The new Teaching Hotel Chateau Bethlehem in Maastricht, the Netherlands, displays a unique charm knitted into the contemporary renovation. Carpeted by DESSO, the welcoming interior spaces of the renovated castle – bar, restaurant, conference room – expect guests from all over the world. Staying at this hotel means not only a place to rest and a cosy ambiance, but also a lesson about creative management, international tourism and leading design.

The 26-bedroom hotel is managed by students from the Hotel Management School, Maastricht – part of Zuyd University. The photos taken by charlie.laidlaw show us a glimpse of the hotel’s charm. A collaborative effort of top Dutch designers, architects and artists created this hotel: hotel rooms were designed by Piet Hein Eek, Studio Job, Richard Hutten, Evelyne Merkx, Jurgen Bey, Fleur Muris and Marcel van Neer, D/Dock (Francesco Messori and Martijn Jans) and Gerben van der Molen of Stars Design; the Bar was designed by Bart Hagevoort and Leon de Lange designed the restaurant; the meeting areas were designed by Luc Coenegracht, and Bart Vos worked on the public areas. Each of them can pride themselves on this exceptional project.