The bathrooms of guesthouse Othmar
The Hotbath taps fit right in with the industrial vibe in the brewery’ - Dirk
Life in the brewery
Where the castle of the Knights of the Teutonic Order once stood in the Commanderieplein in Ootmarsum, the Netherlands, there is now a Twente craft beer brewery. But there is more to do around the Othmar brewery. In addition to a guesthouse, tasting room and beer spa, an inn with 12 rooms, all with a beer-related theme, was introduced here in the summer of 2022. Owner Dirk Heupink: ‘Take the golden mosaic tiles in the Gold Room bathroom - they refer to Othmar Goud, our Bohemian pilsner, one of the first beers we brewed.’
Passport
Who Dirk Heupink (33, married, 3 children), along with his brother-in-law Bart Nijhuis owner of the Brewery, Beer Spa and Herberg Othmar Where Ootmarsum Property type Inn with 12 rooms Particulars Each room has a beer-related theme: from malt to hop and from water to stout, each with a corresponding design Online: www.othmar.eu
It all began as a hobby for Bart, Dirk and his father, Hans. Dirk: ‘My father started brewing beer in 1999. Initially very cautiously, with 10 litres, then 20, then 100; we now brew 2000 litres each time.’ Their brewery Othmar, named after the founder of Ootmarsum King Othmar, has since become a household name in the region and further afield. And just like its namesake, the brewery is continuing to conquer more and more territory. A guesthouse, tasting room and beer spa were opened, and Dirk and brother-in-law Bart recently opened a small-scale hotel named the Othmar Inn. ‘Because the inn is located on the historic Commanderieplein, we built everything in an older style, so it looks like it's been here forever.’
Medieval in a modern jacket
Each room has a beer-related theme
The time of King Othmar is recreated in the interior, but with a more modern twist. Dirk: ‘We worked with an interior designer to create the style of that time, but naturally to today's standards. The King Othmar room is our largest and most luxurious room and is done in the Renaissance style, with lots of red velvet, golden details and a bed shaped like a beer barrel. The spacious bathroom with a bathtub has exuberantly floral tiles and chrome-plated taps from the Hotbath Amice series. The classical design of the taps ties in beautifully with the authentic look of the room.’ The rooms all have a beer-related theme.
The Water Room has bright blue tiles in the shower and a king-size water bed, the Gold Room’s golden mosaic tiles in the bathroom refer to the yellowish-gold liquid, and the Stout Room has large dark grey bathroom tiles, in reference to the dark colour of stout beer. ‘We chose tiles to suit each theme. And to repeat the industrial nature of brewing beer, all the bathrooms, with the exception of the King Othmar Room, are fitted with matt-black wash-hand basins and black chrome Cobber wash-hand basin mixer taps from Hotbath.’ The showers are also fitted with black taps and accessories from the Cobber series. Dirk: ‘You see a lot of old black machine parts in the inn: cogs and lights, for example. The black taps perfectly match this old style but also add a nice contemporary feel.
Close to home
Dirk was immediately impressed with the taps from Hotbath. ‘We involved as many local businesses as possible when we were building the inn, including the supplier of the taps; he recommended the brand because of its good quality. The fact that Hotbath is a Dutch company was also a plus for us. We immediately installed a water purifier to prevent limescale, which works well.’
Does Dirk feel at home surrounded by all these golden beer themes? ‘Oh no, all that gold is a bit much for me. At home, everything is simple but functional, also in the bathroom. As long as the children can get into the bathtub and I can get my shower in, I’m perfectly happy. In the inn, everything is much fancier than in my home.’
Floating in beer
Those who really want to be immersed in beer can head to Othmar Beer Spa, the first in the Netherlands. Dirk: ‘I needed to hold a friend's week, and as a beer lover, I wanted to do something related to beer. I found a beer wellness centre in the Czech Republic, a typical Eastern European business, as it turned out. It was a really fun experience, and as soon as I got home, I sat down with my brother-in-law Bart to see how we could fit something like it into our plans.’ In the meantime, the beer spa has now become a reality, and you can now enjoy a beer bath or a sauna in a beer barrel here in the Netherlands while drinking as many beers as you like. ‘We paid a lot of attention to the details, both in the spa and the bedrooms. We used high-quality products, and the elements match each other beautifully. This is why we also chose black Cobber taps for the spa, and in doing so, the picture is complete.’