Children allowed

Facilities

Health or beauty spa nearby
Electric bicycle charging station
Fitness facilities (surcharge)
Parking
Non-smoking rooms
Air conditioning
Swimming pool
Restaurant
Room service
Terrace
See all facilities

Review Highlights

Pros:
Friendly staff
Great location
Spacious rooms
Cons:
Inconsistent service
Limited breakfast variety
Cold room at check-in

Categories

Cleanliness
8.46
Clean and well-maintained, although some mentioned issues with cold rooms.
Service
9.43
Generally friendly and helpful staff, though some reported negative experiences.
Location
9.47
Excellent location, close to city center and attractions.
Room Quality
8.42
Rooms were described as spacious but experienced some complaints regarding issues.
Amenities
8.95
Decent amenities, though the wellness area was found to be small and outdated.
Value for Money
8.91
Mixed feelings regarding value corresponding to star rating and service quality.
Food and Beverage
8.96
Breakfast variety was average, but positive remarks about overall dining quality.
Overall Experience
9.43
Overall experience was positive despite some logistical issues.
* This sentiment is summarized by AI based on user reviews.
Updated at: 2026-01-16 00:15

Property Description

Luxurious Accommodations and Green Oases
Experience the tranquility of Grand Hotel Karel V's lush gardens and cozy terraces, offering a peaceful retreat in the heart of Utrecht.

Culinary Excellence at Restaurant Karel 5
Indulge in a gastronomic journey at Restaurant Karel 5, where Michelin-starred dishes are served in an elegant setting, promising an unforgettable dining experience.

Wellness and Spa Retreat
Relax and rejuvenate at our gym, wellness center, and spa, ensuring a harmonious blend of comfort and rejuvenation during your stay.

Immerse yourself in the charm of Grand Hotel Karel V and book your stay today to enjoy the perfect blend of luxury, relaxation, and culinary delights.

Important information:

Please note that extra beds are only possible in the Superior Double or Twin Room and in the Superior Suite.

Check-in and check-out hours:
Check-out: 11:00 AM
Airport code: AMS

Property Policies

  • Pets

    Pets are not allowed.

  • Internet

    WiFi is available in the hotel rooms and is free of charge.

  • Parking

    Private parking is possible on site (reservation is not possible) and costs EUR 35 per day.

  • Groups

    When booking more than 9 rooms, different policies and additional supplements may apply.

  • Children and extra bed policy

    Children of any age are allowed.
    Children up to and including 2 years old stay for € 30 per person per night when using an available cot.
    Children up to and including 2 years old stay for € 30 per person per night when using an existing bed.
    Children from 3 years old to 12 years old stay for € 70 per person per night when using an existing bed.
    Children up to and including 12 years old stay for € 70 per person per night when using an available extra bed.
    Any type of extra bed or child's cot/crib is upon request and needs to be confirmed by management.
    Supplements are not calculated automatically in the total costs and will have to be paid for separately during your stay.

Location

Guest Reviews

9
Based on 3005 reviews
Cleanliness: 8.46
Service: 9.43
Location: 9.47
Room Quality: 8.42
Amenities: 8.95
Value for Money: 8.91
Food and Beverage: 8.96
Overall Experience: 9.43
E
Elisabeth • solo_traveller • at
10
2026-05-30 • via Nuitee
J
Jane • couple • gb
8
Pros:

The hotel is beautiful with gorgeous grounds and in an excellent location. The staff are excellent, professional and extremely helpful. The breakfast is good with a wide choice of good quality produce and it's nice to eat outdoors when the weather is fine. Brasserie and bar were good too.

Cons:

The weather was very warm and even on the highest setting the aircon wasn't great. The walk-in shower flooded the bathroom floor irrespective of where the shower head was angled. I was surprised that there was a charge for bottled water in the room as most hotels of this standard provide a couple for free daily.

2026-05-30 • via Nuitee
T
Torsten • couple • de
10
Pros:

Tolles Hotel, tolles Frühstück.

2026-05-29 • via Nuitee
Y
Yumi • couple • jp
8
2026-05-29 • via Nuitee
D
Dr. Leslie Besecke • couple • us
10
Top tier hotel convenient to train and old town with beautiful grounds
Pros:

Luxurious accommodations, beautiful grounds and gardens, excellent location near train and old town, tasty breakfast buffet

Cons:

Dom Tower bells ring every 15 minutes all night which takes some getting used to

2026-05-28 • via Nuitee
M
Marcel • extended_group • ch
9
2026-05-26 • via Nuitee
I
Inês Leite • couple • pt
9
Pros:

Localização ótima! Restaurante no jardim maravilhoso com este tempo fantástico

2026-05-26 • via Nuitee
R
Rahel • couple • ch
10
2026-05-26 • via Nuitee
C
Cristina • family_with_children • es
10
Maravilloso
Pros:

Es cómodo y muy acogedor

Cons:

Todo perfecto, quizás el desayuno algo caro, 35 € por persona.

