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Pella: Authentically Dutch, thoroughly modern
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Pella, Iowa
(ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: MARCH/APRIL 2004)
Pella is one of those Midwest communities that pays tribute to Old World traditions on nearly every corner. The Holland-centric town of 10,000, located 45 miles southeast of Des Moines, is famous for its springtime Tulip Time Festival, starring its Dutch-style parades, and the small shops on the square selling all things Netherlands, from spiced meats to beloved pastries to pottery.
A recent addition southeast of the square in this fairy-tale community is the Molengracht, a Dutch word meaning "mill canal." Designed to resemble the sort of meandering piazza you might find in most European cities, this open-air plaza's cobbled paths and narrow canal lead to specialty stores and a tri-plex movie theater. Anchoring it all is the Royal Amsterdam, a three-story hotel that places you in today's Europe.
Each of the 34 rooms in the red brick hotel, distinguished by its distinctive Old World spire, sports cherry-stained wood, mauve carpets and mauve-and-forest wallpaper borders. All four suites have kitchenettes and a private whirlpool. A fitness center adds high class. Pella's motto, "A Touch of Holland," plays out in the Dutch lace on windows, as well as the Dutch spiced beef on the menu in J. Benjamin's restaurant downstairs.
The bistro-style establishment, with outdoor seating in warmer times, touts a menu that spans the globe, plus, if you're lucky, tasty seafood catches flown in fresh daily from Maine. You'll be glad you're staying right upstairs after putting away the in-house specialty, steak DeBurgo.
Be sure to head back downstairs in the morning for your free Continental breakfast, before taking a stroll over the canal's pedestrian bridge to boutiques selling, among other things, fine chocolates or educational toys. The attractions of the Tulip Time Festival are right at hand, as is a storybook Europe that still exists, in America's heartland. (Note: Many businesses are closed on Sundays.)
Royal Amsterdam Hotel 705 E. First St., Pella, IA 50219 (www.royalamsterdam.com).
