The Limburger, August 25, 2025 By Annelies Hendrikx, Photos by Rob Oostwegel Translated by Ineke Hotel Derlon in Maastricht is being renovated, and Pierre Rieu is involved in everything: "We're really going to tackle everything." There were certainly rivals, from the Arab world, Turkey, and China, but Hotel Derlon will remain in Maastricht hands. Seller Benoit Wesly and buyer Pierre Rieu look back and forward. Wesly: "I've spent more time here than in my bed." Rieu: "This must become the best hotel again, with the most beautiful location." Their families are closely related: Pierre Rieu (44) has known Benoit Wesly (80) for as long as he can remember. Pierre's great-grandmother was "our grandma" to Benoit. Wesly has been in the hotel business his entire adult life; Rieu played "little hotel" as a child. "My mother recently told me about how, as a little boy, I stood behind a reception desk, welcoming guests. There's still a photo of me behind the bar at a hotel in Germany where we were on vacation. I was helping out; I was eight years old at the time." Wesly had been looking for a buyer for the Derlon Hotel on Onze Lieve Vrouweplein for three years. That was quite complicated, because he had sold the building in Maastricht's city center to a group of investors ten years ago. He continued to run the business himself, a total of 39 years. "Stop it, I've spent more time here than in my bed." Biggest Mistake But he now calls that separation of operations and real estate the biggest mistake he ever made. The building's owners would have been so easily won over by a sheikh from Dubai or a businessman from China. Not Wesly. "I still had the right of first refusal and I really pushed back. No way, I politely blocked them. I really wanted it to stay Maastricht-like." Pierre Rieu invited Benoit Wesly to lunch; they often eat together. This time, they chose a vegan restaurant, a favorite of vegetarian Rieu: "Benoit never forgave me for that, haha!" At the end of that conversation, Rieu casually asked Wesly if he knew of any hotels for sale. "I'll sell you Derlon," he said. "From that moment on, I wanted to sell it to Pierre at all costs. He reminds me of myself. He's also a fighter with a lot of energy. Plus, a true, thoroughbred entrepreneur." Glory Days It's the day after the Israeli embassy announced its intention to dismiss Benoit Wesly as Israel's honorary consul, for critical remarks about that country's wartime activities. So Wesly has a lot on his mind; he readily admits it hurts a lot, but says he's feeling "better and better." He then pushes that feeling aside for a moment and reminisces about Derlon's glory days. Where KLM and El Al pilots would regularly stay overnight when they were in the area because it felt like "home." Where European leaders stayed during the 1981 summit. Where many top artists found shelter. "Kojak even slept here, with his lollipop." They're sitting together at a table at Brasserie Louis, named, like the hotel itself, after its first owner, French master chef Louis Derlon, who founded it in 1870. Pierre Rieu won't be changing the hotel's name. The hotel itself, with its fifty dated rooms, is a bit of a letdown. "A shower curtain is really outdated." The hotel is about to undergo a major renovation. "This must become the best hotel again, with the most beautiful location. It already has that location, of course, on perhaps Maastricht's most romantic square." Work is underway on the rest, Rieu writes on a card guests receive upon arrival: "Until then, we hope you feel welcome in our hotel as it is now, and we'd love to hear from you if we can improve anything now." Reviews There has indeed been too little investment, Benoit Wesly readily admits. This was not only his fault, but also the fault of the property owners. "We were selling, of course; you can't do everything at once." The four-star hotel has also received "extremely negative reviews" in recent years. Wesly had a habit of calling guests who left such reviews on sites like TripAdvisor. "And then, upon closer inspection, it usually turned out not to be so bad." Pierre Rieu finds it "kind of nice" that the hotel is being renovated. "Now I can put my own spin on it. We're really going to tackle everything; work is already well underway in the background. Architects and designers are already busy. I'm involved in everything. I'm here every day. I used to hardly ever come into the city center, but now I do every day, which is quite nice, I must say." The courage to think big, for example, by buying a hotel and running it himself, certainly didn't come from a stranger: "Other visitors buy a Schönbrunn Palace magnet for their refrigerators; my father builds replicas." Taking Care of the Worries He doesn't come from the hotel industry, but Rieu is certainly familiar with the concept of hospitality. Twelve years ago, he founded André Rieu Travel, the travel agency that takes care of everything for guests attending his father's Vrijthof concerts: "We accommodate them in 28 hotels in and around Maastricht, including shuttle service. I want to do something similar here, take care of everything and get even closer to the guests. Try to surprise them. Not everyone appreciates a chat at reception, but some guests do; you have to sense that." Just as he himself isn't averse to setting up chairs or cleaning a toilet during the Vrijthof concerts, the entire team surrounding André Rieu and the travel agency is always available. "If a truck with equipment is late, everyone is ready to help unload. People feel comfortable with that; no one leaves, and there's hardly any staff turnover. I want that kind of team here too." Starting with Rob and Mildred Heuts as managers: "I've known for a long time that I wanted to do something like this with them. No offense to the previous director, Jacqueline Verhagen, but I didn't know her. That's a shame for her, but luckily, she's found a great new job at Maison Maastricht. I want to make Derlon a place where people enjoy working and where guests are reluctant to check out." Benoit Wesly: "I'm proud that I was able to sell to Pierre."

De Nieuwe Ster, The New Star: August 26, 2025, by Peter Eberson, Photos: Linkedin Translation: Ineke. Rieu Brings Experienced Hospitality Team to Derlon There was already a suite named after André Rieu, but now the hotel is fully owned by Rieu. To be precise, by Pierre Rieu, since André's son has bought the hotel. And as for the André Rieu suite, "It's staying for now, but I think it will become the Pierre Rieu suite," says André's son. Rob Heuts will run Hotel Derlon together with Mildred Heuts. Following Pierre Rieu's takeover of Hotel Derlon, work is underway to establish an almost entirely new team to put the hotel back on the map. The interior is also being completely overhauled under Rieu's leadership. André's son has since brought in two experienced hospitality professionals to take over the hotel's day-to- day management. Rob and Mildred Heuts, seasoned veterans of the hotel industry, have been the hotel managers of Hotel Derlon since last month. Derlon is no stranger to Rob, having previously served as the hotel's general manager. Pierre Rieu is particularly pleased with the arrival of Rob and Mildred. "Rob is familiar with the hotel, knows his way around Derlon well. I know them both very well, and they are now the pillars to set up the new team. Hospitality is in their DNA—not learned, but innate." Mildred also has a proven track record in the hotel industry. She has worked for Château St. Gerlach, Kruisherenhotel, Carbon Hotel Genk, and Designhotel Maastricht, among others. Together, the couple also ran a Chambres d'Hôtes (Bed and Breakfast) in Provence, France, for three years. With the arrival of Rob and Mildred, Jacqueline Verhagen, who had been manager at Derlon for just two months, had to look for another job. She is now hotel manager at the new Maison Maastricht hotel on Boschstraat. Meanwhile, at Derlon on Onze Lieve Vrouweplein, work is underway on the new Derlon. In the coming months, the hotel will be completely renovated, and all the rooms will be refurbished. This is a great opportunity for Rieu to put his own stamp on the hotel. He's also looking for new staff to help him set up a new chapter for the hotel. Recruitment for staff in service, housekeeping, reception, and kitchen, among others, is well underway. The new team is being mentored by Rob and Mildred, and the staff are also getting a lesson in Maastricht dialect. "They should at least be able to say 'een stökske vlaoj' (a piece of (Limburgish) pie)," says Rieu.

Rob and Mildred Heuts