History

Hotel Corps de Garde is an authentic boutique hotel with a rich history that we cherish. Where stories have left their traces in time and can still be felt today, albeit with a modern and colourful twist. Here you will experience what it’s like to live in the moment; to let go of your busy sechedule, just for a little while.

The building was constructed in 1634 as a guardhouse for the military and the city watch for the protection of the northern city border. In 1836, the building ceased to function as a guardhouse and became part of a new agricultural museum. Later, the building came to house the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences of the University of Groningen. Young preachers were trained to transfer their agricultural knowledge onto farmers at what is now our Brasserie Corps.

In 1903, it became the Astronomical Laboratory, and from 1934 until 1944 it housed the University Museum. In 1989, the University sold the building to Joke Velthoven, who established the Auberge Corps de Guarde there in 1991. The centuries-old building was given a new destination: it became a hotel. It was later renamed Corps de Garde.

In 2021, the hotel was renovated with much love by the current owners. Hotel Corps de Garde is now a modern, fresh, and colourful hotel, but the classical elements that remain intact still allow us to feel the building’s rich history.

We know what it's like to feel the need to put your hectic life on hold for a moment. To be with each other again and feel grounded in the present. Time, in the end, is a given, but it is for you to decide how and with whom you want to spend it. And the ideal location? That's where we come in. Get to know our characteristic and modern rooms.

This is where Groningen begins — this is Hotel Corps de Garde.