Press

Last edited on March 5, 2018

My Inspiration

Since I started Blogging in the Dutch language at Weekendhotel Weblog in 2004 and started this Blog in August 2006, both our luxe B&B / hotel Haagsche Suites and this Blog, Happy Hotelier have been very fortunate to receive mentions and/or referrals in various media:

The Press Page of the blog “Passion of a Zealot” by Andrew Calvo that was deleted in the meatime, inspired me to create this page, as it is good practice and polite in Blogistan to thank referrers where and whenever possible.

T-List

On March 2, 2007 the ball really started rolling: Then Mathieu Ouellet published the first version of the T-List, the Travel/Tourism Bloggers List which was replicated thereafter many times. I don’t think it will be feasible to repeat all mentions that occurred thereafter by replication of the T-List posts, apart from several special occasions. See for a short overview my T-List and L-List page.

What others wrote about Haagsche Suites and Happy Hotelier:

Please note this is an ongoing process (WIP or Work in Progress) of trying to tie up the loose ends and filling the gaps.

• December 31, 2009: Miss Expatria has a crush on me:-) She’s changed the style of her blog and is now using the theme I’ve used for a long time.
• December 13, 2009: Nomadic Matt whom I guided around The Hague when he passed The Hague mentioned that I inspired him for a post…(oops my post about that encounter still has to flow from my sleeve)
• November 29, 2009 (date I discovered it): Blogrolled by As Cascatas Vilamoura Golf Resort and Spa.
• November 29, 2009 (date I discovered it): Blogrolled by Dubai based Bonnington Tower.
• November 6, 2009: My fellow editor at the Dutch Weekend Hotel blog got me :-).
• November 5, 2009: Katie of Trip Base attempted to get me involved to disclose my 3 travel secrets, but alas, Katie, I was too much involved in other things to deliver a worthy contribution and now [March 2010] I believe it is too long ago.
• August 3, 2009: And Alexandros Paraskevas over at A Space of Possibilities deemed P. Ling’s post worthy enough for inclusion in his blog.
• July 6, 2009:: Eat Me Daily found my post about AVL’s human slaughterhouse
• July 6, 2009:: Ahem Agathon12 wrote a nice note about this blog on Delicious:
  

  Oh! Stumbled upon this chap and his boutique upmarket hotel (three suites!) in Den Haag. Delightful blog and utterly lux. “hotel”. Very special. Robbie, take note and promote! Here is my review that I posted on stumbleupon: {…} Dazzling! An utterly delightful blog authored by a debonair hotelier (Guido van den Elshout) who owns a luxurious boutique hotel (the Haagsche Suites) in Den Haag, Holland. He educates and charms his readership with intelligence grace wit and good humour. A must read and RSS for people who travel and love unique and lovely hotel properties in Europe. In the current blog Gesa Noormann discusses Escapio – “a booking website with a selection of hand picked (upmarket) hotels ” whereupon she chats about her work, recommends hotels, and offers sound travel advice. Since this was my business for many years (albeit in the Caribbean) , I can give this blog a very enthusiastic two thumbs up ! Right. I believe I’ve quite run out of superlatives. /;-> {…}

  Curious to get to know Agathon12:-)
  Added: Found her Stumble Page Dazzling Diana.

