Check out our interview with Bart van de Brug, Regional General Manager, Pulitzer Amsterdam and discover more about his experience within the hospitality industry and Lore Group. We also had the pleasure of visiting Pulitzer Amsterdam, located across twenty-five golden age canal houses, each hotel room and luxury suite at Pulitzer Amsterdam is an individual celebration of Dutch history and craftsmanship and it was a delight to visit. 

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Tell us about yourself and your experience in the hospitality industry. 

My hospitality experience began at Stenden University, back then ‘Hogere Hotelschool Leeuwarden’, in 1999 for which I held my internship at the Sheraton Amsterdam Airport Hotel & Conference Center in the Housekeeping department, an experience I still hold dearly. I moved to Front Office, receiving the support by my supervisors to climb the ranks. The 24/7 buzz from an airport hotel is something I’ll never forget and some colleagues from that time are still great friends. Being part of the Starwood chain, I moved to the Westin Hotel Rotterdam as Front Office Manager and later Rooms Division Manager. The hotel became independent in 2009 and moved on with a new name as The Manhattan Hotel, Rotterdam. I decided to stay onboard to experience working for an independent hotel vs chain affiliated as I was used to. From my new position as Executive Assistant Manager, I was promoted to General Manager in 2014.

Within this role, the hotel went under a rebranding and repositioning in the Rotterdam market, which had turned into a must-see city by the Lonely Planet. In 2016, after completing a full renovation, the hotel rebranded into the Rotterdam Marriott Hotel.

In April 2019, I joined Lore Group as the General Manager of the Kimpton De Witt in Amsterdam, which just became part of London-based Lore Group. A year later and still currently, I was given the fantastic opportunity to look after both Lore Group hotels in Amsterdam in a regional role and besides Kimpton became responsible for the magical Pulitzer Amsterdam.

What else to say, fiancé to Eveline, father of 3, loves to cook, travel, spend time with friends, terrible dancer, competitive, works hard, but always having fun along the way.

What made you choose to pursue a career in hospitality?

Honestly, I already knew at quite a young age, I wanted to go to a hotel school. Besides the side jobs in restaurants, I was attracted by the buzzing world of hotels. As a kid, I never really got to experience staying in hotels, so I guess there was something magical about it.

What’s your favourite part of your job?

A few things: no day is the same, each day is filled with variety and you get to work with great and interesting group of people. Especially the latter gets me out of bed each day. We’ve got an inspiring team at Lore Group and I’m extremely proud of their creativity and perseverance! It is incredible to see what we’re able to achieve for our guests each day.

What does a great customer experience look like at your hotel, and what makes it unique?

When it feels intuitive, personal - not scripted and with a tremendous eye for detail.

How are you approaching the issue of sustainability?

This challenge should be embraced to the fullest. At Lore Group in Amsterdam, there is a full time CSR Manager, reporting into me, and a green team looking after our sustainability initiatives. Just a few examples of recent achievements; we were one of the first luxury hotels in Amsterdam to move away from single use bathroom amenities many years ago. Pulitzer Amsterdam holds a Green Globe certificate and Kimpton De Witt is participating in a pilot with City Hub for electric last mile delivery. We believe this challenge is best approached when working together, hence we’re proud participant of the Green Hotel Club.

What piece of advice would you give someone looking to start a career in the hotel sector?

You can design your own career and you get to work in a people industry which is challenging and lots of fun at the same time. Be curious, discover new things and the possibilities are endless. Yes, it can be hard work and long hours from time to time, but the people part is worth every effort and will give your experiences for a lifetime.

What’s really exciting you about the hotel industry right now?

The fast moving world of technology is providing amazing opportunities to our industry. Allowing us to rely on tech for several aspects of the guest journey as well as our internal processes, but still allows us for more human touch where it really adds value.

Outside of Pulitzer Amsterdam what is your favourite hotel in The Netherlands or Europe?

It’s not a hotel, but small B&B in heart of Burgundy….Maison Deveney Mars.

You’re welcomed with the warmth and generosity you experience when staying with a family member. It is what we strive for at our hotels, just at a bit larger scale.

If your hotel had a theme song, what would it be and why?

‘I lived’ from One Republic, the song is about embracing experiences, and making meaningful memories.

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