In an exciting collaboration with Hoteliers.com, their Founder Patrick Brand has been on the hunt for unique personal stories and insights into what drives hoteliers to deliver top-level performances every day.
On this wintry day, I cycle through the Vondelpark into the inhabited world of Oud Zuid. Here, in the former Pillows Hotel, Maison ELLE Amsterdam is now located. In the spirit of the magazine, Maison ELLE Amsterdam is developed as a Lifestyle hotel for guests that love fashion and enjoyment. The concept has blown over from Paris and is now set to conquer Amsterdam. I am warmly welcomed by the brand-new hotel manager Femke Rademakers. There is a fashion shoot going on where young girls in glittery outfits go wild with the camera.
Femke has just graduated from the Hotel Management School Maastricht and is newly employed.
How would you describe your hotel concept to someone new to the brand?
A hotel needs love! The concept fits the building. Love is the homecoming feeling and is about the way you welcome, the right wording to the guest. The static approach, which you often see in the hotel industry, doesn't fit here. It's about striking the right balance between informal and professional, making the space homely with the help of the design team and bringing standard operating procedures to life. Your suitcase is taken as you enter, you get a drink, and the holiday begins! For local tips, we use our personal network, and we work with parties with the same level of service. We will build a SPA in the garden where you can go to the SPA with the ELLE bathrobe, take a yoga class or get a facial.
Do you have a Motto?
Never say never. This comes from my father's entrepreneurialism, there is always a solution.
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The Hotelier Edit: Bram Van Der Hoek, CEO of Sircle Collection
The Independent Hotel Show team had the pleasure of interview Bram Van Der Hoek, the charismatic CEO of Sircle Collection, an independent group of creative hospitality brands. We met him in Sir Adam Hotel in Amsterdam. Housed in the iconic A'DAM Tower, it pulsates with the creative energy of its neighbours like MassiveMusic and Sony Music.
Tell us about yourself and your experience in the industry
I am the CEO for Sircle Collection and have been with the company since day one. I joined the company in 2006 as I was the General Manager of Park Centraal in Amsterdam, and it was bought by our current owner from Marriott. Back then boutique hotels didn’t really exist it was all very mainstream, so we decided to convert a hotel to a boutique lifestyle with a destination PanAsian Restaurant, Barr & Lounge MOMO. Even though the hotel had nearly 200 bedrooms, which is a lot more than most would consider a boutique hotel, it was a big success. It was a really difficult time, as it was between 2008 and 2009 when there was the financial crisis, but the hotel entered the market at the right time and really flew from the start.
I grew up in hospitality, my first experience in hospitality was as an intern when I did the night shift on reception at a hotel. I instantly fell in love with the industry, especially when you are in operations there are so many things going on that no one knows about. I did this for just over 6 months and then moved onto my second internship which was completely different as was on the Caribbean, so a destination company.
On my return to the Netherlands in the early nineties the hotel was looking to set up a sales department which was new for the industry. I started working within Sales and Marketing which I did for 10 years before becoming a General Manager in the Park Centraal.
What made you choose to pursue a career in hospitality?
When I was younger it was very rare for people to go abroad for holidays outside Europe, and I was fortunate to have the opportunity to go to Canada to visit family. It showed me how much more there is in the world. Everything is related to the feeling that trip gave me of wanting to escape the small village I grew up in and be within an environment where travel would be involved. The whole dynamic within hotels, meeting new cultures etc. is all related to that one trip.
What is your favourite part of your job now?
Firstly, I have a different job every year. Although my job title doesn’t change a lot, for 7 years now I have been the CEO of the company as we grew our footprint in Europe. What I really like about my job is learning to let things go, of course I have micromanaging tendencies and I notice things others wouldn’t. This is good, but as the company grows you need to look for that talent in others. I give our employees a lot of empowerments as the team is always included and involved in what we are doing. There is trust that they can make mistakes, and I think once you start to involve your team great things happen.