PPHE Hotel Group pushes for growth with new leadership roles in the Netherlands

PPHE Hotel Group commits to growth with new leadership roles in the Netherlands to accelerate commercial performance and lifestyle innovations by 2026

PPHE Hotel Group, the international hospitality real estate group that develops, owns and operates hotels and resorts, has appointed two new executives in the Netherlands. The new leadership underlines the group's ambition to drive commercial growth and further strengthen its lifestyle hospitality offering in Amsterdam. Niels Erenstein, previously General Manager of premium lifestyle hotel art'otel Amsterdam, has been appointed Commercial Director of PPHE Hotel Group Netherlands. Axel Krueger, until recently General Manager of the recently opened art'otel London Hoxton, has been appointed Senior Cluster General Manager and will be responsible for art'otel Amsterdam and Park Plaza Victoria Amsterdam.

Niels Erenstein - Commercial Director, PPHE Hotel Group The Netherlands

In his role as Commercial Director, Niels is responsible for managing the commercial team in the Netherlands, including sales, marketing, revenue management and meetings & events. From this role, he supports the commercial strategy of PPHE's six Dutch hotels: art'otel Amsterdam, Park Plaza Victoria Amsterdam, Park Plaza Vondelpark Amsterdam, Park Plaza Amsterdam Airport, Park Plaza Utrecht and Park Plaza Eindhoven.

Niels has extensive experience within PPHE Hotel Group and previously held several senior commercial positions, including Director of Sales Amsterdam and Regional Director of Sales Netherlands. He then led the successful repositioning of Park Plaza Utrecht and was responsible for art'otel Amsterdam as General Manager. The combination of his commercial background and operational experience enables him to closely link commercial objectives to the total guest experience.

During his time at art'otel Amsterdam, Niels played an important role in strengthening the hotel's lifestyle positioning, including setting up cultural programming and collaborations with galleries. This approach not only contributed to brand positioning, but also created new revenue streams.

For 2026, the priorities are to achieve further growth through strategic partnerships and targeted segment strategies, optimise the use of meeting and event spaces, and develop innovative marketing initiatives in an increasingly competitive market.

My mission is clear: work with the commercial team to build long-term guest relationships and leverage digital innovation to position our hotels distinctively and respond to market challenges,” - Erenstein said.

Axel Krueger - Senior Cluster General Manager

In his new role as Senior Cluster General Manager, Axel will be responsible for two of Amsterdam's most iconic hotels: art'otel Amsterdam, PPHE Netherlands' flagship lifestyle hotel with an in-house art gallery and Henrique Sá Pessoa's award-winning ARCA Restaurant & Bar; and Park Plaza Victoria Amsterdam, one of the city's original grande dame hotels, combining heritage with contemporary hospitality.

With over 15 years' experience within PPHE Hotel Group, Axel has led some of the largest hotels and most complex projects within the group, including the 1,019-room Park Plaza Westminster Bridge London, Park Plaza London Riverbank and the opening of Park Plaza London Waterloo. Most recently, he was responsible for the opening of art'otel London Hoxton in Shoreditch, the lifestyle brand's biggest opening to date, with extensive art programming and restaurant Solaya by Michelin chef Kenny Atkinson.

Prior to his time at PPHE, Axel held senior positions at Kempinski, Leading Hotels of the World and Starwood Hotels & Resorts, where he gained extensive international experience within premium hospitality and the lifestyle segment.

Axel's mission is to take the guest experience to the next level through a fusion of art, culture and culinary innovation, while maintaining operational excellence and sustainability. Under his leadership, the lifestyle positioning of art'otel Amsterdam will be strengthened and Park Plaza Victoria Amsterdam will remain a leading hotel for both leisure and business guests.

“I look forward to working closely with Park Plaza Victoria Amsterdam's General Manager Maikel van Eijk and his team, as well as the talented team at art'otel-, and building together on last year's strong start. My focus is on maintaining this momentum - by improving our products and service, further expanding culture programming and strengthening our restaurants, we are creating places both locals enjoy and travellers love to visit.’

“These appointments reflect our ambition to deliver exceptional commercial results and guest experiences for our six hotels in the Netherlands,” says Michelle Wells, Executive Vice President Operations, Netherlands & Italy. “With the recent VAT increase and its impact on the Dutch hotel sector, I am confident that, with Axel, Niels and their teams at the helm, we will reach new milestones and build on last year's successes. These included the celebration of the 135th anniversary of Park Plaza Victoria Amsterdam, obtaining a Michelin Guide listing for ARCA Restaurant and the start of the collaboration between NOCKNOCK Art and art'otel.”