In an exciting collaboration with Patrick Brand of Hoteliers.com, Independent Hotel Show Amsterdam has been on the hunt for unique personal stories and insights into what drives hoteliers to deliver top-level performances every day.  

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When you enter The Social Hub, you get a taste of the city and the dynamics of the community. It is a mix of travellers, locals, students, creatives, and entrepreneurial individuals. Inside is a STACH outlet that not only offers coffee, lunch or a snack but also sells lifestyle items.

I soon meet Felicia Schreiner in the lobby of The Social Hub Amsterdam City, looking for a good spot for the interview I get a little tour and first impression of this original concept. The Social Hub also offers co-working, meeting and event spaces where over 200 events a month across their 17 hubs in Europe are organized.

Felicia has a marketing background and joined Scotch &Soda after her internship in Sydney. Here she was initially responsible for social media until branding caught her interest, this is where her passion lies and her eyes light up when she talks about it. During the Independent Hotel Show, Felicia will participate in a panel on Harmony in Hospitality: Navigating Societal Shifts and Community Connections.

Scotch & Soda, a well-known brand in the fashion industry, is quite different from the hospitality business would you think? Felicia explains that there are similarities with The Social Hub. “Working in fashion I noticed I was often looking for purpose and connecting to impactful organizations or charity initiatives. The Social Hub is a purpose-driven organization with a clear goal in mind. For me, the purpose of an organization is key and not the industry I work in. We try to get everyone on board with our mission, of creating a better society! Creating meaningful experiences and being a gathering place where people of all walks of life come together."

"I think it is very important that as an organization you are engaged in a true purpose and try to differentiate yourself. We offer a learn, stay, work & play experience within an open and genuine environment. This means not just talking the talk but also walking the walk. Being here for this community-driven purpose feels inspiring and fun.

What makes The Social Hub unique?

We have a hybrid hospitality model and are pioneers in this, we set up our rooms so that guests can stay for one night but also for several months. When the semester is over for our long-stay students, we can easily switch to rooms for short-stay guests. We mix co-workers with students, and this doesn't feel forced, when you book The Social Hub you are looking for connection and are open to meeting like-minded individuals, locals and other guests. Regardless of age, it's about the mindset, the openness and creating lifetime memories.

We have our community experiences program; we want our community to be part of it. That's why we organize over 200 events across all our hubs per month. These can be yoga or art workshops, but we also have a signature Monday morning coffee where we always start the week together. Students, co-workers, and anyone can join and The Social Hub coordinates and facilitates this. Each location has a connector, who is your guardian to the hub as well as the city. I am responsible for our 6 locations in the Netherlands, all branches outside Amsterdam. At each location, we work with a group of ambassadors who fit our DNA and are the narrators to distribute our message. These are changemakers who create an impact in the city. Through this network, we expand on our community.

The Student Hotel to Social Hub? What challenges did you come across?

We had outgrown the old name, and our community has become much broader. With this new name, we say it all, hub symbolizes bringing people physically together and social is the word we put central in this. I joined a year after the re-branding. I wanted to align with a vision that touches me personally and suits me.

What would be the steps to transform a brand?

With a new name, you need a eureka moment and that's it! Our name has a meaning and stands for something. I think it's important in the world we live in now as there is a lot of noise and people are focused on themselves a lot. Connection is therefore so important and not to lose sight of one another or engage with each other. We are on our phones a lot and face a lot of stimuli and news throughout the day, so it’s all about the human connection! Contributing to this is valuable and that's what we do.

Also, a re-brand takes time and needs to land, it is important to bring people along, and communicate why you are doing it and what the purpose is. Then clarify what the name means. For example, students were always at the core of our old positioning. In the re-branding, we have included them in the transition, explaining it is a broadening of our positioning where students are still very much put central. Looking at the name it embodies a lot. Social stands for the community aspect but can also explained by looking at our sustainability mission. This is also backed up hopefully soon with a B-Corp certificate, which we are currently undergoing evaluation for.

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

It starts in the pre-journey to properly inform the guests upon arrival what the possibilities are and familiarize them with the Social Hub. We have an app available for download. The needs of course depend on the length of the stay, for example, long-stay guests have a greater need for information about our monthly events and would be more likely to download the app. During the stay, the role of the connector is there again central, filling the guest's need with essential information about the hub, our events and the city. Our events and activities have meaningful topics such as diversity and inclusion. For example, we organize our Better Society Masterclass, which is an experience that brings together people with different backgrounds with the opportunity to expand their network and learn from each other to build an inclusive society. These topics fit our values such as being bold, curious, entrepreneurial and conscious. As a brand, we do draw clear boundaries, so we are bold but not activist. Aftercare is also important to us in which we measure customer happiness through a customer satisfaction score and see how we can learn from this.

What do you think are some societal changes in travel behaviours?

People today have a need to feel that they are part of something, and this is becoming even more powerful. Guests might want to sleep somewhere less and less functional and book a hotel room where they have opportunities to interact with people, looking for a story that resonates with theirs. Expectations are getting higher in this, and you need to stand out to give meaning to each experience. By giving this you create true brand loyalty.

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

Happiness is the key to success, not the other way around. This might sound cliché, but at the end of the day, this is what makes you wake up every day ready to go!