‘IT’S BRILJANT TO DEVELOP THE HOTEL FURTHER AND TAP INTO NEW MARKETS’

Chat with Janneke van Beuzekom, general manager at Hotel Holiday Inn Amsterdam Hotel 

Holiday Inn Amsterdam occupies a building on De Boelelaan that went up fifty years ago. Originally built as a Esso Motor Hotel, back then this was the tallest hotel for miles. In fact, taller structures weren’t allowed on account of the telecom tower. Hotel Holiday Inn Amsterdam has 264 rooms, 11 conference rooms and an open lobby with a cosy bar area serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. Hello Zuidas caught up with General Manager Janneke van Beuzekom to hear more about the hotel.

You’ve been general manager at Hotel Holiday Inn for about six months now. How’s it going so far? 

‘Great. I returned to the Amsterdam hotel market after a 14-year hiatus and it’s an adventure. I feel very energized by working with new teams and it’s brilliant to be further developing the hotel and tapping into new markets.’ 

Looking to the near future, what challenges lie ahead? 

‘That would be all the new hotels going up around Holiday Inn. The coming year will see more than 1,200 rooms added within a radius of one kilometre. So competition is heating up. For our team at Holiday Inn this means we’ll have to double down on differentiating ourselves and building our customer relations, and of course ensuring the highest quality.’ 

What makes this hotel attractive in Zuidas? 

‘The hotel’s location is convenient for visitors to Zuidas. It’s near the motorway, has good transit links and we’ve got our own car park. The hotel team is highly dedicated to guests and combines a mix of old pros and lots of young people. Thanks to that mix of ages there’s a very friendly atmosphere. We also have 11 modern yet intimate conference rooms equipped with all the requisite technology. And our open lobby is a great place to grab a coffee or have lunch or drinks.’ 

Recently you renovated your conference rooms. Could you tell us more about that? 

‘All the meeting spaces were given a complete makeover last summer. Besides new carpeting we also invested in new equipment. Now all the rooms are suited to a variety of uses. For meetings, trainings and other gatherings we of course also provide delicious lunches and dinners. That makes us an ideal location for local companies too, being nearby yet far enough from the office to meet productively. We invite everyone in Zuidas to come get acquainted.’