Hotel Owner, Tour Manager, Book Publisher, and Father. Multitasker Pierre Rieu also finds time for what is truly important. Source: De Nieuwe Ster (The New Star) Magazine March 31, 2026, by Peter Eberson Photos: Jean-Pierre Geusens Translation: Diana D. Le It’s well known that his father André is world-famous, but his son Pierre is making quite a name for himself locally. He bought the Derlon Hotel on Onze Lieve Vrouweplein, had some back-and-forth with the Building Commission, and has plans for a museum in Margraten (town in Limburg, known for the American war cemetery). What drives Pierre Rieu? The interview with Pierre Rieu at his father’s castle has barely begun when André walks into the room holding a red figurine of a bear. Rieu, who has just returned from a concert in Berlin, explains that after their concert at the Uber Arena in Berlin, artists receive a small figurine of a bear—the symbol of Berlin—as a gift. “I now have fifteen of them. No other artist has as many figurines from this concert hall,” he says proudly. Pierre Rieu, who usually accompanies his father at concerts around the world, was not present in Berlin on Saturday. He was at the Theater aan het Vrijthof for the premiere of the theater tour by Emma Kok, the singer who made her big breakthrough after performing “Voilà” at Rieu’s concerts on the Vrijthof. “I no longer need to be present at every concert,” Pierre Rieu explains his absence in Berlin. André’s 44-year-old son says he has consciously sought more balance in his life. “The concerts run like a well-oiled machine even without me.”

For Pierre Rieu, this sunny March morning is a special day in any case. It has just been announced that his 16-year-old daughter Linde, the older of twins, will play a major role in the new spectacular musical Bokkenrijders, which will be performed at De Geusselt Stadium in June. Pierre: “It’s nerve-wracking for her, because she’s naturally very shy and will soon have to perform in front of 6,000 spectators.” For Linde, who is a member of ’t Mestreechs Volleks Tejater (Folk Theater), this marks her debut in a major musical. She will alternate the role with Belle Noten. (Click HERE for more information). Pierre Rieu has been in the news quite a bit over the past year. This was due to his purchase of the well- known Derlon Hotel on Onze Lieve Vrouweplein and his run-in with the Building Aesthetics Committee after they felt he had decorated his hotel a bit too extravagantly for Christmas. Rieu can laugh about it now. “I’m happy to say that relations with the Building Aesthetics Committee are back on track. I’m currently working on expanding our warehouse in Withuisveld, and I have to say that the meeting went very smoothly." Speaking of the purchase of Hotel Derlon, it certainly came as no surprise to Rieu that he would one day end up in the hotel industry. “If I’m to believe my parents, I’ve been ‘playing hotel’ since I was a child. When I was growing up, our family always went to the same hotel in the German Sauerland region. I think we went there for 35 years in a row. It was a real family hotel, where the owners knew every guest. In the basement of the hotel, there was a bowling alley, like you find in many German hotels, and upstairs there was a cozy ‘stube,’ a bar where I always helped out during our vacations. So, my love for the hotel industry started early on.” Last year, an opportunity arose to become a hotel owner. “I had lunch with the owner, Benoit Wesly, at Bar Verde, which is right near my house. It’s my favorite restaurant. I’m a committed vegetarian, and Bar Verde serves only 100% plant-based food. It’s not Wesly’s favorite spot, though, because he does eat meat,” Rieu laughs. “He still hasn’t forgiven me for having lunch there. At the end of the meal, I asked Wesly, ‘If you ever hear of a hotel for sale, please let me know.’ Wesly replied right away. 'I’m selling you the Derlon hotel!' He’d been working on that for a while. I thought there was no way I could afford it, but when he named a price, I thought, ‘I can actually afford that.’ It turned out later that Wesly was only managing the hotel and that the property itself belonged to someone else. Those owners would have to agree to the sale as well. The negotiations took a while, because the lunch was in February and it wasn’t until July that I got the key to the hotel and became the owner of Derlon. It still feels surreal when I walk onto Onze Lieve Vrouweplein and see my hotel." After taking over the hotel, Pierre immediately set to work on developing plans for its future.

Photo ARP: 15 bears from Berlin!

