The Hunfeld has a story, and we’re excited you’re here to find out more about us. We’ll keep it short so that you won’t get bored...
The Hunfeld is a hotel with a difference, we’re not a fan of stock-standard things, so if you’re after a ‘dime a dozen’ kind of a hotel, then we’re not the place for you. When you come and stay with us, you’ll experience our personalised service, we’ll treat you like a friend, and we’ll do all we can to give you that WOW-experience.
In fact, we all run this place but...
The Hunfeld belongs to two passionate hospitality experts, Paul and Hans. They were both born and bred in Utrecht, and they don’t just want to share their love for Utrecht with each other but also with everyone else through their unique boutique hotels. They carefully choose small, passionate teams who live and breathe hospitality, and who will do everything in their power to ensure guests have an unforgettable stay.
The building The Hunfeld is in, has had pride of place on De Mariaplaats square since the 1900s. In 1895, two gentlemen by the names of Grove & Hunfeld opened the first men’s fashion store here with the name ‘De Dom’. The shop was known as a ‘fine store for gentlemen’s and young men’s items, and custom-made clothing’.
After 75 years, the store had to close down due to the arrival of the first ‘mall’ in The Netherlands, Hoog Catharijne, and because they lost their edge. The store shut its doors for the final time on the 31st of December 1974.
In the late 70s one of the most progressive record stores in The Netherlands found a home in the building: Kareltje. These days, the ground floor is once again home to a men’s clothing store.
The Hunfeld is located on a square called De Mariaplaats, surrounded by cool little shops and hip places to eat. This centuries-old square in Utrecht is steeped in history. The square is named after the Maria church that used to be there. Back in the day, each square in Utrecht was designated to host different kinds of markets, so that was also the case for De Mariaplaats. In 1391, it became a market square and different wares where sold here through the years, it’s been a market for general wares, a cattle market, a fabric market and a fruit market.
These days you will find the St. Maria water pump on our doorstep, which was placed on the square in 1844 to supply fresh drinking water to the public. People came from far and wide to collect a bucket of water, as well as other things. The water was said to be the best drinking water in The Netherlands. Not long after that, The Netherlands began laying down pipes to supply the entire country with drinking water, so the St. Maria pump was eventually removed. Thankfully, the pump was returned in 1975 and named a state monument, and to this day you can come and get a delightfully refreshing sip of water here!
The square is also home to the Utrecht Conservatorium, a beautiful building where talented musicians meet every day. If you’re lucky, they might have a window or two open during their classes: a free concert for you! And don’t forget to take a selfie with the giant Miffy statue that’s also on the square.
We passionately care about our environment and want to keep Utrecht beautiful, so we make sure we use sustainable products and procedures. You’ll find ‘The Good Roll’ toilet paper in our hotel, we separate our rubbish and recycling, and we use environmentally friendly cleaning products and toiletries. When we renovated the building, we used sustainable materials, and our heating and electricity are energy efficient.
