Introducing the Divorce Hotel: A new take on the weekend 'break'
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The brainchild of businessman Jim Halfens, couples are guided through the process by a mediator and lawyers who help 'split assets, agree alimony payments, and arrange visitation rights - all for a fixed fee'", according to news.com.au.
Halfens says he spotted a gap in the market after noting the average divorce can take months and is extremely pricey, often running in to five figures.
He told Sky News: "When they leave the hotel, all work is done. The only thing that happens then in Dutch law is that they have to show the agreement to a judge in the Netherlands and that takes a couple of weeks.
"They walk divorced out of this door and to make it official takes a couple of weeks."
Halfens uses a number of boutique hotels in the country, including the Carlton Ambassador Hotel in The Hague.
Couples are screened by the 'Divorce Hotel' legal team before checking in, and if they are not on speaking terms they are deemed unsuitable for the process.
Sales manager Ninke Bons says couples often check in together, but stay in separate rooms, and added: "We treat them as any other guests, we just try to keep a closer eye on them or make sure they are not wandering around by themselves."
Halfens sees potential in the idea to expand it to other countries, including America and Germany.
And a TV production company - multi Emmy Award-winning firm Base Productions - is interested in making a programme about the process, proposing a "high-gloss documentary series examining couples as they go through the process and how conflicts are resolved as the spoils are divided".
Celebs who holiday with their exes
- Kerry Katona and Brian McFadden<p> After their bitter break-up in 2004, Kerry Katona and ex-husband Brian McFadden holidaying together seemed out of the question, but the pair who are said to be amicable now are taking their relationship to the next level by planning a divorce-cation. After his break-up with singer Delta Goodrem, the parents are now both single and Kerry has invited Brian to travel with her and daughters Lilly-Sue and Molly for a family holiday to mark Molly's 10th birthday this summer. An insider told Now magazine: 'She's planning a holiday to Disneyland Paris or Spain for Molly's birthday and has invited him to join them.'</p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p>
- Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson<p> Since their divorce in 1996, Prince Andrew and Fergie have made annual skiing trips to the Alps with daughters Beatrice and Eugenie. In February 2011, the family went to the exclusive ski resort of Verbier, Switzerland where they took to the slopes and enjoyed lunching together at Chalet d'Adrien, the resort's most exclusive hotel. Prince Andrew and Fergie are said to be so close that they've even taken holidays together without the kids after their divorce!</p>
- Arianna Huffington and Michael Huffington<p> Arianna Huffington, president and editor in chief of the Huffington Post Media Group, and her politician ex husband Michael waited 12 years after their divorce before they took their first holiday together with the kids in Greece in 2009. 'It feels completely natural to be able to sit on a beautiful beach or stroll through the lovely streets of Agios Nikolaos together,' Arianna wrote on her blog for the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/" target="_blank">Huffington Post</a>. She also spoke of how holidaying with her ex was a positive experience during which they could enjoy eating, exploring and relaxing as a foursome, with the children as their focus.</p>
- Britney Spears and Kevin Federline<p> After travelling the world for her tour in 2009, Britney Spears headed to Thailand on holiday, where she reportedly rented out the entire Six Senses Samui resort so she could treat her backing dancers and staff to a break too. Britney also invited ex-husband Kevin Federline, who is father to her two sons Sean Preston and Jayden James, as well as his girlfriend Victoria Prince. Tres modern, n'est pas?</p>
- Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall and Andrew Parker Bowles<p> In 2008 Prince Charles' wife Camilla checked into the Carlisle Bay hotel in Antigua, where she holidayed with her children, Tom and Laura, their spouses, as well as father to her children and ex-husband, Andrew Parker Bowles and his late wife Rosemary. Prince Charles reportedly passed on the trip because of the environmental impact of taking too many flights, but later met with Camilla for their 11-day royal tour of the Caribbean. Charles and Camilla had also previously spent time with Andrew and Rosemary at the Queen's Norfolk estate, Sandringham.</p>
- Dawn French and Lenny Henry<p> The TV comics divorced after 25 years of marriage in 2009 but confirmed they had stayed friends, and a year after they announced the split were spotted returning from a break in the Caribbean with their adopted daughter Billie. The couple previously pledged to keep a close friendship for the sake of Billie and looked as though they were doing just that as they arrived smiling at Heathrow Airport.</p>
- Demi Moore and Bruce Willis<p> It's no secret these two remained friends after their divorce in 2000, and Demi Moore and her current husband Ashton Kutcher have been seen on holiday with her ex-husband Bruce Willis, with whom she has daughters Rumer (pictured), Scout and Tallulah. In 2007 Willis told Vanity Fair: 'It's hard to understand, but we go on holidays together.... We still raise our kids together - we still have that bond.' The extended family have holidayed together in the Caribbean, staying at Bruce Willis' luxury holiday home.</p>
- Jude Law and Sadie Frost<p> The actor and model showed their kids that divorce-cations can be a blast when they treated Rafferty, Iris and Rudy to a trip to America to see the Blue Man Group musical in Las Vegas for the Easter holidays. Jude and his ex-wife Sadie, who have maintained a good relationship for their children since splitting up in 2003, also went horse-riding in Santa Barbara, visited Joshua Tree National Park and the Mojave Desert and saw Cirque du Soleil's Love during their travels to Nevada and California.</p> <p> While away, Sadie even Tweeted her enjoyment saying: 'First night in Vegas- it's a theme park for adults! Watching neon and watching folk smoking indoors whilst gambling...'</p>
- Sir Paul McCartney and Heather Mills<p> In 2007 when McCartney and Heather Mills were at the peak of their very public and messy divorce, the pair reportedly booked a summer holiday in New York so they could both spend time with their daughter Beatrice. While they were planning the trip, one of Paul's close friends told the News of the World: 'Incredible as it may seem, the idea looks like a goer... If they go to Macca's Hamptons mansion in New York, as they're thinking, they'll be away from prying eyes and pretty much on neutral ground,' he said. <strong><a href="http://travel.aol.co.uk/2011/04/27/spotted-celebs-on-holiday-2011/" target="_blank">SEE MORE PICS OF CELEBS ON HOLIDAY HERE!</a></strong></p> <p> </p>
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