Investing in people leads to happy teams and outstanding guest experiences

Sebagai 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. Setelah bekerja di Eropa, Amerika Utara dan Selatan sebelumnya, Maarten sekarang memanfaatkan keahliannya yang luas untuk menginspirasi keunggulan dan lead teams across four hotels within the IHG portfolio in the Portugal market.

Untuk mencapai standar tertinggi, Maarten percaya bahwa memelihara bakat dan menciptakan budaya karyawan yang positif adalah landasan untuk memberikan Pengalaman Tamu terbaik di kelasnya.

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.

Namun pada akhirnya, kesuksesan bergantung pada hubungan antarmanusia. Untuk mencapai hal ini, saya bekerja sama erat dengan tim saya di InterContinental Lisbon, serta para Manajer Umum di setiap hotel yang saya awasi, untuk memastikan komunikasi yang terbuka, serta membangun rasa saling menghormati dan percaya.

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.

Berkat kerja keras dan komitmen, tim telah meraih banyak penghargaan dan pujian untuk properti kami. Penghargaan tersebut termasuk dinobatkan sebagai 'Tempat yang Bagus untuk Bekerja' dan salah satu dari '50 Tempat Terbaik untuk Bekerja di 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.

Selama bulan September tahun ini, karyawan kami berkesempatan untuk terlibat dalam bulan 'Memberi untuk Kebaikan' IHG, di mana rekan kerja dapat menerima hari libur berbayar untuk bekerja dengan lembaga amal atau tujuan mulia. Sebagai bagian dari ini, kami memperkirakan bahwa melalui berbagai kegiatan dan acara yang disponsori, kami mampu membuat perbedaan bagi 2.200 jiwa di masyarakat setempat.

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, yang menciptakan makanan untuk orang-orang yang tidak dapat menyediakannya sendiri - kami dapat mengurangi sampah makanan dari hotel dan membantu mereka yang membutuhkan dalam prosesnya.

Sesuai dengan ambisi IHG dalam ' Journey to Tomorrow', semua properti yang saya kelola juga telah mendapatkan 'Sertifikasi Green Key' dan kami telah menunjuk anggota tim untuk menjadi bagian dari 'KomiteGreen Engage ' kami, yang bertanggung jawab untuk menerapkan ide-ide dan cara kerja baru yang ramah lingkungan.”

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.

Selama bertahun-tahun, saya telah melihat banyak tamu kembali ke properti yang saya kelola dan saya juga telah membangun beberapa persahabatan yang hebat. Tentu saja, semua hotel ini adalah tempat yang indah dengan fasilitas hebat di Lokasi yang fantastis - tetapi interaksi dengan tim dan hubungan emosional itulah yang akhirnya membuat perbedaan.

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.”