An Ocean House family holiday is built around one simple idea: nobody should have to compromise. The kids need space to be loud and a beach to wear them out. The parents need a quiet first coffee and a kitchen that doesn't require a restaurant reservation. The grandparents need a comfortable chair by the window and a short walk to the sea. The Dutch coast, with its long flat beaches, calm coastal villages and short distances, is genuinely one of the easiest places in Europe to do this — and the apartments at Ocean House Scheveningen were designed exactly for it.
Apartments that breathe like a home
In Scheveningen, every apartment (except the Superior Suite) has a full kitchen with a dishwasher, a real fridge, a kettle and a Nespresso. Breakfast is on your own clock, lunch is a fresh baguette from the bakery on the Keizerstraat, and dinner can be as simple as a pasta and a salad eaten on your own table while the kids draw in the corner.
Air-conditioning in every unit means a midday nap actually happens. Cots, high chairs, baby baths and toddler-proof corners are on the house — just ask the team before you arrive. The apartments are sized for families of four to six, and a few connect for larger groups.
The beach as the daily backdrop
Four minutes' walk from the front door in Scheveningen, ten in Zandvoort. Long enough to feel like a small outing, short enough that you'll go twice a day — and that you can pop home for a forgotten swimsuit without breaking the day.
The Dutch North Sea beaches are flat, wide and lifeguarded in summer. The water is calm by ocean standards, and the kids can dig for hours without needing entertaining. Bucket, spade, frisbee, a small dog — every member of the family has a job.
Rainy-day plans that aren't a disaster
Sea Life Scheveningen is five minutes from the apartment and saves any grey afternoon. Madurodam (the miniature city) is fifteen minutes by tram. The Mauritshuis museum in Den Haag city centre is twenty minutes door-to-door and has a kids' route.
From Zandvoort, the train to Amsterdam takes 30 minutes — the Maritime Museum and NEMO Science Centre are both built for families. The kids will love the train as much as the destination.
Rituals you'll want to keep
Pancakes at the corner café on the second morning. Sandcastles before lunch with whichever neighbours' kids appeared on the beach. A long, quiet nap with the windows cracked open. A pre-dinner ice cream on the boulevard. A walk after dinner with the very last of the daylight, the kids in pyjamas, the dog sleepy.
By day three, the kids will know the route to the bakery by heart. By day five, they will be slightly disappointed when you say it's time to pack. That is the sign of a good family holiday.
Where to stay: a family-first hotel by the sea
Ocean House Scheveningen is the family flagship: 31 studios and apartments in Oud Scheveningen, full kitchens, dishwashers, air-conditioning, and the sand four minutes away. Built for families of four to six, with plenty of room for groups of friends travelling together.
Ocean House Zandvoort is the smaller, quieter alternative — primarily for couples, but with rooms that suit small families who want a more boutique feel and the easy train to Amsterdam. Both locations welcome dogs at no extra cost. Both leave room for everyone to find their own rhythm.
