Sex club Nightingale is gone, but Catharina, Olivia and Conny are back home.

Catharina, Olivia, Conny, or Lenny are ladies who worked in the now-closed sex club Nightingale in Eindhoven. But you can visit these ladies again now, as they are now names of rooms in a new B&B in that place, appropriately called De Nachtegaal.

In February 2021, the last sex club in Eindhoven, Nightingale on the Wal, definitively closed its doors. The building, where the former sex club resided, has been thoroughly renovated over the past years. The castle-like facade has disappeared, and the building now counts four luxury apartment rooms, which are rented out as a bed & breakfast.
Which man has never been there at least once? “We cherish the exciting history of this building,” says Myke Hageman, who also runs B&B De Eindhovenaar on the Wal next to De Nachtegaal. “Nightingale was a concept in Eindhoven. Which man has never been there at least once, you might say?”

“We don’t want to hide the past of the building”

Therefore, many things have a nod to the past, she explains. “For example, the rooms are named after some girls who once worked here. And when visitors enter, the towels are neatly laid out on the bed.” Laughing: “Very stylish, just like in the past.” Also, some rooms have photos of kimonos hanging. “We don’t want to hide the past of this building. We want to tell our guests that story, because they usually don’t come from Eindhoven and are not familiar with the history of this building.” Nevertheless, the building has been completely stripped down over the past two years, and the castle facade with battlements has been replaced by a sleek design with large windows. “We have renovated as sustainably as possible,” says Hageman. “There are solar panels on the roof, and the energy is generated via a heat pump. Moreover, we have optimally insulated the building. I think we have made something very beautiful out of it.”

The only legal sex club
The characteristic building, dating back to 1964, was long occupied by watchmaker Dillen. Club Nightingale started there in 2003. Until the coronavirus crisis struck, it was the only legal ‘club’ in the city. But illegal prostitution made it difficult, and ultimately, the corona crisis gave the final push. With the disappearance of Club Nightingale, neighbor Rens van Mierlo got the chance to buy the building. He now rents it out in turn to Myke Hageman.
“We now have a total of eleven apartment rooms on the Wal, which are rented out as a B&B. Minimum for two nights. Especially the weekends have been popular in recent years. You notice that Eindhoven is becoming more attractive for a weekend trip. That was quite different years ago,” says Hageman.