2026-05-26 • via Nuitee
G
Graham • solo_traveller • nl
8
Beautiful historic hotel with excellent facilities close to the old town centre and railway station
Pros:

Historic setting, close to the old town centre. Ideal for tourism. Good facilities. Excellent breakfast

2026-05-26 • via Nuitee
B
Bella • solo_traveller • de
9
2026-05-26 • via Nuitee
A
Andreas • family_with_children • de
10
Ein sehr schönes Hotel mit behaglicher Atmosphäre.
Pros:

Uns hat die stilvolle und freundliche Atmosphäre des Hotels gefallen. Das Zimmer war toll, mit Blick auf den schönen, parkähnlichen Garten. Das Ambiente im Restaurant (wir waren dort nur zum Frühstück) war ebenfalls beeindruckend. Das Frühstück war von guter Qualität.
Die Lage ist hervorragend, um Utrecht zu Fuß zu erkunden.
Der Wellnessbereich ist nicht groß, aber sehr gepflegt und recht hell mit einer vernünftig heißen Sauna, die allerdings mit Badebekleidung zu nutzen ist.

Cons:

Wir haben nichts wesentliches zu beanstanden.
Den Wellnessbereich kann man vom Haupthaus aus nur über den Garten erreichen. Das ist vielleicht sinnvoll zu wissen. Uns hat es kaum gestört.

2026-05-26 • via Nuitee
P
Philip • couple • be
9
Pros:

ontbijt verbeterd bij laatste bezoek. Uitstekende locatie bij stadscentrum. Personeel heel vriendelijk.

Cons:

Kwaliteit broodjes bij ontbijt kan nog iets beter.

2026-05-26 • via Nuitee
P
PhileasFoggontour • Couples • Medellin, Antioquia Department
8
Lovely hotels, lovely grounds, good food but service has glitches
Pros:

My second visit to the Karel. This time I stayed in the old wing, rather than in the newer rooms. Yes it’s more expensive but it’s money well spent. Only in the main building will you feel the real majesty of the place. The room was large and airy with a wonderful bed. The Brasserie served excellent food (I’d recommend the a la carte rather than the set menus) and on a hot weekend sitting outside with a drink in the property was rather nice. We skipped on the breakfasts, E35 each a night seemed a step too far but I’d suggest the money you spend on the Karel, at least with a weekend stay is worth it.
Service was generally good, although there a couple of beautiful and cool male servers who seemed to believe that I was neither cool or beautiful, but then that’s age my friend.
There are service issues though. There were weddings at the hotel which (presumably the wedding planners had ensured) resulted in a lot of people resources being focused on tasks for those. So when you arrive there’s no suggestion of help with your luggage while you see staff carefully carrying teddy bear presents off to rooms connected to the wedding. Then there was an issue in our room that on one of the hottest days in May ever our in room mini bar wasn’t working. We called for someone to look at it and were told we would need to wait as everyone was busy (more teddy bears?) and eventually when someone arrived they agreed it was dead but that there was nothing that could be done. They would look to see to moving us to another room. They would come back to us. They never did. The next morning we followed up with reception. They made notes and said that someone would look at the problem and get in touch with us. Nothing happened. On check out I mentioned the issue again, in the hope they might fix it before the next guest arrived. Notes were taken, and I was asked if I had reported the issue. Yes I had and some simple solution, like putting an ice bucket in the room might have been a partial solution, but then everyone is so busy.
I also got a message from a company reporting a data leak of my information. It was clearly related to a hotel booking, although the hotel wasn’t mentioned and some investigation on the internet traced it to the system the Karel uses for bookings. I asked about this, wanting confirmation that the leak related to my booking with them. Yes, although there was a long round about conversation about how it wasn’t the hotel, or the hotel’s fault. I disagree, if I book with you directly and you’ve chosen a system that isn’t secure that is your issue. The amount of data leaks coming from travel related companies is getting noticeable. Just shrugging it away isn’t the solution.
In the end it’s a lovely hotel and some of the problems may relate to it being a weekend stay when functions take over hotels. But when you are paying E300 a night for a room without breakfast paying attention to all of your customers needs might be worth thinking about. Perhaps if I had order fifteen teddy bears for our in room fridge the issue might have been resolved?

2026-05-25 • via Tripadvisor
B
Baron Bekaert • couple • be
6
2026-05-25 • via Nuitee
E
Elizabeth • couple • be
8
Double check your credit card payments with this hotel!
Pros:

Excellent location and friendly staff

Cons:

We were, very unfortunately, double charged for our stay. This was paid via Booking.com before our arrival. However, upon our arrival, reception asked us for a credit card, supposedly only as a guarantee, assuring us that our card would not be charged. After leaving, we found out that they had, in fact, double charged us for our stay. We called the hotel and they admitted a mistake had been made and that our credit card would be duly reimbursed. Many days later and despite seceral phone calls made and emails sent about the matter, this simply has not happened yet. Whilst mistakes can unfortunately happen, they need to be swiftly rectified, especially at a hotel at this level so we have found their service deeply disappointing and frustrating, to say the least.

2026-05-25 • via Nuitee
彩子 • solo_traveller • jp
9
素晴らしい体験
Pros:

ユトレヒト駅や旧市街へのアクセス良好。
スタッフも感じが良く、アーリーチェックインにも快く応じていただきました。
部屋は広くインテリアも素敵で、ベットの寝心地が最高でした。
また料金に含まれている朝食もとても美味しく、満足度のたいへん高い滞在になりました。

Cons:

特になし

2026-05-24 • via Nuitee
M
Michel • couple • ch
8
2026-05-24 • via Nuitee
E
Esmée • couple • nl
10
2026-05-24 • via Nuitee
E
Elke • solo_traveller • de
10
2026-05-24 • via Nuitee