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The Kruisherenhotel is the latest addition to Camille Oostwegel's hotel and restaurant empire in the south of Holland. He specialises in restoring historic buildings, and this one, which opened last summer in the Old Town, is built inside the Cross Friars Monastery and Church dating back to 1438. Local planning laws dictate that such buildings must be able to be converted back to their former state, so Henk Vos of architecture practice Maupertuus created the colourful contemporary bar, restaurant, three conference rooms and reception area as freestanding wooden, glass and steel structures built within the church but only attached to it for support. The 60 bedrooms are in the former monastery, converted from the monks' cells; many feature wall friezes or have fireplaces. Everywhere the marriage between ancient and modern has been explored and stretched to the limit, with fiercely contemporary interiors featuring the furniture of Corbusier, Starck, Newson, Wanders, Ray and Charles Eames, Rietveld and Piet-Hein Eek. The renowned lighting architect Ingo Maurer has contributed a mesmerising, reflective copper entrance tunnel, light installation sculptures in the quadrangle, and satellites suspended from the chapel ceiling. Locals and tourists alike are quite rightly making the pilgrimage to discover this uniquely Dutch treasure.
WHEN TO GO
Maastricht's annual, five-day carnival at the start of Lent.
ROOM TO BOOK
Room 209, with original stained-glass windows, is the largest suite.
CONTACT
Kruisherengang 1923, Maastricht, Netherlands (00 31 43 329 2020; www.chateauhotels.nl).
COST
Doubles from 294 euros
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