Our Stay at Efteling Bosrijk
As of winter 2025, the Efteling theme park resort in Kaatsheuvel, Netherlands, offers four different on-property resorts with the capacity for overnight accommodations - Efteling Loonsche Land, Efteling Bosrijk, the Efteling Wonder Hotel and the Efteling Grand Hotel. Of these four, we’ve been fortunate enough to stay at two; the more luxurious Efteling Wonder Hotel and the more cost-effective Efteling Bosrijk. When we booked our stay at Efteling Bosrijk, I will admit that we were mostly thinking about ways to save on an extended stay within walking distance of one of the best theme parks in the world. However, after checking in, we discovered that there’s much more to love about this rustic property than proximity and affordability. So what is it about this themed resort that so warms the heart and awakens Efteling’s magic for so many families?
It all starts with the atmosphere. When we arrived at the doorstep of Bosrijk’s Receptie (Reception), we were greeted first by decorative topiaries trimmed to resemble classic fairy-tale characters. A few paces further onto the property, the Poorthuys building towered like a castle over us, with a grand circular “portal” giving way to a brilliant view of the lake at ground level. That lake, which we would later learn is surrounded on all sides by rustic cabins and lodges away from all of the hustle and bustle of the park, is also home to the Sandman’s castle, and the whole of the resort is thought of as the home of Klaas Vaak (Mr. Sandman) himself. You see, Efteling is heavily integrated into a natural, forested environment directly adjacent to a major nature reserve. With only 11% of the land categorized as “buildable”, the profit-hungry might have packed as much development as possible into that space. Instead, Efteling’s savvy leadership chose instead to make the undeveloped land part of their story…the Sandman stands as a protector of the forest and all its inhabitants, and occasionally he even comes out to greet families and tell stories from the wild.
Above: The sandcastle in the middle of the lake at Efteling Bosrijk is home to Klaas Vaak or "Mr. Sandman".
We were never onsite when Klaas Vaak was scheduled to appear, but we did encounter his trusty owl at reception. Oehoe Houdoe, pronounced "Yoo Hoo How Doo” as a gentle nod to his friendly nature, is a meetable character who appears on a scheduled basis during the early morning and early afternoon at Bosrijk. And although he also goes by the nickname “Hoot Hoot” for American travelers, I would be remiss if I did not publicly distinguish him from the Pokemon of the same name. Oehoe was there to welcome us as we checked and stored our bags before printing our park tickets and heading out to Efteling for the day, after being kind enough to remind us that we could enter the park on our check-in and check-out days.
Like all of Efteling’s resort and hotel properties, Efteling Bosrijk is mere steps away from the front entrance of the Efteling theme park - as two adults with mid-sized strides, our walk was approximately seven (7) minutes. We spent most of the day taking in the sights and sounds of one of the world’s best theme parks…including but not limited to an attraction (Fabula) that features Klaas Vaak and Oehoe Houdoe as central characters, continuing the story that was set into motion by our first steps into the resort. This is, in effect, what makes the Efteling resorts so magical for children, families and children at heart across the board. The Efteling celebrates the magic in stories, big and small, and when you stay at a resort like Bosrijk, you become a part of that story. What’s more, guests of the Efteling resort hotels - Bosrijk included - are able to access the park approximately thirty minutes before the gates open to day guests, which means that your story begins that much earlier!
By the 4 o’clock hour, our rooms were ready and we were able to formally enter the residence halls for the first time. Bosrijk offers two buildings with hotel-style accommodations - generally the cheaper option - in addition to a scattered plurality of private cabins befitting families of all shapes and sizes. Our room was a premium room in the Poorthuys building, which put us closer to the park, the pool and the breakfast buffet in addition to giving us a great view of the lake. The room was cozy, warm and adorned with rustic furniture and coloration befitting the woodsy surroundings that we could see through the window. Naturally, we had all the global-standard hotel room assets like a mini-fridge, a coffeemaker, glassware and the like…but we also had little dashes of magic, like Efteling children’s programming on the TV and a custom board game. And although we deliberately booked a smaller room, we still had space to spare; a second bedroom offset from the main space held a set of bunk beds, a storybook with the tale of Klass Vaak and a pair of sleeping caps for younger travelers who want to look the part (one size fits most).
