Pillows Grand Boutique Hotel Ter Borch
A(r)rest assured
Hanseatic hotspot
Abiding by its former life as a police station, Pillows Grand Boutique Hotel Ter Borch lays down the law for luxury stays in Zwolle. Its periwinkle-blue exterior gives way to a serene, siren-free setting (wake-up calls are much more courteous now) where the only enforcement is bed rest, sauna relaxation, and elegant Dutch dining. Thanks to drinking den the Living’s 24/7 service, you’re more than welcome to spend the night behind the bar – and free to go on your canal tour or e-bicycle the following day.
Facilities
Rooms
41, including two suites.
Checkout
Noon, but flexible, subject to availability. Earliest check-in, 3pm.
More Details
Rates exclude breakfast, but you can order à la carte options as well as an assortment of pastries, fresh juices and smoothies, and savouries for €34 a person.
Also
There are no specially adapted rooms for guests with mobility issues, and the hotel entrance is not step-free.
Fitness Center
Free Internet Access
Laundry
On-Site Restaurant
Room Service
At the Hotel
Saunas, fitness room, meeting rooms, lounge, e-bikes to hire, charged laundry service, plug adaptors, and free WiFi. In rooms: smart TV, Bluetooth speaker, air-conditioning, minibar, Nespresso machine, and bath products by Pillows Hotels.
Our Favourite Rooms
Bright, airy and minimalist sums up the Pillows bedrooms. Period details are cleverly blended with contemporary comforts in the Grand Deluxe Rooms, which are spread across the older part of the building – as are the Junior Suites, which come with the bonus addition of a giant freestanding bath tub.
Spa
Wellness comes in the form of two infrared saunas, which can be reserved for exclusive use ahead of time (usually €20 an hour, but Smith guests get one free session, which includes a refreshing smoothie). There’s also a compact fitness room if you’re in need of an urban workout.
Packing Tips
A few practical wearables should serve you well (you’ll likely be boarding a canal boat or hopping onto a bicycle at some point during your stay).
Also
Planning a special occasion? Host a dinner party in one of the hotel’s private dining rooms – the larger of which can seat up to 40 guests.
Children
Welcome, but it’s mostly a swish ‘bleisure’ crowd here. Baby-monitoring equipment is available on request.
Gallery
Food & Drink
Top Table
The conservatory tables are bathed in natural light, but it seems a shame not to sit out on the terrace when the weather is fine.
Dress Code
Relaxed tailoring will ease you into Coperto’s casual brunch and corporate dinner scene.
Hotel Restaurant
There’s an indoor-outdoor feel to Coperto Restobar, with its tree-fringed terraces and greenhouse-style setting. The menu draws inspiration from Italy and France, with a few Dutch classics (like local oysters and shrimps, charcuterie from Dalfsen, and Amsterdam-grown onions) thrown in for good measure. If you can’t decide what to order, try one of the tasting menus with paired wines (starting with three courses and going all the way up to seven). Breakfast and light bites (from Holtkamp bitterballen to Zwollenaartje pastries) are served in the Living, a cosy space warmed by a crackling fireplace and open kitchen.
Hotel Bar
Pull up a stool at the oversized marble breakfast bar in the Living and order just about anything you fancy – the extensive drinks menu takes you from day to night with herbal teas, syrup-laced coffees, mocktails, wines, and whiskey.
Last Orders
Breakfast is from 7am to 11am, lunch from noon to 4pm, and dinner from 5pm to 10pm.
Room Service
The hotel offers round-the-clock in-room dining.
Planes
Schiphol (on the outskirts of Amsterdam) is the closest airport, which is just under two hours by car from the hotel. Ask the concierge about airport transfers, which start from €200 each way.
Trains
The hotel is a minute’s walk from Zwolle Centraal, which is directly connected to Amsterdam and Rotterdam (handy for Eurostar travellers). There’s also a regular service to Schiphol airport, which takes around 90 minutes.
Automobiles
Zwolle itself can be explored on foot, but having a car will grant you access to the surrounding Dutch countryside. There are various rentals at the airport and train station, and you can park at the hotel (€17.50 for 24 hours). Charging stations are also available for electric vehicles.
Worth Getting Out of Bed For
The Hanseatic charms of Zwolle have been overlooked for too long by city breakers in favour of Dutch heavyweights like Amsterdam and Rotterdam. Pillows Grand Boutique Hotel Ter Borch puts visitors within a five-minute stroll of Zwolle’s mediaeval centre, with its 600-year-old Sassenpoort (city gate) and towering 14th-century Peperbustoren. Canal boats and cycling tours (e-bikes can be hired from the hotel) are a wonderful way to cover the city’s star-shaped waterways and leafy avenues, lined with historic merchants’ houses, traditional bakeries and chocolate shops. Browse the pretty shop-fronts along the Sassenstraat, or the many market stalls in the Grote Markt (which is particularly magical around Christmas time). If you’re visiting during July, each Wednesday of the month sees Blauwvingerdagen, the largest fair in the Netherlands, take over the city centre. Allocate at least a couple of hours to peruse the church-turned-bookshop Waanders in de Broeren (come for the books, stay for the architecture), and you could easily spend a day getting lost in the Museum de Fundatie – home to a vast visual arts collection, including works by Van Gogh and Picasso, plus a sculpture garden – near Heino village.
Earn or Redeem Points with World of Hyatt
This Mr & Mrs Smith hotel participates in the World of Hyatt loyalty program. As a member, you can earn and redeem points and enjoy exclusive benefits for qualifying nights. .
