City Hall Rotterdam — Attraction in Rotterdam

We recently got married in this incredibly beautiful and historic building. While the setting itself is undeniably stunning, which is the reason we chose it, I deeply wish I could say the service matched the surroundings. Unfortunately, our wedding day was significantly affected by the poor organization and lack of professionalism at the Stadhuis.

From the very beginning, communication among the staff was nonexistent. They had no clue about the schedule or plan we had arranged. My partner was rushed and treated poorly by the staff on his own wedding day, which was heartbreaking to witness. We had been explicitly promised time after the ceremony to take photos inside the location. However, the security guard, who was not only unhelpful but outright rude, refused to allow us access to parts of the building like the staircase and upper floor, citing a lack of security presence. Meanwhile, he was simply sitting nearby and could have easily escorted us for just a few minutes. This was extremely disappointing, especially since we had coordinated and confirmed all of this in advance.

The ceremony master was a bright spot. She was kind and calm, delivering a beautiful speech. However, even she forgot to invite us to read our vows and omitted the ring exchange entirely. Why? Because they pack ceremonies back to back with zero margin for delays, rushing couples through their own wedding moments. It felt mechanical and cold, like a wedding factory, and the emotional value of the day was totally overlooked.

Additionally, I was told in advance that upon arrival, I would have a private room to wait in before the ceremony began, so that guests wouldn’t see me before I walked in. When I arrived, I asked to be taken to this room, only to be told there was no such space and that I would have to wait in the hallway. As guests began to arrive, they all saw me, the groom, before the ceremony even started. I asked if I could have some water, and only then was I taken to a large, completely empty lounge. I asked why I hadn’t been placed there from the start, and was told, "We didn’t think of it." Shocking.

To make matters worse, we had also arranged and paid for the photographer and videographer to be allowed to park right in front of the entrance to the city hall. At the last minute, they were told to move their car, which meant they missed the beginning of the ceremony, including capturing me, and later my wife, entering the ceremony room. These are irreplaceable moments that we can never get back.

After the ceremony, we stepped outside for group pictures and planned to return inside for some couple shots as promised. But after just a few photos, the security guard closed the doors in our faces and refused to let us back in, saying it was closing time. Instead, we were told we could take photos in their garden if we wanted. We were not offered any flexibility or understanding, despite the fact that we had just gotten married there. We had to walk around the entire building to access the garden, with the bride in her dress, the groom, and a full photo and video team in tow. It was a walk that could have easily been avoided by simply allowing us to cross through the building, which was just a few steps away. The lack of empathy, flexibility, and basic human decency was staggering.

To anyone considering getting married here, please take this message seriously. Yes, the venue is visually stunning, but that is where the magic ends. Once they have received your €1000, the care disappears. The service is chaotic, impersonal, and in our experience, outright disrespectful. It is a place built for appearances, not for celebrating one of the most meaningful days...

We just had our marrige in this beautiful historical building. However I wish I can say that the service was as good as the building… we chose this location because of its beauty and we truly wanted our special day to start there. But the overall experience of our marriage was ruined by the organization of the Stadhuis, they had zero communication between one another, they had no idea about what is the plan of the day. They rushed my partner and treated him poorly on his own wedding day. We were promised in advance that after our ceremony we will have time to take photos in the location but the security guard was extremely rude and didn’t even allow us to use the stairs and space above because there was no security there meanwhile he was just sitting around and he could’ve offered the service for our day and just accompanied us to the designated location. The wedding ceremony master was lovely and gave a beautiful speech and had nice calm presence BUT she forgot to ask us to read our vows, we were rushed because they plan a wedding after wedding without any margin inbetween and she forgot that we needed to exchange rings… Honestly felt very disappointing because we have only this 1 day in our lives and they didn’t even consider that and were super rude as overall organization and we were promised something else. It almost seems like everything was good until they get the €1000 eur from you and then they don’t put any effort. A wedding factory with zero attention to the customer but 100% focused on...

A Rare Survivor with a Story to Tell

Rotterdam is known for its modern architecture, but the Stadhuis (City Hall) is one of the few historic buildings that survived the 1940 bombing — and it shows. With its ornate sandstone facade, arched windows, and beautiful courtyard, it stands proudly on the Coolsingel as a reminder of the city’s pre-war identity.

Built between 1914 and 1920, the building mixes Renaissance and Beaux-Arts influences, and is filled with symbolic details — lions, angels, and crests representing peace, justice, and resilience. You can admire it from outside, or if you're lucky enough to catch it open for a public event or guided tour, the interior is just as impressive.

As TourGuys, we often stop here during our city tours. It’s not just a photo opportunity — it’s a place where we share stories about the destruction and rebuilding of Rotterdam, and how this one building managed to remain standing while nearly everything around it was flattened.

Tip: Walk around the side to discover the peaceful inner courtyard — a quiet little gem in the middle of the city.

The Stadhuis isn’t just beautiful — it’s symbolic, resilient, and essential to understanding...