The next time you find yourself in a hotel lobby in Holland, you might just unknowingly be checking in to the next pop-up location of The Divorce Hotel. Granted, it sounds strange, especially when we’re so accustomed to equating hotel stays with happiness, honeymoons, and holiday bliss but in Holland, it’s a concept that’s about to go big.
The Divorce Hotel isn’t an actual hotel, but rather a concept developed by Dutch legal firm Juridische Snelweg (Legal Fast Track) who noticed the trend of an alarmingly high divorce rate, blended it with the pressing desire by busy, professional couples to push forward and finalize with efficiency, and thus created the concept offering a swift completion at fair rates, and most importantly on neutral ground.
In simple terms, they create long weekend packages primarily held inside Dutch luxury hotels, for a two-day boot camp session led by a mediator where financial and legal settlement terms are hashed out and decided upon by late Sunday night. In a country where every third marriage ends in divorce, this has the potential to become big business.
Considering the divorce process in Holland can take up to nine months (or ten years if it’s a messy one), draining the average Dutchman 50,000 Euros or more on average, this is becoming a highly welcome and viable option. The Divorce Hotel’s offering? A complete wrap-up of issues in four nights or less, to the tune of about 3,000 Euros on average, including all legal fees, a notary public, real estate agent services, and childcare if needed. They’ll even arrange for psychologists on hand; now that’s five star service.
Naturally, the Divorce Hotel is primarily an option for uncomplicated scenarios - those with children, major real estate or assets may wish to still look elsewhere at the present time. However, for time-challenged couples with simplified situations, it’s a relative walk in the park, or hotel corridor as it were. No days off from work, no messy arguments, no need to even make up your room. And for those who are really ecstatic to be rid of one another, they can even arrange for champagne on ice after the final documents are signed. Though currently only available in Holland, the firm is looking at expanding its scope to Germany as a next step and far beyond. Watch this space, the next Divorce Hotel may be coming to a town near you.
