Investing in people leads to happy teams and outstanding guest experiences

Da die General Manager, InterContinental Lisbon and Area General Manager, Portugal - Maarten P. Drenth has built a wealth of experience within the luxury hospitality industry during his award-winning 35 year-long career at IHG Hotels & Resorts. Nachdem er zuvor in Europa, Nord- und Südamerika gearbeitet hat, nutzt Maarten nun sein beträchtliches Fachwissen, um Exzellenz und Exzellenz zu inspirieren. lead teams across four hotels within the IHG portfolio in the Portugal market.

Um die höchsten Standards zu erreichen, ist Maarten davon überzeugt, dass die Förderung von Talenten und die Schaffung einer positiven Mitarbeiterkultur die Grundlage für ein erstklassiges Gästeerlebnis sind.

An early ambition to work in the luxury hospitality industry

“I started out at sixteen years old, working part time washing dishes in a fine dining restaurant. The owner of the establishment gave me opportunities to grow my skills and after two years, I was leading the service at the weekends. Even at that young age, the luxury hospitality industry sparked my interest and I was keen to learn as much as I could.

The next major step in my journey was attending Hotel School, The Hague to gain first-hand experience of how properties are managed and progress towards a leadership position.

During that time, I became aware of InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, as various organisations would come to the university and deliver presentations. I was impressed by the brand’s inclusive and aspirational ethos, as well as its global network.

I applied to do a 12-month management training programme at the InterContinental Miami and after only nine months, the Food & Beverage Director offered me my first leadership role.  

Seven countries, 11 destinations and three continents later, my priorities are now split between my General Manager and Area General Manager duties - including overseeing three market-leading luxury properties in Portugal. It’s a huge responsibility and challenge but one that I relish.” 

The importance of creating a progressive team culture

“People often ask me how it’s possible to keep multiple properties on track and operating to such a high standard.

Firstly, the overarching brand guidelines help us stay consistent in our mission and values. I also use data and insight from our systems to provide me with a clear picture of the progress and performance of our properties.

Aber letztendlich hängt der Erfolg von menschlichen Beziehungen ab. Um dies zu erreichen, arbeite ich eng mit meinem Team im InterContinental Lisbon sowie mit den General Managern der einzelnen Hotels, die ich beaufsichtige, zusammen, um eine offene Kommunikation zu gewährleisten und gegenseitigen Respekt und Vertrauen aufzubauen.

The importance of hiring the right people and taking care of our teams was brought into sharp focus during the pandemic. Needless to say, it was a time of huge change, with many talented individuals leaving an uncertain industry.

By valuing our people and investing in them, we managed to retain the majority of our team throughout this turbulent period, plus experience healthy growth once life began to get back to normal again.

And by ‘investment’ I’m not just talking about the financial rewards - we strive to be a best-in-class employer through the many benefits and initiatives we offer. This includes focusing on aspects such as equal opportunities and inclusion, staff training, growth and wellbeing. All of which helps toward both retaining the fantastic teams that we have in place but also encouraging fresh talent to join IHG.

Dank harter Arbeit und Engagement haben die Teams viele Preise und Auszeichnungen für unsere Immobilien erhalten. Dazu gehörte die Auszeichnung als "Great Place to Work" und einer der "Top 50 Best Places to Work in Portugal".

This focus is very much in line with IHG’s ‘Room to Belong’ and ‘Room to Grow’ strategies, which prioritise our people and the creation of a positive, progressive culture.” 

Sustainability and giving back to the local community

“Giving back to the local community and a commitment to sustainability are also areas that are very important to both myself and the teams in each property.

Im September dieses Jahres hatten unsere Mitarbeiter die Möglichkeit, sich am IHG-Monat "Giving For Good" zu beteiligen, bei dem Kollegen einen bezahlten freien Tag erhalten können, um sich für eine wohltätige Organisation oder einen guten Zweck einzusetzen. In diesem Zusammenhang schätzten wir, dass wir durch Aktivitäten und gesponserte Veranstaltungen das Leben von 2.200 Menschen in der lokalen Gemeinschaft verbessern konnten.

These types of initiatives form part of IHG’s ‘Room to Make a Difference’ ethos, which enables colleagues  to take part in purpose driven projects. It can give team members a real sense of pride to see the wider impact they can have beyond their day to day roles.

With regards to sustainability, we’re always looking at how our properties and services can become more environmentally friendly. This involves everything from how to reduce our carbon footprint via smart energy consumption, to cutting down on single use plastic items.

One area we’ve been particularly successful at tackling has been food waste. By working with a local charity partner - REFOOD, die Mahlzeiten für Menschen kreiert, die sich nicht selbst versorgen können - konnten wir die Lebensmittelverschwendung aus dem Hotel reduzieren und dabei den Bedürftigen helfen.

Im Einklang mit dem 'Journey to Tomorrow' -Ehrgeiz von IHG wurden alle Hotels, die ich verwalte, auch 'Green Key zertifiziert' und wir haben Team Member als Teil unseres 'Green Engage Committee' ernannt, das für die Umsetzung umweltfreundlicher neuer Ideen und Arbeitsweisen verantwortlich ist."

Inspired teams equal guest satisfaction

“All of these elements - from investing in talent, to providing employees with opportunities to do good in the world - have a positive impact on culture and job satisfaction. And when the team is happy, they want to go above and beyond to provide fantastic guest experiences.

Im Laufe der Jahre habe ich gesehen, wie viele Gast in die von mir verwalteten Immobilien zurückgekehrt sind, und ich habe auch einige tolle Freundschaften geschlossen. Natürlich sind diese Hotels allesamt wunderbare Orte mit toller Ausstattung in traumhaften Lagen – aber es sind die Interaktionen mit dem Team und diese emotionale Bindung, die letztendlich den Unterschied ausmachen.

I’ve truly built some wonderful memories with IHG. Whether it’s been overseeing a property during a newsworthy event - such as the inauguration of President George W. Bush in Washington D.C. or a personal moment, like seeing my son’s first steps at the InterContinental Sao Paulo.

Ultimately though, working for a company that shares my values has been the most rewarding experience. The ambition to keep evolving, improving and investing in people - I believe that’s the best path to continued success and future growth.”