About us
In April 1992 Leo began with Lydia de Puy aan een ongekend, groot avontuur! Samen richtten zij een Pension op met een kano- en fietsverhuur. Door het pension aan de haven en de voorliefde voor het kanoën wilden ze anderen graag op een unieke manier kennis laten maken met de mooie omgeving.
Nice to know that the name “Lely” was created by the names of the owners “LEo and LYdia”. Due to the many activities that took place on the water and the location on the harbor, the idea arose to design a water lily as a symbol, giving the name of Hotel-Restaurant Lely a double meaning. The guesthouse quickly grew into a Hotel-Restaurant. Unfortunately, this meant that Leo & Lydia had to stop the canoe and bicycle rental. However, Lely still remains a favorite place for sports enthusiasts and nature lovers.
25 years later, the crowds in the restaurant have increased enormously. After years of renovation, which was completely taken care of by Leo, the previously adjacent bakery has been completely renovated into a hip, contemporary and unique restaurant! Halls have been created where even weddings and/or other events are no longer a problem! Lydia has also given herself completely to the cause. Due to her years of experience, she can no longer be distinguished from an accomplished chef.
From February 15, 2021, Jeroen and Melody have taken over from Leo and Lydia. They are incredibly looking forward to it!
For those who haven't met them yet, let them briefly introduce themselves...
We are Jeroen and Melody Jongerling. We are daughter and son-in-law of Leo and Lydia de Puy, the founders of Hotel-Restaurant Lely, and know each other from chef training! We are now married and have 2 (very) handsome sons: Ben and Tim!
I (Melody) really grew up in “de Lely”, started as a dishwasher and can now call myself the owner for 3 years. I have already worn this title with great pleasure, but my great wish is to be able to do all this with my husband, Jeroen, of course. It's finally here! So many new ideas, so excited to get started. But we still have to be patient.
We will ensure that we maintain the warm feeling that Leo and Lydia have always given! The accessibility remains. The feeling of coming home when you enter our home remains. And the delicious food remains! And sure, things will change, but only if it is for the better of the company!
Chapter 2
We will start a new company called MELS Bar & Kitchen in early 2024. Which will be a completely different concept than the current Lely.