Van der Valk (company)
Encyclopedia
Van der Valk is the largest hospitality chain in The Netherlands
, with 59 branches in the Netherlands and 30 hotels in other countries (including 13 in Germany
, one in Florida
and several on the Netherlands Antilles
islands), and is run by the Van der Valk family. They operate the Avifauna Bird Park
in Alphen aan den Rijn
which at its inception in 1950 was the first dedicated bird park in the world. Their logo is based on the toucan
.
In 1982 Toos van der Valk, the wife of company head Gerrit van der Valk was kidnapped by Italian
criminals and held captive for 21 days. After a ransom of 13 million guilders was paid she was released.
In 1994 Gerrit van der Valk was arrested for tax evasion after it was found out that some workers were paid in cash but he was not much later released. The case was eventually settled for 213 million guilders.
Gerrit van der Valk died in 2009.
The Van der Valk chain also received scrutiny from the authorities in the past because of bad labour conditions.
Since 2000 the chain is a franchise
enterprise, but with the stipulation that every franchise holder must be a descendant of Martien van der Valk.
Kingdom of the Netherlands
The Kingdom of the Netherlands is a sovereign state and constitutional monarchy with territory in Western Europe and in the Caribbean. The four parts of the Kingdom—Aruba, Curaçao, the Netherlands, and Sint Maarten—are referred to as "countries", and participate on a basis of equality...
, with 59 branches in the Netherlands and 30 hotels in other countries (including 13 in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, one in Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
and several on the Netherlands Antilles
Netherlands Antilles
The Netherlands Antilles , also referred to informally as the Dutch Antilles, was an autonomous Caribbean country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, consisting of two groups of islands in the Lesser Antilles: Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao , in Leeward Antilles just off the Venezuelan coast; and Sint...
islands), and is run by the Van der Valk family. They operate the Avifauna Bird Park
Vogelpark Avifauna
Vogelpark Avifauna is a large bird park in Alphen aan den Rijn, in the western Netherlands. It was the first dedicated bird park in the world. The park has a lot of greenery and ponds, and also a restaurant and a children's playground...
in Alphen aan den Rijn
Alphen aan den Rijn
Alphen aan den Rijn is a town and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland, between Leiden and Utrecht. The town is situated on the banks of the river Oude Rijn , where the river Gouwe branches off. The municipality had a population of 72,674 in 2010, and covers an...
which at its inception in 1950 was the first dedicated bird park in the world. Their logo is based on the toucan
Toucan
Toucans are members of the family Ramphastidae of near passerine birds from the Neotropics. The family is most closely related to the American barbets. They are brightly marked and have large, often colorful bills. The family includes five genera and about forty different species...
.
History
The chain was founded by Martien and Rie van der Valk in 1939 when they opened their first hotel/restaurant. After World War II the Van der Valks and their 11 children expanded the chain with a number of hotels and restaurants. The expansion was continued by their grandchildren and great-grandchildren.In 1982 Toos van der Valk, the wife of company head Gerrit van der Valk was kidnapped by Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
criminals and held captive for 21 days. After a ransom of 13 million guilders was paid she was released.
In 1994 Gerrit van der Valk was arrested for tax evasion after it was found out that some workers were paid in cash but he was not much later released. The case was eventually settled for 213 million guilders.
Gerrit van der Valk died in 2009.
The Van der Valk chain also received scrutiny from the authorities in the past because of bad labour conditions.
Since 2000 the chain is a franchise
Franchising
Franchising is the practice of using another firm's successful business model. The word 'franchise' is of anglo-French derivation - from franc- meaning free, and is used both as a noun and as a verb....
enterprise, but with the stipulation that every franchise holder must be a descendant of Martien van der Valk.
External links
- Van der Valk website
- Review of one of their hotels on VirtualTourist.com