The future of hospitality

Hotel Indigo on Place Rogier in Brussels exudes a casual atmosphere and hospitality. The former Hilton Brussels City has been fully rebranded after an extensive renovation. A hotel with both a special philosophy and special bed linen. BENJAMIN TENIUS, General Manager of Hotel Indigo, and GERT KAP, Commercial Director Hospitality at Nedlin, talk about partnership, sense of community and sheets with a floral jacquard pattern.

Benjamin Tenius & Gert Kap

Right behind Hotel Indigo is the Kruidtuin (Herbal garden), created in 1829 as a botanical garden. Though the park no longer fulfil this official function, the ‘Botanique’ continues to be the city’s green lung. ‘We let ourselves be inspired by the garden’, says Tenius. ‘The green, the flowers, the vitality – we decided to incorporate all of it in the concept.’ Hotel Indigo takes the guest into a world of herbs, flowers and tropical plants. Outside, green walls and perennial palms lure visitors to the terrace. ‘Sometimes it is simply fun to sit under a palm tree with a beer on Place Rogier’, Tenius says smilingly.

Such a special hotel should have special linen, he believes. Together with Nedlin, Tenius is looking for fitting linen. ‘Large hotel chains work with brand standards’, Kap explains. ‘There is not much choice, in design nor in quality. Everything is standard. All beds get the same stripes or dots, or just plain white. Benjamin wanted something special.’ Tenius, smiling: ‘Yeah, let’s get crazy!’

Trust

The men have good memories of the process. Kap: ‘We started with samples with print, but that is a problem when you wash industrially. Then we continued our search until we found this beautiful floral jacquard pattern’. It is illustrative of the partnership between the two companies. Tenius: ‘Not everyone does that. Many companies would present a few options to you as a medium-sized hotel, or charge additional costs. But if you have a vision and work in the same direction together, and you manage to create something like that, everyone benefits’.

Challenges are solved together. ‘That is part of our partnership’, says Tenius. ‘You can be confident that your partners are experts in their own trade. That they know what to do quickly when a problem arises.’ The guests of Hotel Indigo sleep under crisp linen and a sustainable duvet of recycled polyester: not only wonderfully comfortable, but also better for the environment. And more efficient than in the old situation, for Nedlin has recommended to use only three instead of five different sizes. ‘For the double beds we have recommended four pillows in one size’, says Kap. ‘That makes making the bed a lot easier.’

A first-class partner

He considers it one of Nedlin’s strengths: ‘We help the customer and are constantly looking for efficiency to save costs. Linen is a huge cost item for hotels, which is something people tend to forget’. Tenius: ‘We could have chosen cheaper linen, which would have fitted the brand’s standard perfectly. But given our philosophy we decided to go for the best option. We offer a first-class product, and that requires first-class linen’. Smiling: ‘And of course a first-class partner!’

Kap: ‘We call that the Total Cost of Ownership: you invest more, but by limiting the number of sizes, for instance, you increase productivity. And through that, you ultimately lower costs’. ‘We did not necessarily choose the cheapest supplier’, Tenius adds, ‘but we did choose for the best balance between value, money, design and quality. For the best of everything’.

The transition from Hilton to Indigo is gradual. The renovation started when the hotel under the name Hilton was still fully in business. Gradually, it transforms from a business hotel into a boutique hotel that embraces a green lifestyle. ‘That goes from power lines to the design’, says Tenius. ‘It is a holistic, all-encompassing approach in which we try to not only take from nature, but give something back as well.’ Suppliers are also judged on their green intentions – a test Nedlin passes gloriously. This way, Hotel Indigo hopes to become part of a movement in which companies stimulate each other to take the next step.

Staying positive

After the transition there is a hotel that is ready for the future. Until the end of February business went really well. Then COVID-19 struck. ‘We initially thought we would be able to continue after a lockdown of a month’, says Tenius. ‘In no scenario whatsoever had we reckoned with a situation like this one.’ How the future will look he does not know. Brussels is the second largest lobby city in the world, perfectly situated between cities such as Paris, London, Amsterdam and Düsseldorf. But its dependence on government staff and business people also makes the city vulnerable to international trouble, it turns out. Still, Tenius is optimistic: ‘You must remain positive. Don’t let the sun go down. Surprise someone, surprise yourself, live in the moment. Don’t cry, laugh!’

Attention for each other

What mark does he hope to make with Hotel Indigo? ‘For my staff I find it important to experience ourselves what we stand for, to have fun together. I hope people will take steps, maybe here, maybe in another hotel, that makes no difference.’ Guests’ experiences are linked to this. The in-house restaurant Serra serves delicious, mainly vegetarian dishes with local ingredients. ‘We really try to make the connection, with guests too. We take them to the farm that grows our vegetables, to the bakery in Zaventem, to the brewery. Our gardener takes them to the botanical garden.’ Just like Nedlin he has full attention for the local environment. ‘Who are my neighbours, what can I do for them?’

Last year Tenius invited all the city’s cleaners and greenkeepers to thank them for their wonderful park behind the hotel. And there is more. Green piracy on Rue Saint Lazare, plans for bees and nesting boxes, an insect hotel: initiatives that will eventually benefit everyone in the city. In the hotel itself the doors are wide open. ‘Everyone can come in. Of course we like it if you take a drink, but you don’t have to. You need not spend money to be welcome: it is about making this place more and more into a community space.’

Is that the future of hospitality? ‘I think it is’, says Tenius. ‘On the one hand technical developments make it more and more easy to book and check in online, On the other the human aspect is becoming more and more important. The connection, the location, the experience in itself. You are not a guest, you are my friend – that idea. That will become much more important in the future than it used to be.’