Artificial intelligence (AI), data-driven working practices and automation are also making their mark on the hospitality sector. The robot that drives around collecting empty plates in the restaurant of the Van der Valk Hotel The Hague-Wassenaar is tangible proof of this. And yet this is the place where, today, the focus is on the value of human interaction. “The need for genuine connection will always remain,” says Ilja van Reeuwijk. “Especially in these times, people want to feel seen, heard and understood.” As a lecturer at ROC Mondriaan’s International Hotel and Management School (IHMS), she is supervising eight outstanding fourth-year students on the new Hostmanship practical training programme. “In this programme, we explore how hospitality can add meaning to encounters with guests. This allows you to stand out, both as an organisation and as an individual.”

Lecturer Ilja van Reeuwijk (centre) explains the procedure ahead of the experiment at the Van der Valk reception. To her left is her student Hanna; to her right are students Julia and Philip.

The programme was developed in collaboration with Rob van Vlokhoven, who has been appointed as a practor at the school and is responsible for setting up and supervising the research. “AI and technological solutions are often used to make processes more human. In doing so, we have forgotten the power of people themselves; there is hardly any connection with the guest during points of contact,” he says. To identify when and how value can be created through interaction, students first shared their own experiences during their work placements and took part in role-plays. “These students have worked alongside top-level staff at major chains in various parts of the world, so together they possess a wealth of experience that proved invaluable during the data-gathering phase.”

The loveliest little table

“I did an internship at Fairmont Banff Springs in Canada,” says student Philip, beaming. “One of the most special things I experienced there was being able to offer a middle-aged woman the best table in the restaurant. She’d come on her own and it was her first visit, which is why I wanted her to have it. That was greatly appreciated – both by the guest and by the hotel.” Hannah recalls the high standard of service at the Ritz Carlton Penha Longa, near Lisbon. “Several times a day, there was a briefing where all the information about the guests was shared. That knowledge helped to create a personal connection and ensured consistent quality and engagement.”

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Of course, it’s all well and good to work everything out on the drawing board, but it’s only when you put it into practice that things get really interesting. “We’ve been working with Van der Valk for some time now and we’re delighted that they were keen to collaborate on this new practical project as well,” said Van Reeuwijk. “First, the students came here as mystery guests to dine and stay overnight to hone their observation skills. We then translated their findings into measurable factors, and now we’re here to conduct an experiment at the check-in desk to actually make that human connection with the guests and take our hospitality to the next level.”

Professional

“We are, of course, very keen to see the findings and recommendations,” says hotel manager Roxanne Luiten-Snellenberg. “Hostmanship is a key priority for me personally, and this is a great opportunity to take another in-depth look at our processes; this remains necessary because, over time, our focus tends to wane – for example, due to new staff joining the team. But guests‘ preferences and needs are also changing; after we reopened last year following the refurbishment, we more or less started again ’from scratch”.”

Hotel manager Roxanne Luiten-Snellenberg is looking forward to the recommendations.

Van Reeuwijk adds: “Of course, we at IHMS are also learning an awful lot from Roxanne and her team, because everything is run so professionally here.” IHMS Director Jacqueline van der Zwan, for her part, sees this research partnership as a tremendous opportunity to conduct and analyse research, and in doing so, to take hospitality to the next level together with hotels and students. “We learn from and inspire one another. And the research findings are fed back into our teaching.” Time to put it to the test – in which the paradox may well be learning to get closer to yourself. “When you’re standing down there behind reception in a moment’s time, it’s all about what happens to you as a person,” encourages Van Reeuwijk. “Conveying your attitude, joy and pride – that’s the mindset. And it has to happen ‘in the moment’, because you don’t know if you’ll get another chance later on.”

Confidential

Students Julia and Jeroen are the first to take their seats next to a Van der Valk member of staff. Visibly alert, Julia waits for her chance to strike up a conversation with a lady who has come to check in. “I asked her why she was staying the night and whether she’d been to the hotel before,” she explains afterwards. “Not only did she answer, but she also started chatting away of her own accord. Apparently, my questions made her feel seen.”

The findings and recommendations? They’re confidential. “And they don’t really tell us much,” explains Van Vlokhoven. “We’ve now focused on the reception at one hotel, as this is one of the priorities here. But there are, of course, many more points of contact that could be evaluated. Fortunately, that also means there’s still a great deal more to investigate within this research programme in the coming years.”

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