Seems like an easy question, but in all honesty there are a million other concepts with corresponding names one might think of.
When you go to new places you always run into locations, people, interiors, drinks and foods that you love and inspire you. You want to take them home with you, put it in a ‘glass box’ in your living room to look at, to remember the great times you had. So you can, even if it is just for a second, be brought back to that one moment in time, that happy moment.
That is exactly what I had in mind when I decided to open a hostel. I wanted to make each room a ‘glass box’ with all my favorites I collected from visiting every continent. The idea for ‘Global’ was born; I would have an Asia room, a South-America room etc.
The good thing is; it takes damn long in Holland to start a new hotel is that you have all the time to think, think, rethink, check, double check and why not… triple check! And one beautiful summer day after a boot ride over the Amstel, we were having a Heineken in the sun with some ‘’bitterballen’’ and the best steak in the country. I realized; I don’t want ‘Global’ when I travel, I want ‘Local’. It’s about my hotel guests, not about me showcasing my ‘best of Saskia’s travels’. They too are travelling and looking for ‘glass box’ moments.
We asked ourselves the simple question: ‘Why do we travel’? ‘What experience do we hope to gain’? With the help of some Heineken beers we spent hours thinking about this and this resulted in the ‘Local’ concept.
Local is our ‘glass box’ of Haarlem and The Netherlands. Everybody that works with us has a story and is from the area. Even all the products you will find are local, from the paint to the door keys, from the cleaner to the furniture. All done by locals, for locals and the rest of the world. We have tried to collect interior design, food and drinks that we find worth sharing.
We hope you will love your experience at our Hostel in Haarlem and that your stay with us will inspire you in some way!
Opening February 2013, Local is a Boutique City Hostel in Haarlem, The Netherlands. But what’s in a name; hotel, guesthouse, bed and breakfast or hostel – Local is just a great place to stay!
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