It's pretty common for a couple to head to a hotel for a quick getaway, but now a new brand of hotel is offering couples the chance to get away from each other---permanently. A Dutch entrepreneur has developed a concept of the 'Divorce Hotel,' a weekend hotel stay for couples who are looking to finalize their divorce.
A couple can check into the hotel where a Netherlands-based law firm helps the unhappy couples discuss alimony, splitting assets, visitation right for children, and other marital issues. Couples save time and money by going through this process over a weekend, for a low fixed-fee as opposed to lengthy divorce processes where couples are charged by the hour.
"They arrive on Friday and we give them everything they need to leave Sunday with their divorce papers," said Jim Halfens, the Dutch entrepreneur who came up with the idea. "Divorces can cost a lot of money and a lot of time. Here, it's done in three days."
Currently, couples have the choice of checking into one of six luxury hotels in the Netherlands for this marriage-ending package. The package can cost between $2,500 and $10,000 depending on how messy the divorce will be as couples try to separate their assets and battle over custody of their kids.
"We have everything they need: lawyers, mediators, psychologists," said Halfens. "The marriage failed, and that's negative. But it's also a new start, and that's positive. The only thing we can do is offer a better solution than fighting for years."
After the soon-to-be-divorced couple leaves the hotel, they only need to show their agreement to a judge, as required by Dutch law, and the couple's divorce will be official within a few weeks.
The 'Divorce Hotel' might not be fit for everybody. Halfens said that the hotel will only work with couples if both parties are willing to make a clean break. The staff will meet with the couple prior to checking in to determine if the weekend process will work for them or whether they need a more traditional, lengthy divorce.
So far, 17 couples have checked into the 'Divorce Hotel.' Halfens hopes to bring the concept to the United States, where one in two marriages ends in divorce. He also has plans to turn the 'Divorce Hotel' into a reality TV series by the fall.
"It's time to show people this is possible," he said. "And obviously it would be a great television show."
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
