Yhe penultimate facelift dates from 2012 and yet entrepreneur found Emile Gassler it is already time to give its own Boutique Hotel Corona at the Buitenhof a whole new atmosphere. The reason is the expansion from 36 to a whopping 72 rooms. "Quite an operation on this postage stamp," explains the friendly Hague 'hobby hotelier' over a cup of coffee in the indoor restaurant B.I.T. "We have added two floors on the middle block and at the back, not visible from the street and completely in-house."

Even between the old outer walls, everything is new: the halls have given way to extra rooms, old rooms have been rearranged and every vacant square metre has been put to optimal use. However, a maze the old complex is still. "It took me a long time to know my way around; we will make that easier with good signage," promises Gassler.

Works by Klimt, Mondrian and Michelangelo hang in the rooms. If you like a work, you can reorder it.

Since the demolition hammer was going to be taken in hand anyway, he and his regular construction team decided to introduce a new style, with art as the guiding principle. "The old interior was not catchy enough," Gassler explains.

Museum Quarter

"You have to try to give guests sleeping at Boutique Hotel Corona something to take away with them, a story they can pass on. Brainstorming, we came up with the idea of dressing up the rooms with replicas of works of art. Miniatures hang in the corridors. We're close to the Museum Quarter here and now it's like walking through a museum here too."

The selection of the 72 paintings is modern and classical, but not every artist was considered. "We chose artists that everyone in the world knows, such as Klimt, Mondrian and Michelangelo. If you like a work, you can even reorder it, after which it will be delivered to your home anywhere in the world. An extra treat we have attached to the stay."

The lobby retains the atmosphere of the old Corona

Time to take a look around the rooms. Director Mariëlle van der Hilst leads the way towards The Hague's "oldest lift". "Here in the lobby, the atmosphere of the old Corona has been preserved," she says. Upstairs, Van der Hilst opens the new Rembrandt room overlooking the Passage. From above the bed, the gentlemen of the Amsterdam militia stare at you.

'The Night Watch' here is not as large as the original, but is still penetrating due to the glossy coating. "It is precisely this modern touch on such a classic painting that I really like," says the director.

'The bed and bathroom should be top notch. Well, they did'

Except for the central artwork, all rooms have the same look with deep green accents, rich materials and smooth floors. A deliberate choice: "As we have many returning guests, we want them to feel equally at home in every room." Gassler adds: "You want two things: the bed and the bathroom have to be top-notch. Well, we succeeded."

Guests are not lacking in comfort. Blinds for the windows ensure privacy without obstructing the view, and thanks to individual climate control, the rooms are comfortable for everyone. "And everywhere you can sleep either together or separately; very simple things that are essential for the fine experience." Van der Hilst: "Not for nothing are the rooms spacious."

Boutique Hotel Corona

The way back to the lobby of Boutique Hotel Corona leads past an old telephone from the days when the hotel belonged to Freddy Heineken. "We treasure those," says Gassler, who took over the hotel as a 'hobby' from the beer magnate in 1992. "He, like me now, got involved in the hotel right down to the curtains." Then laughing: "But there is also a big difference: Freddy received here, as he called the ladies, his 'nieces'. I won't go that far." By the end of 2020, all the rooms will be ready. "After that, we want to continue upstairs and add six more rooms. Plenty of plans."

www.corona.nl