Leonardo Hotels local management teams strengthened with three new appointments

Leonardo Hotels Benelux continues its course of growth and internal talent development with the appointment of three experienced hotel professionals. Bob Kabbedijk-van Hal has been appointed Hotel Manager of the Leonardo Hotel Utrecht City Center, Michelle Spork makes the move to General Manager of Leonardo Hotel Breda and Else Wiersma returns to her roots as Hotel Manager of the Leonardo Oranje Hotel Leeuwarden.

With these appointments, Leonardo Hotels underlines its focus on both attracting top external talent and offering growth opportunities to its own employees. The three managers enter a dynamic phase, in which various locations are being renewed, renovated or prepared for transformation into one of the hotel group's labels.

Bob Kabbedijk-van Hal - Hotel Manager Leonardo Hotel Utrecht City Center started as Hotel Manager in Utrecht from 1 March. With over fourteen years of experience at international chains such as Hilton and Marriott, he brings with him a wealth of operational expertise. Previously, he was Rooms Division Manager at Hotel Nassau Breda (Autograph Collection), where he also gained experience as Interim General Manager in Frankfurt and Antwerp. In Utrecht, he will have a key role in the hotel's upcoming transformation: after a thorough renovation, starting in the third quarter of this year, the current Leonardo Hotel will transform into a lifestyle hotel under the NYX label.

Speaking about his new challenge, Kabbedijk-van Hal says: ““I am immensely looking forward to working with the team at Leonardo Hotel Utrecht City Center to take our guests’ stay to an even higher level. With the complete refurbishment and re-branding to NYX Hotels, we have the opportunity to transform the already strongly positioned hotel into a vibrant lifestyle destination, where creativity, design and the energy of the city come together. It's great to work with such a committed team in a dynamic city like Utrecht to create an inspiring and unique experience for every guest.’'

Michelle Spork - General Manager Leonardo Hotel Breda has been appointed General Manager of Leonardo Hotel Breda from 1 January this year. Her career within Leonardo Hotels (formerly Apollo Hotels) started back in 2009. After various commercial roles and successfully completing the internal Masterclass programme, she has been working as Hotel Manager in Utrecht for the past 4.5 years. The move to Breda marks another milestone in her successful career within the organisation.

Spork explains her appointment: “I have enjoyed working within this chain since 2009. In those years, I have experienced nice professional growth and had the opportunity to follow valuable training programmes. I recently had the opportunity to move to our hotel in Breda: a beautifully renovated location with extensive facilities and our Chef's restaurant, which provides a great new dynamic in my work.”

Else Wiersma - Hotel Manager Leonardo Oranje Hotel Leeuwarden joins as Hotel Manager of the Leonardo Oranje Hotel Leeuwarden from 1 April 2026. Wiersma, a native Frisian, thus returns to her home base after 15 years. She gained extensive experience in the international dynamics of The Hague, where she worked at the Leonardo Royal Hotel The Hague Promenade since 2016 and rose to Rooms Division Manager. In Leeuwarden, she will focus on strengthening the local position of the historic hotel.

Wiersma on her return: “The international dynamics of The Hague have brought me a lot, but the Frisian sobriety and hospitality will always remain close by. It is precisely this combination that I want to use to create, together with the close-knit team, a place where quality, personal attention and pride in the region come together. Together, we will continue to build ‘the Húskeamer fan Ljouwert’, a place where both international guests and residents of the city will feel right at home.”