choose Prinsenhof if history and a hidden garden appeal to you; opt for INK Hotel if you're after design and a rooftop view; Schimmelpenninck Huys or City Hotel deliver dependable comfort in the centre; Corps Hotel De Nederlanden on Oosterstraat suits those wanting character close to the nightlife; and NH Groningen works well for station convenience and modernist architecture. Reserve well ahead of Eurosonic in January and KEI week in August, and always check which side of the building your room faces.
Groningen has no sprawling five-star resorts. What it offers instead is a bed fifty metres from a canal in a merchant’s house that has stood since the Golden Age, or a room in a converted newspaper factory with the Martini tower needling up through your curtains. Here is where the money is actually well spent.
The Grande Dame: Hotel Prinsenhof
If you want one splurge, make it this one. Hotel Prinsenhof, tucked behind Martinikerkhof in the historic heart, occupies a former bishop’s residence with a walled garden, the Prinsentuin, that most visitors to Groningen never know exists. Rooms have creaky floors and high ceilings, and they are unapologetically old-fashioned in the best way: canopy beds, oak beams, the kind of bathtub you will actually use. In summer the garden restaurant opens, one of the few places in the centre where you can eat dinner and hear birds instead of bar chatter. Expect to pay somewhere in the €150–250 range depending on room and season. That is not cheap, but you are paying for a building with genuine history, not a chain renovation.
The Design Statement: INK Hotel Groningen
For something with more edge, INK Hotel lives inside the old Nieuwsblad van het Noorden printing house near Gedempte Kattendiep, part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection. The bones of the building (the presses, the ink, the newsroom energy) are baked into the design: exposed concrete, typewriter motifs, and a rooftop bar with one of the better skyline views in the city, Martini tower included. Pick it if you want your stay to feel curated as well as comfortable. Rates typically run €130–220, and weekend nights during festivals climb fast, so book ahead.
The Reliable Middle: Schimmelpenninck Huys and City Hotel
Not everyone wants a concept. Sometimes you just want a clean, well-run room two minutes from the action. Schimmelpenninck Huys near Oosterstraat is the classic mid-range choice: a cluster of connected old townhouses turned into a proper hotel, popular with business travellers during the week and couples at weekends, generally €90–140 a night. City Hotel Groningen, closer to Gedempte Kattendiep, plays a similar role. It is unglamorous but dependable, and genuinely central, which in this compact city matters more than any amenity list. From either, the Grote Markt, the Folkingestraat shops and the nightlife strip around Poelestraat are a short, flat walk. You won’t need a taxi; this is bicycle-and-boots territory.
The Boutique Corner: Corps Hotel De Nederlanden
Right on Oosterstraat, one of the buzziest little streets around, packed with bars and record shops, you'll find Corps Hotel De Nederlanden. It is a smaller boutique spot with individually styled rooms that offer a bit more character than the mid-range chains. It suits people who want to stumble out of a bar and straight up a staircase, and who accept some street noise as the trade-off for sitting in the middle of the Oosterstraat evening scene. Expect room rates in the €100–160 range.
The Practical Choice: NH Groningen and the Station-Side Options
For architecture nerds and anyone who values a good breakfast buffet over atmosphere, NH Hotel Groningen occupies part of the former De Ploeg textile factory complex near the railway station, a building with real design pedigree in Dutch modernist circles. It is a five-minute walk from Groningen Centraal, which helps if you arrive late or leave early, and it plays the international-chain role well: reliable rooms, a gym, a decent breakfast, rates around €100–160. Nearby, budget options such as ibis Groningen Centre and the smaller Asgard Hotel suit travellers who want a clean bed for €65–95 and little else. They are fine choices if you would rather spend your money on the city than on the room.
What Tourists Get Wrong
- Underestimating festival weekends. Eurosonic Noorderslag in January, the summer’s Bevrijdingsfestival and King’s Day weekend can sell the whole city out weeks in advance. Book early or you’ll end up in Assen.
- Ignoring KEI week. In mid to late August thousands of new students arrive for introduction week, hotel prices spike and the centre stays loud until very late. The energy is lovely, unless you wanted quiet.
- Overpaying for “centre” hotels that aren’t. Groningen’s real centre is small enough to cross on foot in fifteen minutes. Don’t pay a premium for “walking distance to Grote Markt” when almost everything is.
- Forgetting the bike. Most hotels here have secure bike storage, and many can arrange a rental for the day. It is the best way to see the city, and cheaper and faster than any taxi.
- Booking near Nieuwstad expecting quiet. Rooms overlooking the red-light windows or the late-night bar strips are atmospheric but far from silent. Ask for a courtyard-facing room if you are a light sleeper.