The IHA team met with Jolanda Sadni, General Manager, INK Hotel Amsterdam – Mgallery , a luxury boutique hotel where the traditional rules of  hospitality are freely translated to the modern day, rewriting the definition of ‘luxury’. 

The properties of MGallery Hotel Collection tell a unique story inspired by its remarkable past or the destination it calls home. From bespoke design and sensorial mixology to well-being dedicated to everyday self-care. 

INK Hotel Amsterdam – MGallery owes its name to the rich history of the building in which, as former home of the Dutch newspaper ‘De Tijd’, stories were conceived, written and brought to life in ink. It is still the place “where stories are yet to be written”.

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

I was 17 years old when I started in hospitality and have never left the industry. After working in The Netherlands, I went abroad for 6 months for a summer job in the UK. Eventually these 6 months abroad became 28 years. I worked in 8 different countries across Europe, Africa and Central America. During these 28 years of living abroad, I worked in various leadership roles for Hilton, Sheraton, Disneyland Paris (for 15 years) and Accor (for 14 years). During my 13 years at Accor I have been Hotel Manager of Sofitel Marrakech, General Manager of Sofitel Fes and General Manager of Sofitel Mauritius, in all 3 hotels I was the first female GM ever. In 2016 I returned to The Netherlands to become General Manager of INK Hotel Amsterdam – Mgallery.

What made you choose to pursue a career in hospitality? 

As I grew up working in hospitality I experienced all the positions there are and discovered what I liked to do. The biggest punishment you could give me is to put me in an office, I just knew I needed to be on the floor and interact with people that is what I love to do. 

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

Be curious and always ask questions. If you show genuine interest in people and their ideas, you’ll get so many new insights and ideas. Take time to ask questions, listen carefully and especially be open-minded! Lastly, think about what’s in it for you, does the place help you to get where you want?

How would you describe the INK Hotel to someone new to the brand?

The building of the hotel was home to the Amsterdam newspaper De Tijd (The Times) right up until 1974. INK Hotel Amsterdam opened its door in 2015 and is continuing to write stories. Storytelling can be found throughout the whole hotel and the restaurant. Our hotel stands for diversity and inclusion and we don’t just say that but we also put meaning behind it. We are supporting the LGBTQIA+ community and every year during pride month we have been hosting a PINK event to raise awareness to their rights. 

What does a great guest experience look like at INK Hotel and what makes it unique?

A great guest experience may be translated to exceeding our guest’s expectations. We do this by putting the guests first and creating memorable moments for them. One of the things we do for all our guests is making a personalized newspaper to welcome them in their room.

What are some of the sustainability initiatives that are implemented at INK Hotel? 

To start, we want everyone to be involved in this journey so our teams are trained on sustainable behaviour at work, such as removal of many single-use plastic items, using  sustainable cleaning products our sustainable amenities and our signature dish – which is vegetarian as we’re aware of the impact meat and fish production has on our planet and our food waste reduction programme. Guests can take part by reusing their towels, which saves on water and energy. We then reinvest 50% of the savings generated into agroforestry projects. Being sustainable also means caring for those around us. We have an international team that recognises and respects each other’s differences. These are some of the initiatives implemented, we are aiming to communicate the sustainability measures taken in our hotel to all of our (potential) guests and making sustainability a priority.

What two things do you think are important to making a hotel stay a truly memorable/ outstanding experience for guests (from your opinion when travelling)? 

I believe exceptional service is the most important thing as it makes your hotel stand out from other hotels and storytelling is a crucial element to have in your hotel which makes (potential) guests more curious and interact with your hotel.  

What is your go-to marketing tool for reaching new guests? 

INK Hotel Amsterdam – MGallery is very active on multiple social media platforms to reach these new guests. We believe it is important to spread the word online about our wonderful hotel. Several social media strategies are implemented such as influencer marketing and a focus on Reels. 

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We were lucky enough to welcome Jolanda to the Independent Hotel Show earlier this year as a speaker for the 'Hospitality with an authentic smile' session, you can watch the recording of this below.