1/2 Former party palace Jaiselings Royal Palace near Wernhout. (photo: Raoul Cartens)
A former party palace in Wernhout will become a hotel for more than 500 migrant workers. This is what residents immediately say of the bankrupt and vacant Jaiselings Royal Palace. They say they have received ‘signals’ from the town hall. “I’m afraid we’re going to have a lot of trouble with it,” says a neighbor.
According to residents of the building in Wernhout, the first reports were that more than 500 asylum seekers would arrive there. The municipality would not have agreed to this. “Now there are just as many migrant workers coming in,” sighs a man who lives next to the former party palace.
“The rumors that the deal has already been completed have been going around for weeks,” his wife adds. “But we haven’t heard anything from the municipality, wouldn’t we also have something to say about this through participation?”
A tree grower across the street from the party palace also knows the rumors. “Everything would already be in place at the town hall in Zundert. Only the city council still has to think about it. But we as local residents have still not been informed.”
“Due to its former use as a party center, quite a bit of noise can be made here”
His neighbor is also very concerned: “Due to its former use as a party center, quite a bit of noise can be made here. I understand that many companies desperately need migrant workers to do work that the Dutch refuse. But 500 people, I’m afraid we have will suffer a lot.”
The municipality of Zundert and the owner of the building could not be reached for comment.
Jaiselings Royal Palace has been vacant since 2020 following the bankruptcy of the previous owner. The former monastery was converted in the 1990s into a party palace with an Eastern atmosphere with room for 16,000 visitors.