For Pierre Rieu, this sunny March morning is a special day in any case. It has just been announced that his 16-year-old daughter Linde, the older of twins, will play a major role in the new spectacular musical Bokkenrijders, which will be performed at De Geusselt Stadium in June. Pierre: “It’s nerve-wracking for her, because she’s naturally very shy and will soon have to perform in front of 6,000 spectators.” For Linde, who is a member of ’t Mestreechs Volleks Tejater (Folk Theater), this marks her debut in a major musical. She will alternate the role with Belle Noten. (Click HERE for more information). Pierre Rieu has been in the news quite a bit over the past year. This was due to his purchase of the well- known Derlon Hotel on Onze Lieve Vrouweplein and his run-in with the Building Aesthetics Committee after they felt he had decorated his hotel a bit too extravagantly for Christmas. Rieu can laugh about it now. “I’m happy to say that relations with the Building Aesthetics Committee are back on track. I’m currently working on expanding our warehouse in Withuisveld, and I have to say that the meeting went very smoothly." Speaking of the purchase of Hotel Derlon, it certainly came as no surprise to Rieu that he would one day end up in the hotel industry. “If I’m to believe my parents, I’ve been ‘playing hotel’ since I was a child. When I was growing up, our family always went to the same hotel in the German Sauerland region. I think we went there for 35 years in a row. It was a real family hotel, where the owners knew every guest. In the basement of the hotel, there was a bowling alley, like you find in many German hotels, and upstairs there was a cozy ‘stube,’ a bar where I always helped out during our vacations. So, my love for the hotel industry started early on.” Last year, an opportunity arose to become a hotel owner. “I had lunch with the owner, Benoit Wesly, at Bar Verde, which is right near my house. It’s my favorite restaurant. I’m a committed vegetarian, and Bar Verde serves only 100% plant-based food. It’s not Wesly’s favorite spot, though, because he does eat meat,” Rieu laughs. “He still hasn’t forgiven me for having lunch there. At the end of the meal, I asked Wesly, ‘If you ever hear of a hotel for sale, please let me know.’ Wesly replied right away. 'I’m selling you the Derlon hotel!' He’d been working on that for a while. I thought there was no way I could afford it, but when he named a price, I thought, ‘I can actually afford that.’ It turned out later that Wesly was only managing the hotel and that the property itself belonged to someone else. Those owners would have to agree to the sale as well. The negotiations took a while, because the lunch was in February and it wasn’t until July that I got the key to the hotel and became the owner of Derlon. It still feels surreal when I walk onto Onze Lieve Vrouweplein and see my hotel." After taking over the hotel, Pierre immediately set to work on developing plans for its future.

“It’s not that the hotel and the rooms aren’t up to standard, as some reviews claimed, but it is true that the rooms were outdated. However, immediately after the purchase, all 48 rooms were thoroughly cleaned and refreshed and now look like new again. Despite this facelift, all rooms will be completely renovated in the coming months. I hope to be able to present the first new rooms in July, when my father’s concerts begin at the Vrijthof.” It’s not just about the hotel rooms. The hotel’s basement contains Roman ruins. The basement also serves as the breakfast room for hotel guests, and tourists can take a guided tour of the Roman ruins, but Rieu can’t say for sure whether it’s really an experience these days. “I come from the entertainment industry. That’s my passion. A visit to the hotel’s cellar should truly be an experience. I can’t say much about it yet, except that it will be spectacular—but with great respect for history.” The hotel’s new hospitality concept will also be unique, though Rieu isn’t giving much away here either. “It will be a concept unlike anything else in Europe. I have to come up with something unique for that location, because as strange as it may sound when you’re situated on Onze Lieve Vrouweplein, we’re still ‘off the beaten path.’ The terraces and restaurants across the street fill up first—there are a number of establishments there—and only then does our terrace come into view. It makes no sense to me to do the same thing as the other restaurants and bars." “I’ve hired a new chef, and together we’re developing a new concept that doesn’t yet exist in Maastricht or anywhere else. And no, our goal isn’t to earn a Michelin star. Above all, we want to make our hotel’s dining options accessible to a wide audience.” You’d think that with all his activities, Pierre barely gets any sleep, but that’s not really the case. “I really do need seven hours of sleep a night.” He finds relaxation in restoring World War II military vehicles to their original condition, a great passion of Rieu’s. “Wednesday evenings are sacred to me. That’s when you’ll find me in my workshop with 45 volunteers, where we work on the vehicles all evening. Then the “vlaai” (fruit tart) is served, and we have a cozy group with a very diverse crowd. We call our group '50 Shades of Green'. Wednesday evenings are truly relaxing for me.” His passion for World War II has also led Rieu to make plans for his own museum. “We’re in the research phase for a museum. There’s a lot of enthusiasm in Margraten about establishing it there. It’s going to be an interactive center where we’ll use World War II as a means to stimulate critical thinking among young people. We’re going to do that in a unique way.” (Note Ineke: In our “previous items” of Jan-Jul 2011, we found an early video (dating back to 2006), in which André and Pierre show us Pierre’s warehouse Withuisveld, click HERE) Back to the Derlon Hotel. Before the interview, photos are taken of Pierre in front of the hotel. For the occasion, he’s wearing a white shirt. And for good reason. “I was recently approached by an elderly lady who congratulated me on buying the hotel and told me how happy she was that it remained in Maastricht hands. 'But,' she said, 'the way you’re dressed…that’s really not acceptable.' She’s right, because I usually wear a T-shirt, but for this occasion, I’m wearing a neat, white shirt. I took this woman’s criticism to heart,” he laughs.

