Growing up in the hotel you’ll one day take over

Some hotels are managed. Others are lived in. Landgoed Groot Warnsborn belongs firmly to the latter. Set on the edge of Arnhem, where the city quietly dissolves into 750 hectares of forest, this is a place guests come to slow down. For Jante and Gjalt de Vries, it was simply home. 

Quite literally. They grew up in the chapel next to the hotel, with the estate as their backyard, the corridors as familiar ground, and their parents, Lammert and Sjoukje, always somewhere nearby. Not as people who “owned a hotel,” but as parents who showed, day after day, what hospitality really means. Hard work, attention to detail, resilience, but above all: seeing people. 

A childhood shaped by nature and hospitality 

Walk through Groot Warnsborn today and you’ll see English terrace gardens, a stately manor house, a long tree-lined driveway, and forest stretching as far as the eye can see. But behind that calm lies a story of constant movement. Over 36 years, Lammert and Sjoukje transformed the estate into what it is today: 40 rooms, Restaurant La Belle Source, Brasserie De Bron, and a reputation that reaches far beyond Arnhem. For Jante and Gjalt, that world was never abstract. They witnessed the highlights, but also the pressure behind the scenes. The financial strain following a major renovation, the years when even a simple vacation wasn’t a given. It taught them something no hospitality school can fully capture: that true quality is not only found in refined cuisine or beautiful interiors, but in consistency, especially when things are not easy. 

A new generation, without the need for big statements 

Since 2024, Jante and Gjalt have officially taken the lead. From January 1, 2026, their parents step back, at least on paper. In reality, the connection remains. In a family business like this, stepping away is never absolute. What makes this transition remarkable is its quiet confidence. No radical reinvention, no abrupt shift in identity. Instead, the next generation refines. The guest experience evolves subtly, sustainability is strengthened with a Green Key Gold certification, spaces are reimagined, and the team receives even more attention and appreciation. Gjalt is present on the floor, approachable and intuitive in his interaction with guests and staff. Jante brings focus and precision, shaping the atmosphere, the aesthetic, and the overall experience. Together, they create a balance that feels natural rather than constructed. As they put it themselves, they have never truly argued. It sounds almost unlikely, until you realize that Groot Warnsborn has never been about individual ambition, but about shared purpose. 

Why you feel it as a guest 

For guests, the essence of Groot Warnsborn lies in the details. A quiet walk through the forest before breakfast. Morning light falling over the gardens as you start your day. Dinner at La Belle Source, where Chef Niek Bezuijen works with ingredients from the estate itself, honey from on-site beehives, herbs grown just steps from the kitchen. A glass of their own sparkling wine, De Bruisende Barones, adding a personal touch to the experience. When Groot Warnsborn was named Estate of the Year at the European Hotel Awards in 2025, it did not feel like a standalone achievement, but like a defining family moment. Jante and Gjalt surprised their parents with the trip to Lithuania, revealing only at the airport what awaited them. A gesture that perfectly captured the spirit of the estate: thoughtful, personal, and rooted in connection.