• April 22, 2009:: Yay! Ginni McGraht of the respected UK Times Online deemed me worthy a link in 10 hottest online travel trends. Thanks Ginny!
• April 6, 2009:: Linked here by Donna Hull of My Itchy Travel Feet who liked her 10 Questions For
• April 6, 2009:: Mentioned in Europe A la Carte’s Europe Travel Carnival: Europe Travel Carnival 6 April, 2009
• April 3:: Eurocheapo linked here, liking the 10 Questions For co founder Tom Meyer
• April 5, 2009: Linked by Kurt Akkerman of Afrika Tourism Blog who wraps up ITB09
• March 31, 2009 (date I noticed it): Wow! Blogrolled by Barbara de Lollis USA Today Hotel Check-in who succeeds Kitty Bean Yeancy with a new blog “Hotel Check-in” that replaces Kitty’s
• March 26, 2009 (date I noticed it):: Blogrolled by I Love Springfield, Mo!.
• March 24, 2009 (date I noticed it):: Blogrolled by Kosmoplight.
• March 19, 2009:: Linked by Travel Savvy Mom in It’s All about Community.
• March 15, 2009: Joobili’s Recap of ITB09 Berlin.
• March 11, 2009:: Goetz Primke linked here in his German language Le Gourmand Blog.
• March 5, 2009 (date I noticed it):: Blogrolled by Dynamic Frontiers.
• March 2, 2009:: Linked by Blackbook Magazine: Meet the Twitchhiker.
• February 27, 2009:: Although I didn’t succeed in getting him in Haagsche Suites The Twitchhiker kindly mentioned my offer and why he had to refuse it in Going Against the Grain.
• February 25, 2009:: Linked in Gastgewerbe Gedankensplitter re LP Awards.
• February 8, 2009:: Linked by FishHawk (Villa Cassell).
• January 29, 2009:: Via Blog Burst in the Interview with Northern Californian Travel Writer Nancy D. Brown.
• December 20, 2008:: Blogrolled by Tourism About.
• December 16, 2008:: Tumblrd by Doppelgangers | Tumblr.
• December 15, 2008:: Blogrolled by Jaimechicheri’s E Commerce and Revenue Management. Since he moved from Blogspot to his own hosted blog (El Blog de Jaime L Chicheri),  the link disapeared from his blogrol.
• December 12, 2008:: Blogrolled by Lucy Huxley.
• December 6, 2008:: My friend at Euro Cheapo liked my Venetian Wakeboarding Post.
• December 5, 2008:: Lara Dunston reiterated interest for her 10 questions for interview in In Print and on the Road.
• December 4, 2008: Chicago Sum Times vio BlogFlux: Fort Knox (2008) | Sietze Kalkwijk.
• December 2, 2008: Blogrolled by Globetrotting Bride. Hm I should do more with our specality: The Honeymoon Suites.
• Somewhere in December, 2008:: Blogrolled by the Dutch Weblog | Reismanagers (i.e. Dutch Travel Managers’ Blog), probably because they discovered I’m speaking at Ifitt’s Enter2009 in Amsterdam, January 30, 2009.
• November 9, 2008:: Gary Arndt mentions his Happy Hotelier Interview.
• November 9, 2008:: Afrika Tourism liked its Ranking.
• November 3, 2008:: Mrs Mecomber likes my newest T-List Ranking.
• November 3, 2008:: Delicious Baby likes her 20th position on the Newest T-List.
• November 3, 2008:: Linked: Tam Talks to Happy Hotelier by Anthony of the Mr & Mrs Smith Blog.
• October 29, 2008:: Jen Leo of the LA Times Daily Travel and Deal Blog picked up my pointer to the 50 best Budget Hotels of the UK Telegraph in Roundup:Emirates offers nonstop service LAX-Dubai; AmEx Business Travel to launch social network.
• October 20, 2008:: Linked by Travel News Roundup by John Rambow, one of the contributors to the Newsweek Budget Travel Magazine’s Blog Budget Travel.
• October 19, 2008:: Blogrolled by my Trendhunter friend Kentucky Baby Boomer Going like Sixty. Look for his amazing Trendhunter Portfolio at: Trendhuter|Going Like 60.
• October 19, 2008:: Jorge, author of the Buenos Aires Hostel Colonial Blog Hostel Buenos Aires Blogspot liked me mentioning his second win in a row of the 2008 Blogger’s Choice Award in the “travel” category.
• October 16, 2008:: Via Blog Burst in the Herald News Online: My post 10 Questions (10) For: Shannon Hurst Lane, another Traveling Mamma.
• September 3, 2008: Linked by Kiwi Writer of Write to Travel Blogspot.
• August 28, 2008: Linked by Hotel Talk.
• August 23, 2008:: Linked in a post by Traveling Mamas is now listed on Alltop [had to change the url as the post disappeared].
• August 23, 2008:: Quoted in:10 things that anoy us about Hotels: Oh, yes there’s more…. – by Lara Dunston of Cool Travel Guide.
• August 22, 2008:: Blogrolled by Felicia of This Time in Seoul.
• August 21, 2008:: Linked: I’m Famous! – by Barbara Weibel of Hole in the Donut, who I had asked my 10 Questions for:
• August 21, 2008:: Quoted in:10 Things that annoy us about hotels no 10: Check in and check out times and never the twain shall meet… – by Lara Dunston of Cool Travel Guide.
• August 20, 2008:: Linked: The Happy Hotelier Interviews a travel writer who is perfectly happy to chatter away about herself…woops that’s me – by Lara Dunston of Cool Travel Guide, who I had asked my 10 Questions for:.
• August 20, 2008:: Linked: Carnival of Cities, this time by Sheila Scarborough, one of the presently 4 writers of Perceptive Travel Blog.
• August 17, 2008:: “Live Journalled” by Miss Expatria on her Miss Expatria | Live Journal.
• August 13, 2008: Blogrolled: Alex Bainbridge of Musings on Travel E-Commerce by Alex Bainbridge.
• August 11, 2008:: Linked: We Rate Vacations: The Daily Travel Wire.
• August 8, 2008: Blogrolled: Maco Caribbean Living.
• August 4, 2008:: Linked: Travel Chatter: What’s Hot on the Net – by Kelly Goodman, one of the threesome of Travellious.
• July 16, 2008:: Linked: Tuesday News Dump – by Miss Expatria of Miss Expatria.
• July 11, 2008:: Linked: The Daily travel Wire: The Bull Run, Rock Jumping and Sucking on an Ice Cream Cone – by We Rate Vacations
• July 8, 2008:: Reviewed: Live Journal – by Sushis | Live Journal
  

