Four years ago, I moved from Uithoorn to The Hague with my family, and I never want to leave. We live in the beautiful Belgisch Park, next to the forest and close to the sea. It’s a quiet neighbourhood with a pleasant, friendly atmosphere. There are shops nearby, and a 10-minute bike ride takes us into the city centre of The Hague. I grew up in Zeeland, so that Maggy Mc Neal song 'Back to the Coast' really resonates with me.
Goodie Bag
Because my best friend is a Hotelschool graduate, I already knew of the school before becoming neighbours. The Hotelschool organised the first local residents meeting in March 2020 to inform us about the renovation plans. We received a warm welcome, and they held a good presentation. I remember it well because the government had just decided to close schools due to Covid-19. It was dramatic for the education sector, of course. My son was studying in Delft at the time, so I sympathised. The Hotelschool restaurants also had to close, but they had a clever way of dealing with the surplus food. After the presentation, we received a bag of fresh fruit and vegetables to take home.
Local residents meeting
Hospitality
The campus renovation was quite tricky for us. We found last summer especially challenging with everything going on next door. We would wake up every morning at 6:30 am to the sound of drilling. At the neighbourhood meeting project team members shared their phone numbers with us. The air conditioning made a hell of a noise at one point, so I called straight away, and they resolved it immediately. We feel that our concerns are handled with respect, and the response is very solution-oriented. The air filter makes too much noise right now, but I have every faith that the Hotelschool will resolve it appropriately with the neighbouring homes. Last winter, we received a letter informing us about possible hindrance due to the renovation. There was a big bar of chocolate too, which was a friendly gesture.
The letter
Sustainable behaviour
Sustainability is an important theme for the school. I understand that many sustainable materials are used in the new building, but sustainability is also about behaviour. Consider smoking; for example, just one cigarette butt contaminates 8 litres of groundwater. There is a tree in front of our house that was used as an ashtray. So I wrote to the school about it, and we never found any cigarette butts again after that. It’s important that students and employees maintain an awareness of sustainable behaviour in everything they do. Being considerate to each other and the environment is an example of good citizenship. I hope our good relationship will remain long after the renovation is finished.
Hans Bosman (Facility manager Hotelschool The Hague) and Anja Haver
“The staff and students
are ambassadors of hospitality.”
Local residents are welcome in the new Bar!
International allure
The Hotelschool was already a real asset to the international city of The Hague. The renovation has prepared the campus for the future, and now it is a site of international allure. I wish the employees and students a wonderful time and much inspiration at the new campus. I'm a proud neighbour!
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