The Groningen center is approximately the area of City Centre Groningen and 6 miles north of Groningen Eelde Airport.
The historical city has existed since 3720 BC with archaeological findings revealing settlements from 3 AD. It became a trading center with a city wall erected for protection. It withstood several wars, and its first university was founded in 1614. Hotels in Groningen are few and scattered owing to the small size of the city. Students take part in cultural activities revolving around arts and music. Several mediaeval buildings are still found in downtown areas.
Cheap hotels are fitted with all basic amenities and popularity is usually determined by location. Martini Hotel - The centrally-located hotel offers excellent views with elegantly-decorated interiors. It has an in-house restaurant serving traditional Dutch meals. Guests have a bar at their disposal, with children preferring the lounge area. Some Groningen hotels offer spacious apartments City Apartments - Less than 200 meters away from the City Centre, the budget hotel offers free Internet services and has full kitchens fitted into one-bedroom apartments. Private bathrooms are available. Seating areas are found within the apartments. Guests can walk across to restaurants and bars at the Center. Visitors arriving by train have less than a kilometer to cover. Bud Gett Hostels - A 24-hour reception greets guests and offers bikes and baggage storage facilities. Bunk beds are fitted into air-conditioned rooms with private bathrooms. The lounge has a kiosk offering wine and beer. Cheap hotels are often close to important spots like the train station, National Park, and Groninger Museum.
With a lot of motorists arriving at important junctions on the highway, Groningen hotels attract tourists and travelers. Hampshire Hotel - Plaza Groningen - It has a strategic location just on the outskirts of the city and offers great facilities including free parking space. Clean rooms are offered and a swimming pool is available. A convenient bus stop is nearby served by two different bus lines. Elaborate breakfasts are laid out, and fresh bread is sort from the nearby bakery. Prinsenhof - The hotel has beautifully decorated rooms and is housed in the 15th-century mansion with a courtyard designed in Renaissance style with the Prinsenhof Gardens. The in-house Grand Cafe offers breakfast buffets. French specialties are served at Restaurant Alacarte.
Netherland's oldest university has had many famous students including European Central Bank's first President Heike Kamerlingh Onnes, who was honored with the Noble prize; and Wubbo Ockels, the first national astronaut. Groninger Museum is a modern museum with many innovative features. Other places of interest are Aa-Kerk, an old church from the Middle Ages and Oude RKZ, an old Roman Catholic hospital converted into vibrant living quarters for nearly 250 people and which has a folk kitchen that is in great demand. The city also has the University Museum; Noorderlicht, which organizes food festivals; and the Maritime Museum. Nightlife is centered around popular bars like the Poelestraat, Grote Markt, Peperstraat, and the Vismarkt. Hotels in Groningen are also close to places where jam sessions are held.