Buildings insurance (opstalverzekering) for hotels
With a hotel, fire safety weighs more heavily than with any other property, because at night people are sleeping there who do not know the escape routes.
The calculator and the quote form below are in Dutch. Prefer to do this in English? Email info@finassverzekert. nl or call 072 - 509 24 56 and we will take it from there.
Work out for yourself what it would cost.
Enter your details; you will receive a proposal within one working day.
We compare the offerings of several insurers
An adviser checks whether the cover suits your situation
A premium indication, not personal advice. Prefer to talk it through? Call 072 - 509 24 56.
In brief
A hotel is assessed not on square metres but on how easily it can be evacuated. Guests are asleep, are unfamiliar with the layout, sometimes do not speak the language and react slowly to an alarm. Insurers therefore look first at the fire compartmentation, the self-closing bedroom doors, the certified fire alarm system with signalling to a monitoring centre, and the evacuation plan with the accompanying drill frequency.
The second point of attention is the kitchen. Deep-frying, grease extraction and a filter duct running through the building are the most common cause of fire in the hospitality sector. Cleaning intervals for the extraction duct appear with many insurers as a warranty clause in the policy: if it has not been cleaned to that schedule, fire damage from that source is not covered.
Finally, the time to repair. A hotel is not back within a few months after a major fire; permits, installations and fitting out take time. The buildings policy pays for the building, not for the turnover you lose in that period. Business interruption and business contents are separate policies. For a property with another public function, see buildings insurance for a sports hall.
The structure of the cover in three parts, with an overview per situation below.
The basis
Rebuild value
What it costs to rebuild the premises.
Not the market value
Not the WOZ value (the Dutch property valuation)
Guarantee against underinsurance
Permanently fixed
What is included
Everything permanently attached to the building.
Building and installations
Outbuildings
Boundary fences
Optional
Extensions
What is excluded as standard.
Glass
Garden landscaping
Inherent defect and foundations
What is covered
Situation
Standard
With extension
Fire, smoke and lightning strike
Yes
Yes
Storm from force 7 upwards
Yes
Yes
Water damage from a burst pipe
Yes
Yes
Glass breakage
Sometimes
Yes
Groundwater coming through the floor
No
No
Wear and deferred maintenance
No
No
This overview is general in nature and is not personal advice. What is actually covered, including exclusions, limits and the excess, is set out in the policy conditions and the insurance card (verzekeringskaart) of the insurer; you receive both before you take out cover. Taking out cover without advice? Then read what execution only means for you.
Where things go wrong in practice
Four points that make the difference between a policy that pays out and one that does not.
Compartmentation and evacuation with sleeping guests
Insurers assess whether each room forms a separate fire compartment, whether doors are self-closing and whether escape routes remain smoke-free. They also ask about the evacuation plan, the night shift staffing and the drill frequency. Record those drills including the time needed to reach all rooms. For this type of property that log is the document looked back at on acceptance and after a claim.
The kitchen and the extraction duct
Grease deposits in the extraction duct are fuel running through the whole building. The policy almost always states a cleaning interval with compulsory reporting by an approved company. If that interval is exceeded, cover lapses for fire damage starting there. The same applies to extinguishing equipment above the fryer: present, inspected and dated, otherwise the clause has not been met.
Installations and periodic inspection
In a property in continuous operation, the electrical installation, the laundry, the sauna and the charging points in the car park are high on the list. Insurers ask for a periodic electrical inspection and sometimes for thermographic testing, with the defects found put right within a set period. The report alone is not enough; what counts is evidence that the findings have been resolved.
The building is covered, the standstill is not
The buildings policy pays for repair or rebuilding of the property. Your beds, kitchen equipment, linen and reception furnishings are business contents and belong on a separate policy. The turnover you lose during the rebuild and the continuing staff costs fall under business interruption insurance, with an indemnity period you choose yourself. Match that period to the actual rebuilding time including permits, not to the construction time.
What does your premium depend on?
Rebuild value of the premises. The structure, installations and fixed fittings form the sum insured. The business contents do not count towards it.
Number of rooms and storeys. More floors means longer escape routes and a stricter assessment of the compartmentation.
Fire alarm system and signalling. A certified system with direct signalling to a monitoring centre counts heavily in the underwriting.
Presence of a hot kitchen. A fryer, extraction and a filter duct running through the building raise the risk and lead to clauses about cleaning.
Construction type and roof covering. Wooden floors, thatched roofs and historic parts in a listed hotel call for a separate assessment and sometimes a valuation.
Prevention requirements complied with. Demonstrably completed inspections, cleaning and drills determine the rate and sometimes acceptance itself.
Insurers weigh these details differently. That is where your saving is.
How we arrange it
You request a quoteWe take stock of your situation, your risk and your wishes.
We compareseveral insurers, on premium as well as conditions.
You receive a proposalWith an explanation of the differences and the exclusions.
We arrange the switchIncluding cancellation, so there is no gap in cover.
Customers rate our service on four aspects: personal service, service delivery, availability and the outcome. The reviews are collected and published by NH1816 and come from customers who have actually taken out a policy with Finass Advies B.V. or reported a claim.
Not on the buildings policy. That covers only the building. For the period in which you cannot receive guests, you take out business interruption insurance with an indemnity period that matches the actual rebuilding time. For a hotel that period is usually longer than business owners expect, because permits and installation work weigh heavily in the timescale.
Do I have to have a fire alarm system with signalling?
For most hotels that requirement already follows from the use regulations for accommodation functions, and insurers align with it. Without signalling to a monitoring centre it takes too long for the fire service to know something is happening in a building full of sleeping guests. If the system is missing, acceptance is often not possible.
Do the business contents fall under the buildings insurance?
No. Everything you would take with you when you move is business contents: beds, furniture, kitchen equipment, linen and electronics. The buildings policy covers what is permanently attached, such as pipework, sanitary ware, lifts and fixed wall finishes. For a hotel those are two substantial items that you must establish and declare separately.
What if I let function rooms or a restaurant to third parties?
That is an extension of the use and must be reported. Parties, weddings and business events bring varying occupancy, extra electrical load and sometimes naked flames or pyrotechnics. Your liability as the possessor of the building under Article 6:174 of the Dutch Civil Code also weighs more heavily then, because more people are present at once.
Finass Verzekert is a trading name of Finass Advies B.V. We advise on and arrange non-life insurance on the basis of an objective analysis of several insurers, and receive commission for this from the insurer, which is included in the premium. You pay no separate advice fee. Before you take out cover, we establish your wishes and needs.
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