Investing in people leads to happy teams and outstanding guest experiences

As the General Manager, InterContinental Lisbon and Area General Manager, Portugal - Maarten P. Drenth has built a wealth of experience within the luxury hospitality industry during his award-winning 35 year-long career at IHG Hotels & Resorts. Having worked in Europe, North and South America previously, Maarten now harnesses his considerable expertise to inspire excellence and lead teams across four hotels within the IHG portfolio in the Portugal market.

To achieve the highest standards, Maarten believes that nurturing talent and creating a positive employee culture is the bedrock for delivering best-in-class guest experiences.

An early ambition to work in the luxury hospitality industry

“I started out at sixteen years old, working part time washing dishes in a fine dining restaurant. The owner of the establishment gave me opportunities to grow my skills and after two years, I was leading the service at the weekends. Even at that young age, the luxury hospitality industry sparked my interest and I was keen to learn as much as I could.

The next major step in my journey was attending Hotel School, The Hague to gain first-hand experience of how properties are managed and progress towards a leadership position.

During that time, I became aware of InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, as various organisations would come to the university and deliver presentations. I was impressed by the brand’s inclusive and aspirational ethos, as well as its global network.

I applied to do a 12-month management training programme at the InterContinental Miami and after only nine months, the Food & Beverage Director offered me my first leadership role.  

Seven countries, 11 destinations and three continents later, my priorities are now split between my General Manager and Area General Manager duties - including overseeing three market-leading luxury properties in Portugal. It’s a huge responsibility and challenge but one that I relish.” 

The importance of creating a progressive team culture

“People often ask me how it’s possible to keep multiple properties on track and operating to such a high standard.

Firstly, the overarching brand guidelines help us stay consistent in our mission and values. I also use data and insight from our systems to provide me with a clear picture of the progress and performance of our properties.

But ultimately, success hinges on human relationships. To achieve this, I work closely with my team at the InterContinental Lisbon, as well as the General Managers at each of the hotels I oversee, to ensure open communication, as well as build mutual respect and trust.

The importance of hiring the right people and taking care of our teams was brought into sharp focus during the pandemic. Needless to say, it was a time of huge change, with many talented individuals leaving an uncertain industry.

By valuing our people and investing in them, we managed to retain the majority of our team throughout this turbulent period, plus experience healthy growth once life began to get back to normal again.

And by ‘investment’ I’m not just talking about the financial rewards - we strive to be a best-in-class employer through the many benefits and initiatives we offer. This includes focusing on aspects such as equal opportunities and inclusion, staff training, growth and wellbeing. All of which helps toward both retaining the fantastic teams that we have in place but also encouraging fresh talent to join IHG.

Due to hard work and commitment, the teams have achieved many awards and accolades for our properties. These have included being named as a ‘Great Place to Work’ and one of the ‘Top 50 Best Places to Work in Portugal’.

This focus is very much in line with IHG’s ‘Room to Belong’ and ‘Room to Grow’ strategies, which prioritise our people and the creation of a positive, progressive culture.” 

Sustainability and giving back to the local community

“Giving back to the local community and a commitment to sustainability are also areas that are very important to both myself and the teams in each property.

During September this year, our employees had the opportunity to get involved in IHG’s ‘Giving For Good’ month, where colleagues can receive a paid day off to work with a charity or worthy cause. As part of this, we estimated that through activities and sponsored events, we were able to make a difference to 2,200 lives in the local community.

These types of initiatives form part of IHG’s ‘Room to Make a Difference’ ethos, which enables colleagues  to take part in purpose driven projects. It can give team members a real sense of pride to see the wider impact they can have beyond their day to day roles.

With regards to sustainability, we’re always looking at how our properties and services can become more environmentally friendly. This involves everything from how to reduce our carbon footprint via smart energy consumption, to cutting down on single use plastic items.

One area we’ve been particularly successful at tackling has been food waste. By working with a local charity partner - REFOOD, which creates meals for people who cannot provide for themselves - we’ve been able to reduce the food waste from the hotel and help those in need in the process.

In keeping with IHG’s ‘Journey to Tomorrow’ ambition, all the properties I manage have also been ‘Green Key Certified’ and we have appointed team members to be part of our ‘Green Engage Committee’, responsible for implementing planet-friendly new ideas and ways of working.”

Inspired teams equal guest satisfaction

“All of these elements - from investing in talent, to providing employees with opportunities to do good in the world - have a positive impact on culture and job satisfaction. And when the team is happy, they want to go above and beyond to provide fantastic guest experiences.

Over the years, I’ve seen many guests return to the properties I’ve managed and I’ve also built some great friendships. Of course, these hotels are all wonderful places with great facilities in fantastic locations - but it’s the interactions with the team and that emotional connection that ultimately makes the difference.

I’ve truly built some wonderful memories with IHG. Whether it’s been overseeing a property during a newsworthy event - such as the inauguration of President George W. Bush in Washington D.C. or a personal moment, like seeing my son’s first steps at the InterContinental Sao Paulo.

Ultimately though, working for a company that shares my values has been the most rewarding experience. The ambition to keep evolving, improving and investing in people - I believe that’s the best path to continued success and future growth.”