Erica and Martien Meiland intervene immediately after the revelations of an undercover journalist about the state of their groupies boarding house. “We now also have hand soap in the bathrooms.”
The Meilandjes have opened a new guest house in Noordwijk and they use a very clever formula: guests must stay at least two nights and pay at least 400 euros for this. What justifies that above-average price? According to an undercover journalist from the Leidsch Dagblad, it is certainly not the rooms.
‘Many things are missing’
This undercover journalist, whose story was also published by De Telegraaf, has discovered what that price is really based on: the few minutes that one of the Meilandjes makes his or her appearance during breakfast. That guest house of the Meilandjes turns out to be full of groupies who want to be in the vicinity of a celebrity.
And well, if you focus on that, then the condition of the rooms doesn’t matter that much. Because, according to the journalist, those rooms do not justify a rate of at least 400 euros. “If we look around with a more critical eye, we notice that many things are missing in the room,” she writes in the newspaper. “A table, for example, or a wastebasket.”
Not even a trash can
huh?! Not even a trash can in the room for 400 euros?! Do you have to put your junk in your pillowcase or something? The journalist is stunned. “There is also no letter or folder with a word of welcome and additional information.”
Even the WiFi password is missing. And you can’t ask that either, because the Meilandjes don’t want any contact with the guests outside of breakfast. Self service that’s called. According to the journalist, there are also no fridge, hand soap (!) and sufficient sockets. Anyway, the guests come to see their great idols.
Meilandjes respond
Apparently the Meilandjes are a bit shocked by the undercover operation, because they gave a reaction to the image yesterday Show news. And they are not always open to that, says Evert Santegoeds. “We are not welcome every day at the Meilandjes, but now they were very open.”
Erica on camera: “Every day is getting better. We are still improving things that people say, just small things, but they are very satisfied. They sleep well, they also enjoy being with the other guests and in the morning we have a nice chat with everyone. Lots of pictures are taken.”
Hand soap
What has Martien done with the undercover journalist’s criticism? “The email now also contains the password for the WiFi and the hand soap is in any case ready in the bathroom. Yeah, you know… At a certain point: life is never quite perfect. You try. You get a little better every day.”
And what does he have to say about his collapsed ratings? For this he uses the Jinek excuse – something with on-demand: “You have 650 thousand viewers once and then the whole of the Netherlands says: ‘Oh, then they will definitely stop.’ Well, let’s first take a look tomorrow with missed broadcast how many have been added again.
Erica: “People also plan more themselves when they watch something for themselves. I do that myself.”