When it comes to culinary offerings at Bosrijk, there is but one restaurant on premises - Het Eethuys, which serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. However, guests of the Bosrijk will find that from this one kitchen comes near-limitless selection. Daily breakfast, which was included with our stay, is a buffet of impressive variety with everything from cereal to deli meats to pastries and yogurts. Dependent on the day and the time of your ontbijt (breakfast), you might also encounter a few roaming characters to wish you Goedemorgen! Lunch and Dinner, on the other hand, are proper sit-down meals with table service and an a la carte menu. These meals are a little more formal and procedural, but no less adventurous. As an American traveler, it’s hard to wrap my head around getting a perfectly-seared steak and grilled asparagus with parsnips from the same kitchen that produced sprinkle donuts and granola four hours earlier, but Het Eethuys met and exceeded all of our presumptive expectations. We also discovered about midway through our visit that fresh-baked pizzas can be ordered, baked and delivered to the individual rooms and cabins at Bosrijk during the dinnertime hours - not a bad option when you’re short on time or hurting for ideas.
We also can’t talk about Bosrijk without talking about the Badhuys, which is an indoor pool and swimming complex complete with a pool for infants, a pool for toddlers and a full-sized pool for adults with a small loop of “rapids” - forced currents that carry you around the loop and spit you back out into the main swimming area. The complex isn’t huge, but it’s plenty large enough to accommodate a few dozen people at once. Parents can soak in the jacuzzi or lounge in the jetted benches of the main pool, while younger children play with inflatable toys in the open areas and older children hoot and holler their way around the rapids loop. The Badhuys is one of the only proper pools in the Efteling as a whole and is open to guests of Bosrijk as well as the Efteling Wonder Hotel, and also offers showers, lockers and changing stalls so that you don’t have to wear your swimwear on the walk or ride over to the Poorthuys building. Unfortunately - though quite understandably - pictures and video of the Badhuys are not permitted for privacy reasons, but we’ll include a promotional photo from the Efteling website below so that you have a better idea of how this complex is structured.
Above: The Badhuys pool complex at Efteling Bosrijk offers something for guests of every age, with a pool for infants, a pool for toddlers and a pool for adults with a jetted ‘rapids’ section and an elevated jacuzzi. Credit: Efteling.
At the end of the day, the reason we find the Efteling Bosrijk so charming is the same reason that we found Efteling as a whole to be so charming. As Oehoe Hoedoe put it for us, the resort is simply, completely and unapologetically gezellig - a Dutch word referring to the concepts of coziness, warmth and togetherness. Efteling has worked hard to make every guest feel as integrated as they wish to be in the stories and tales of their magical land, and the resort properties are no exception. As for the Bosrijk, it offers quiet, calm, natural and rustic vibes unmatched by any other property in the lineup in addition to an impressive pool house, pizzas-on-demand and a unique story with unique and dedicated storytellers. After five nights in the Poorthuys building, it was genuinely hard to let go of the room that had been our home for so long; on the other hand, it was nice to think that we were making way for someone else to experience the magic of Efteling, and play their role in the ongoing story.
Parking at the Bosrijk is free of charge, and cars may remain in the resort parking lot for the duration of guests’ stay. Guests of the Bosrijk will receive a digital key via email about 8 days before arrival, which will integrate into the free Efteling app. This digital key lets you open the car park barriers at Bosrijk, enter your accommodation beginning at 4:00pm local time on check-in day and access the indoor pool Badhuys without stopping at reception. Of course, staff remain available at reception to answer any and all questions, help you make breakfast reservations and address any concerns or issues that may arise during your stay. For more information about the Bosrijk or to book a stay, visit https://www.efteling.com/en/bosrijk. You can also get a peek at the check-in and basic accommodations in our travel vlog below.