  …I came across another blog that excites me more than it should: The Happy Hotelier. The Happy Hotelier blogs from the Netherlands, and focuses on European hotels. Even though I have no plans to visit Europe in the near future, just reading about hotels, and, more, looking at pictures of them, awakens parts of my psyche perhaps better left dormant.
  In addition to his blog posts, he also provides a mouth-watering list of weekend hotels and unusual hotels.
  Ooh, also found this bit of travel porn, which the Happy Hotelier linked to : 10 Insanely Beautiful Hotels Worth Traveling For

  I quoted a lot here, because it’s great to get a rave occasionally.

• July 5, 2008:: Linked: Doutzen Kroes Photos – by Nice Star Wallpaper.
• July 5, 2008:: Blogrolled by Miss Expatria
• June 30, 2008:: Commented: I’m not a Grey Travel Blogger Happy Hotelier – Karen Bryan of Europe A La Carte Blog. Oops: faux pas!
• May 22, 2008:: Blogrolled: Smith Travel Blog The Mr & Mrs Smith one.
• January 6, 2008:: Quoted by Sean Dodson of the Guardian in The Best Net Tips| Travel
• December 2007:: Rated: Top 125 Elite Choice, Elites choice of top blogs. Thank you Elite Choice.
• April 4, 2007: T-Listed byAlberto Duran Mittel
• March 2, 2007:: This entry marks the start of the T-List, a list of Travel Blogs: The T-List is started – Travel/Tourism Bloggers List – Mathieu Ouellet of Radar, Internet Strategy for Tourism and Travel Industry.
• March 1, 2007:: Interviewed: Interview with Guido van den Elshout of Haagsche Suites– Paul Johnson of A Luxury Travel Blog.
• September 8, 2006:: Reviewed: Happy Hotelier – Paul Johnson of A Luxury Travel Blog.
• August 2, 2006:: Reviewed: Special Feature: Haagsche Suites The Hague The Netherlands – Paul Johnson of A Luxury Travel Blog.
• April 8, 2006:: Commented: Luxury hotel gets a dash of panache – Claire Wrathall Financial Times. The article is about Des Indes, but the quote in the penultimate paragraph is: …there’s a lot to like about Des Indes. It may not have quite the charm of the Haagsche Suites, hitherto the only truly desirable accommodation in The Hague….
• January 18, 2004:: Review of Haagsche Suites: The Hague: The Girl with a Pearl Earring is winning hearts at the movies. She’s lovelier still in person, says Sean Newsom – Sean Newsom, Sunday Times.