up application. We have all we need – and no fussy frills! 

The concern for guest comfort, flexibility and ease at TRIBE Den Haag Centraal shines out in its choice of eating options too. Run under the expert eye of Chef Kostas Kotidis and bringing Californian escapism and Mexican flavours to The Hague, Hitch Hike is TRIBE’s Cali-Baja restaurant, a colourful, laidback spot serving up tasty farm-to-table cuisine from noon till midnight. In the busy dining room – lots of locals are in too – we kick off supper with a munch board of stuffed olives, padrón peppers, cheese and cured meats, cutely presented on a mini skateboard! We follow with a robust sea-bass ceviche and quesabirria tacos filled with spicy slow-cooked beef. We manage a chilli chocolate sorbet between us, accompanying our Cali-Baja feast with a full-bodied Argentinian Malbec.

Later, we head to the bar, which stocks Californian wines, Belgian beers and soft drinks as well as doing a neat line in Mexican-inspired cocktails. We end the evening debating what’s best, tequila shots or mezcal cocktails? After sampling a couple of the mixologist’s specialities, we head happily off to bed. 

Of course, our weekend at TRIBE also gives us the best possible start every morning with a healthy buffet breakfast of freshly squeezed juices, smoked salmon and poke bowls of seasonal fruits; we shake things up a bit and order shakshuka poached eggs with spicy tomato sauce. Feeling lazy on Sunday morning, we order room service, and the breakfast burritos came to us! And don’t forget that if you sleep in or check in late, you can get freshly prepared meals and barista coffee 24/7 at the Grab & Go. 

Dedication and commitment has gone into TRIBE’s sustainability drive. The hotel holds a coveted Green Key certification and lives up to its promises in small but vital ways. For instance, we notice smaller plates and bowls at breakfast, so no-one is piling on too much food and wasting it, and the excellent coffee is made from beans dried locally. Most ingredients on the menu are sourced locally too.

There are a couple of water bottles in our room, which we can replenish free of charge at the water fountain in the Living Social Spaces, but what do we think is the best idea of all? We opt not to have our room cleaned and are rewarded with free drinks at the bar!

There are so many different ways to unwind here. The Living Social Spaces are the beating heart of this welcoming hotel; we both love hanging out on the comfy sofas and checking out all the colourful bespoke ceramics and glassware. We also enjoy soaking up some vital sunshine as we eat breakfast on the restaurant terrace – and of course our room is a luxurious haven of relaxation in itself.

When we want to ramp things up, we head for the fitness centre, free for guest use 24 hours a day. This morning we hit the cable stations and lift weights, emerging energised and ready to take on the day!

TRIBE is on car-free Spui, bang in the middle of the city. It leads on to Grote Marktstraat, where we spend a happy morning browsing in the elegant De Passage – an arcade with a soaring glass roof built in 1885 – before sipping coffee on a café terrace in boho Grote Markt, about 10 minutes’ stroll away. 

This afternoon we hire bikes from the hotel and pedal off to seaside Scheveningen. From the seafront boulevard, we watch surfers catching waves and check out the cartoon-like bronze artworks by Tom Otterness before heading off to the pier. Once there, we brave a ride on the Ferris Wheel to see The Hague and its breathtaking North Sea coastline laid out below us. 

The hotel gets discounted tickets from the Filmhuis Den Haag cinema across the road, so we’ve booked to see a film – handily in English, with Dutch subtitles – on our second evening at TRIBE. There’s always lots going on in the area, from beer festivals to al fresco cinema in summer, and there are plenty of people about if you’re out after dark. 

• Loved-up couples looking for a relaxed hideaway near shops and restaurants
• Kitesurfers keen to catch the waves off Scheveningen’s Noorderstrand Beach
• Art lovers longing to see Jan Vermeer’s exquisite “Girl with a Pearl Earring” in the Mauritshuis gallery   
• Frequent business travellers expecting well-priced luxury and hassle-free meetings
• Locals-in-the-know dropping by for morning coffee or catching up with pals over lunch

• Posing by the artwork in the Living Social Spaces – we can’t decide if we prefer Lino von der Bey’s wacky “Piano” installation or the glittering gold chains at the foot of the stairs…
• Pushing our TRIBE hire bikes along the promenade at Scheveningen beach.
• Tucking into Chef Kostas Kotidis’s Cali-Baja sharing plates served on mini skateboards in Hitch Hike!
• Saluting new-found friends with a lovingly crafted mezcal cocktail in the bar.
• Standing against the deep-blue façade of architect Carel Weeber’s iconic hotel building.

Spui 180, 2511 BW Den Haag, Netherlands

Public transport: Bus to Spui or Kalvermarkt (both stops are about 100 metres away)