Hotel De Doelen is situated in a clasiccal building, with a a long history.

Rapenburg 2 has been in use as a hotel since 1978.
At that time the famous "Restaurant de Doelen" was still there.

Many adjustments and rebuildings have left their traces. Several details of different style-ages can still be found in Hotel De Doelen.

In 1668 the owners, the brothers Claes, have Rapenburg 2 built.

• Detail of rococoplaster, placed during a modernisation in 1760, by owners Hendrik Sandijk en Anna Sautijn.

In 1760 owner Sandijk gest a permit to five have stone palisades in front of his house. These characteristic palisades are still there.

• Het woodcarvings by the stairs were made at the end of the 18th cenury, aswell as the frontdoor.
  
  

It wasn't before 1873 that the houses Breestraat 3-5 are split from Rapenburg 2.

One more restauration takes place, by Hermanus Noordman.

WG van Veen starts restaurant De Doelen in Rapenburg 2, just after WW2.

In 1978 de current owner starts exploiting Rapenburg 2 as Hotel De Doelen. After some years the restaurant makes place for more rooms.

The name
"De Doelen" originates from the old civic guards, called Schutters (Archers). Those schutters kept guard over the city and its surroundings.

The most famous of all civic guards is of course the Militia Company of Captain Frans Banning Cocq., painted by Rembrandt van Rijn on the "Night Watch", 1642

Much in the direct area of Hotel De Doelen reminds of teh Archers; Doelenpoort, Doelensteeg, Doelenkazerne and Doelenhuis.

De poort van de Sint Jorisdoelen
De poort van de Sint Jorisdoelen dateert uit 1645 en gaf destijds toegang tot het terrein van de Voorste- of Sint Jorisdoelen, de oefenplaats van de Leidse Schutterij. Het beeldhouwwerk op de poort stelt Sint Joris voor die de draak verslaat.

Since halfway the 18th century Archers were garrisoned at the Doelenterrein. At the beginning of the 19th century a new building was built for the garrisin, which was completed in 1808. This building mot probably was part of the later Doelenbarracks which was built on the north side of the Doelenarea at the Groenhazengracht.

After WW2 the barracks where closed and where purchased by the university of Leiden. Since then a lot of new building was done.