Investing in people leads to happy teams and outstanding guest experiences

En tant que 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. Après avoir travaillé en Europe, en Amérique du Nord et en Amérique du Sud, Maarten met aujourd'hui son expertise au service de l'excellence et de l'innovation. lead teams across four hotels within the IHG portfolio in the Portugal market.

Pour atteindre les normes les plus élevées, Maarten estime que l'épanouissement des talents et la création d'une culture d'entreprise positive sont les fondements d'une Expérience client de premier ordre.

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.

Mais en fin de compte, le succès dépend des relations humaines. Pour y parvenir, je travaille en étroite collaboration avec mon équipe de l'InterContinental Lisbon, ainsi qu'avec les directeurs généraux de chacun des hôtels que je supervise, afin de garantir une communication ouverte et d'instaurer un respect et une confiance mutuels.

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.

Grâce à leur travail acharné et à leur engagement, les équipes ont obtenu de nombreux prix et récompenses pour nos propriétés. Ils ont notamment été nommés "Great Place to Work" (lieu de travail idéal) et "Top 50 Best Places to Work in Portugal" (50 meilleurs lieux de travail au 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.

En septembre de cette année, nos employés ont eu l'occasion de participer au mois "Giving For Good" d'IHG, au cours duquel les collègues peuvent bénéficier d'un jour de congé payé pour travailler avec une organisation caritative ou une cause digne d'intérêt. Dans ce cadre, nous estimons qu'à travers des activités et des événements sponsorisés, nous avons pu changer la vie de 2 200 personnes au sein de la communauté locale.

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 - REFOODNous avons ainsi pu réduire les déchets alimentaires de l'hôtel et aider les personnes dans le besoin.

Conformément à l'ambition "Journey to Tomorrow" d'IHG, toutes les propriétés que je gère ont également été certifiées " Clé verte " et nous avons nommé un membre de l'équipe pour faire partie de notre " ComitéGreen Engage ", responsable de la mise en œuvre de nouvelles idées et méthodes de travail respectueuses de l'environnement ".

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.

Au fil des ans, j'ai vu de nombreux clients revenir dans les propriétés que j'ai gérées et j'ai également noué de grandes amitiés. Bien sûr, ces hôtels sont tous des lieux merveilleux, dotés d'équipements remarquables et situés dans des destinations fantastiques, mais ce sont les interactions avec l'équipe et ce lien émotionnel qui font la différence.

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.”