With the highest bid of 1,7 million euros, Made By Holland bought the Soestdijk Palace and its estate and have plans to turn parts of it into a hotel with an exhibition space.
The palace was home to Princess Juliana and Prince Bernhard for over 60 years but has been vacant since the death of Prince Bernhard in 2004, who was its last occupant.
The palace was used for more than three centuries as a hunting lodge and summer residence for the Dutch royal family. It was also a former military ground with barracks.
The renovation costs for the palace were so high that the government’s only option was to auction it off. A total of 20 parties showed interest in the estate and eventually, three contenders were selected: Eden Soestdijk, Made by Holland and National Ensemble as Buitenplaats Soestdijk. They each received 100.000 euros to develop their plan before the final bid went ahead.
Made by Holland claim the appearance of the palace will not change much. However, they plan to build 14 rooms on the top floor, with an exhibition centre remaining on the ground floor.
Parts of the palace are already being used by various companies and research organisations that use the premises to present their latest innovative projects covering topics such as water management, agriculture and food, design and renewable energy.
They also plan on demolishing the former police barracks so that can build an extra 65 houses for accommodation.
The stables will also be converted into a hospitality centre where it will also house other hotel facilities.