Ruud and Ineke stayed one night at the Derlon Hotel, click HERE

To go to Pierre Rieu, page 5, click HERE

L1 News, May 5, 2026 Henk Hover © L1 (Henk Hover) translation: Ineke Rieu working on confrontational experience center: ‘Are you coming along or not?’ Pierre Rieu in his Experience Center Pierre Rieu has big plans for a so-called Experience Center. This center is intended to be a place where people come into contact with issues surrounding war and peace in a unique way. The right-hand man of his father and orchestra conductor André has a large collection of vehicles from the Second World War. These are stored in a factory hall in Maastricht. There, the antique rolling stock is maintained and restored. Conflicts On the upper floor of the warehouse, Rieu is building an experience center where he wants to interest young people in issues surrounding disputes in the world. He notices that youth and young people have become increasingly distanced from this theme, which is highly topical in the world even now. "Of course, I would love to set up such a place in my Maastricht, but a location in Margraten seems more realistic for the time being," says Rieu. The presence of the American cemetery there is an ideal combination. Presentation of the Plans In late May, during the Memorial Day celebration in Margraten, Rieu will present his plans to a group of invited guests. Members of the Municipal Executive, led by the mayor, have already visited Maastricht. They were already very enthusiastic. Upon entry, visitors can play a game on a tablet. It records the player's face and also asks for permission to use it. Interactive experiences Visitors then see those images reappear at unexpected moments in the presentation. During their tour, Mr. Alain Krijnen (mayor of Eijsden-Margraten), just like the reporter, saw himself hesitantly in a video about a large Nazi rally. This raises the question: what do you do when thousands of people around you are giving the Hitler salute? Do you let yourself be swept along by the crowd, or do you make your own choice? The meaning of freedom During the preview, one of the aldermen appeared as a Jewish person in hiding in another part of the experience. "If you don't know what freedom means, if you don't know what it feels like to lose it, how are you supposed to commit to it? That is what I am trying to realize through an experience center," Rieu explains. Reflection and conversation When visitors suddenly see themselves in situations from that time, it really hits home. "It is not only a powerful signal at the moment itself, but I find it just as important to engage in a conversation afterwards and ask what you would do in such a situation. Are you going to participate or not, or are you even going to try to call a halt to the events? Initiating the conversation in this way is not only unique, but also very powerful," says Rieu.

