Stephan Stokkermans, managing director Huis ter Duin

Located in Noordwijk aan Zee, is Grand Hotel Huis ter Duin. A hotel with a rich history, prominent guests and a family business at heart. At the helm is managing director Stephan Stokkermans, aka "Hotelier of the Year 2019. Stokkermans came in 28 years ago and the rest is history... Inspired, ambitious and passionate about the business; MASTERS talks to him. Who was his wheelbarrow?Text: Mical Joseph
Image: Grand Hotel Huis ter Duin

What kept you busy in the past?

"I was mostly into tennis and soccer during my teenage years in Tilburg. Especially with soccer, I played at Willem II. Besides my high school education, I wanted to work in the hospitality industry, but this turned out not to be such a good combination with soccer. Therefore, I stopped playing top sports and developed my increasing interest in the Hotel Management School Maastricht."

Did your family also work in the hospitality or hotel industry?

"No, not at all. My family at the time actually wanted me to go to heao or study economics. So my choice of hotel school was not in their line of thought, but I was accepted and have never regretted my choice of study."

How did you end up in your current job?

"I did an internship at a company that purchased hotel rooms and organized conferences, later Weekendjeweg.nl. There I came in as a management trainee and left as deputy director. In 1993 we organized a successful congress in Huis ter Duin. This event greatly pleased the hotel's organization, so I was offered the position of sales manager. I grabbed this opportunity with both hands and never left. In 1995 I married my wife Marianne, this made me a member of the Huis ter Duin family, the owners. Since 2016 I have held the role of managing director, with my role feeling more like my hobby than actual 'work'."

Who was your wheelbarrow?

"During my career I have known three important wheelbarrows. I got to know Roland Rijpma, the founder of Weekendjeweg.nl, when he was my internship supervisor at Centerparcs. A few years later he started for himself and I did my aforementioned management internship. Roland taught me a new line of business, as we were extremely innovative in the 1990s. Our focus then was on automation and as the years progressed, Weekendjeweg.nl became wildly popular.

The role of Marian Noorlander, my predecessor as director, has also been special. I took over from her 23 years after I started at Huis ter Duin. At the international level, Onno Poortier was important to me. As the former CEO of Peninsula Hotels, he put me on the map in the international hotel world. Onno also got me on the board of Preferred Hotels (the marketing organization of Huis ter Duin). He taught me the intricacies of the luxury 'hotel trade' as well as what it's like in a boardroom."

You've been in the business for 28 years now. What is the big difference between the hotel business then and now?

"The definition of luxury has been reinvented today. Before, luxury hotels were mostly very stiff and traditional. In recent years, luxury has become much more contemporary and more a combination of high touch and high tech. A development that only works out positively for us where Huis ter Duin, as a family business, switches quickly. Especially in times like these."

Speaking of the current corona period, what have you learned as managing director of Huis ter Duin over the past period?

"I noticed that hospitality and hospitality are definitely one of the important life needs of people. That awareness is good for the profession because it kept me thinking about areas for improvement and developments as a hotelier. Unfortunately, of course, there is also a lot of vulnerability in this industry and last year we had to make a sad decision to let go of a number of colleagues."

What is your greatest passion in your profession?

"For 23 years I have stood up for the 'people factor' every day. By this I mean both the guest and the employee. The great thing about people is that now that we are gradually reopening, the energy and atmosphere is coming back into the building. Each individual has a story and without people around me I would find this profession much less interesting."

What has been the biggest learning moment in your career?

"On September 11, 2001, Huis ter Duin had a group of forty Americans as guests for a Preferred Hotels conference. Due to the attacks, the group was not yet able to return to the United States so they stayed at the hotel longer. This terrible event gave me a good understanding of the role I played as a hotelier in good times, but also in bad times: to accommodate, house and (dis)care for guests."

In 2019, you were named Hotelier of the Year. What is still on your business bucket list to accomplish in the hotel industry?

"This renowned award was a very nice affirmation for the whole team. A recognition for our passion, our place in the Dutch hotel industry and for the family business. I am now at a point where I literally and figuratively want to write Huis ter Duin's next book. We are entering a phase where it is time to take the hotel back to higher international allure. This will spread over a number of years with various investments. Huis ter Duin is going to develop even more, not only in the hotel itself, but also outside it."

What advice would you give your 18-year-old self?

"Always follow your heart, because if you follow it, you will never regret it!"

Have you been a wheelbarrow for anyone?

"I enjoy developing and challenging young talent. If I can inspire trainees and employees within our company and help them advance in their careers, it's a crowning achievement."