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World’s first sandcastle hotels now open in the Netherlands
Published November 05, 2015
One hotel is decorated like a true Medieval castle. (ZandHotel/Global PowWow)
It may be the end of the summer but if you’re still dreaming of a beach holiday, consider a trip to the Netherlands.
In celebration of the annual sculpture festivals next month in the Dutch cities of Sneek and Oss—which attract over 50,000 visitors annually—event organizers Global PowWow created two pop up hotels made out of sand.
Each property, known as Zand Hotels, contain one fully furnished suite with a king size bed, soft carpet, windows, electricity, and even a luxurious bathroom with rain shower. Guests will enjoy a complimentary bottle of prosecco upon arrival, a personal guided tour of the sand festival sculptures and a European style breakfast delivered right to the room.
The hotel room in Oss is inspired by a medieval castle with carefully carved towers. In Sneek, sand artists were inspired by the legendary China's Terracotta Army warriors, designed for that country's first emperor, Qin Shi Huang.
Global PowWow is known for their ice and sand sculptures, and each medium poses unique challenges.
“It was quite a challenge initiator Alec Messchaert and owner of Global PowWow said. “Sand has a lot more restrictions than ice, so we had to be very creative in finding the perfect balance between creating a magical sand-room, but also a safe and comfortable environment for our guests.”
The castles were built by sculptors over a four week period. And you don’t have to worry about them crumbling. Each room is structured from thin walls and the sand is artfully crafted around to ensure it won’t crumble on guests.
An overnight stay in one of these hotels will set you back about $168 a night—but they were fully booked within a week. However, Messchaert told FoxNews.com that there have been a couple cancellations recently so curious sand-lovers still have a chance to spend a night in a real life sandcastle.
Due to the popularity of the event, a sandcastle hotel could even be coming to a city near you.
“We have been approached by various parties around the world, that are interested in hosting a SandHotel” says Messchaert.
“We were already planning to bring the SandHotel to our festivals in the United Kingdom and Germany, but it looks like we are going on an unexpected world tour.”
The SandHotel in Oss is open through Oct. 4 while the property in Sneek is open until Oct. 20.
https://www.foxnews.com/travel/worlds-first-sandcastle-hotels-now-open-in-the-netherlands