Pierre Rieu works passionately on modern freedom museum in Eijsden- Margraten: ‘So important that I have overcome my Maastricht chauvinism’ De Limburger, by Joos Philippens © Rob Oostwegel, © de Limburger Translation: Ineke May 24, 2026 Margraten/Maastricht Pierre Rieu is putting his full weight behind the arrival of an experience center about ‘freedom’ in Eijsden- Margraten. "This is so important that I have overcome my chauvinism." Intense sounds, large images of young people, speeches by Adolf Hitler and Queen Wilhelmina. Subsequently, images of the same young people, but this time wearing a Star of David or Nazi clothing. The first preview of what is intended to become an experience center about freedom makes an impression. This short presentation is deliberately scheduled immediately after Memorial Day at the American cemetery. At the Eijsden-Margraten town hall, the groundwork is being laid for the implementation of an idea that originated in late 2024. An experience center centered on the theme of freedom, which Mayor Alain Krijnen envisioned at the time as an addition to the brand-new visitor center at the American cemetery; but it could also be located in Mesch or Noorbeek, the villages liberated first in 1944. Behind the scenes Pierre Rieu, the son and manager of violinist and orchestra conductor André, is known for collecting military vehicles. But behind the scenes, it turns out he has been active for years regarding his own experience center on war and peace. "Last year, I showed Mayor Krijnen what we were working on. He said: 'That’s all well and good, but it has to be in Margraten.'" That was a hard pill to swallow for Rieu. "At first, my ego got in the way; as a chauvinist, I wanted it in the ‘big city’ of Maastricht. But now I am proud that we are working in Margraten. Commemoration is embraced here; there is a great deal of support from the municipality." During the important preview, Rieu takes the military personnel and representatives of the province and municipality along into ‘my dream’. “My own children say: that war, why do we have to learn all this? Those people are almost all dead, aren't they? I want to show what we are going to do differently. It will NOT be a museum.” The system of commemoration no longer fits the current times, according to Pierre Rieu. “It is so important that the new generations come to feel what freedom is. Crucial is the post-event gathering, at least half an hour of talking things over with the students.” “Take that one scene from the preview, a girl seeing herself in a cinema among 100,000 people giving the Hitler salute. That is quite confronting. I hope that gets the conversation going. Can you translate something like that to your own everyday life? If a nice child in a class is being bullied, do I join in? Because I want to belong to that group too?” Generations Rieu will soon translate that into: what would that have meant in wartime? "Perhaps a concentration camp. Get the conversation going, on a large scale and on a small scale." It seems like a parallel with the commemoration on Dam Square, where the new generations are also explicitly involved. "Exactly, opening a museum with display cases and posters is a lost cause." The V-fonds and the municipality of Margraten have already paid for the initial research. Mayor Alain Krijnen is optimistic. "We shared the idea with a larger audience today and I see great enthusiasm. Together with Pierre Rieu, we are looking for partners who can join in. I am hoping for the province and certainly the national government as well. I already discussed it with Minister of Defence Yelisgöz during lunch today. She showed great interest." The mayor is opting for the path of gradualism. “There is no definitive design or location yet, nor do I want to anticipate potential costs. We hope to be able to let people feel, experience, and see a little more in September. Public support is very important.” Ten years If Krijnen could dream, when would he (or someone else) cut the ribbon at the opening? "Sometime between now and five to ten years from now. We are doing this so that it will still be remembered and celebrated in a hundred years." André Rieu is helping his son today, rather than the other way around. Together with people from the Heerlen-based company Submedia, he fine-tuned the choreography and technical aspects. "Pierre came up with this all by himself. It is about appreciating eighty years of peace, and doing so in a shocking way." That seems to be working. An American attendee ‘from the Democratic Party’ rushes straight to Rieu in the town hall with an offer to help with crowdfunding.

Pierre Rieu presents a preview in Margraten featuring photos and film footage of contemporary young people suddenly confronted with war.

André Rieu during the preparations for the presentation.

Diana transcribed Pierre Rieu's speech during the presentation of his vision for the WWII Experience Center, during the ceremony at the American military cemetery in Margraten, Netherlands, in honor of the annual Memorial Day on May 24, 2026. Pierre Rieu's speech on Memorial Day on May 24, 2026: "May I ask you to enjoy these lovely smiles for a moment. Do you know why these beautiful children look so happy? Not because we ask them to, but because they live in freedom. "Freedom, which has been said many times today, is perhaps the most precious good that we have. And yet at the same time, the first thing we can lose. "The question is not if we can lose our freedom but how fast. One moment, one decision, one generation looking the other way and everything changes. "This is not a history lesson. This is what happens when you don't understand freedom, because you never had to live without it. Luckily enough, most of our children know wars only from the news, from social media, and from movies. But these are stories, stories without weight. But war is not a story. "Some of you here know that wars weigh more than just the story. So, we try to do something different. "We are developing an Experience Center, where we try to let them [the children] feel it without them realizing that they will become part of that experience. "Have a look." [Pierre then shows a video on the screen, as an example of what the experience could be.] "What you just saw is not about history. It is about them [the children], about the choices that they will soon have to make, about what they will stand for in life. "Like what our friends, Arnold and Harry, did more than 80 years ago, about standing for something. You enlisted, as had been said many times before, at 17 years old to come and liberate our families without knowing any of us, going to a continent that you had never been before. You could have easily turned away from it. "And so, ladies and gentlemen, this is about us. It is our responsibilities to make sure that they truly understand the value of freedom, because a generation that does not feel that will never be able to protect it. "My name is Pierre Rieu and I am dedicated to realize this Experience Center. It is my biggest dream, where the next generation will not only learn the true value of our freedom but where they discover the moment that depends on them, not someday, but in the choices that they will have to make every single day. "I thank you."