Heavens Hotel - Stylish enjoyment in monumental church

In mid-2022, Heavens Hotel in Hoorn opened its doors. A special location, that is immediately obvious at first sight. The hotel is located in the former Grote Kerk, a national monument from 1883. Besides the four-star hotel, the ground floor also houses restaurant The Saint Food & Wine. A unique combination that generates purely positive reactions. 

"All visitors were pleasantly surprised by the location, style, entourage and quality of both establishments," says Bibi Friedrichs-Diaz, sales & marketing manager at Heavens. "A result that was partly possible thanks to the design by the architects at Hylkema Erfgoed - specifically trained in dealing with monumental properties - and Haarlem-based Hinabaay responsible for the interiors." 

Rich colour palette

Heavens is the third hotel in Dutchen Group's portfolio. It is operated by Xander van Rijswijk and Lucas Stevens. Located in the heart of the West Frisian port city of Hoorn, the hotel features 43 luxurious designer hotel rooms. Friedrichs: "Each room is unique and features a rich colour palette; from terra, honey and clay to aubergine and rich blue. All this combined with gold, wood, and stone. This diversity offers guests every opportunity to rest, work and enjoy themselves. The chosen warm colours and soft materials come together in the original decor full of ornamental brickwork, pillars, arched frames, church windows and stained glass. A combination that contributes to the soothing atmosphere the hotel exudes." 

Interior as a gift

Furniture and accessories include from Pols Potten, HK Living and Ferm
Living. Steel Framing Holland contributed to the construction of the hotel in the church building. These partners provided the finishing touches. "Our slogan, which represents the core of Dutchen, is therefore not for nothing: 'We do beautiful things with beautiful people.' In addition, sustainability is an essential aspect in our hotel. Reusing historical buildings contributes to sustainability and preserving our cultural heritage. We also like to contribute to this with our partners. Hotel For Trees and Marie-Stella-Maris are cooperation partners with whom we are committed to a sustainable future. Another partner we have worked with is Blycolin for the linen in the rooms. We are also working with platform Expect Me, a digital tool that allows hotel guests to select their specific hotel room based on a detailed floor plan for a small additional cost. They present themselves later in this edition." 

The Saint

On the ground floor of hotel is The Saint Food & Wine. This restaurant can accommodate 150 guests for lunch, drinks and dinner. It also has a 150-square-metre event room. This room is fully soundproofed and equipped with all necessary facilities for meetings, gatherings and festive evenings, including its own entrance, cloakroom and toilets. This combination of hotel with restaurant and event hall has been used many times. With the large bar centrally located in the middle of the cross church, Heineken Interieur Design has merged these unique features with the modern and cosy décor. Their story can also be found in this issue. 

In development

According to the sales & marketing manager, work on the venue is ongoing. "We have all kinds of plans for both the rooms, the interior and also the green development. We realise that the journey is never quite complete. It is time to focus on different goals, fine-tune where necessary and intensify our efforts to refine our vision of hospitality. At Hotel Heavens, we understand that continued growth and improvement are a core value. That includes collaboration with local entrepreneurs. Hoorn is proud of this location. The advantage is that as a true Horian, as they call it here, I know the people well and therefore know exactly what's going on here. The history of the region is a reason for many people to visit this area. In this way, we strengthen our position in West Friesland and can offer our guests an even better experience."  

Sales and Marketing Manager Bibi Friedrichs-Diaz (30) was born and raised in Hoorn. She is proud of the fact that she now gets to work in this jewel of her own city. During our visit to the hotel, we asked Friedrichs-Diaz about the content of her position, responsibilities, daily and weekly schedule plus goals for 2024. 

Your function is actually twofold. Can you talk about what exactly you do in terms of sales and marketing and why this combination was chosen?

"In my role, the merging of sales and marketing is a conscious choice. As sales manager, I can combine business expertise with a human touch, supported by data and strategic insights. In doing so, I also fulfil the role of marketing manager, acting as a storyteller to bring the hotel's uniqueness to our target groups. This synergy between different business aspects lets me better understand customer needs and strengthens our brand story. My duties include relationship management, revenue management, pricing strategies, hotel growth, and the creation and execution of marketing campaigns, sales contract negotiations, and market trend analysis."

How did you end up at the Dutchen Group?

"In the past, there was no ambition to work in this industry. I trained as a flight attendant, but I soon discovered that my true passion and ambition lay in the hotel industry. It is the warm and welcoming atmosphere, creating unforgettable experiences for guests and managing the unique aspects of a hotel that sparked my interest in this industry. I developed in the hotel industry at several large hotel chains in Amsterdam in different departments and quickly noticed that my interest and passion lay in maximising revenue and room occupancy. Eventually, this position presented itself in my hometown. It was immediately clear to me: if I get to do this in my home city and help develop the company; how great is that? From Heavens Hotel, they also offered me every opportunity for further development. I attend seminars, attend events and talk to experts from this sector or colleagues from other hotels. I can recommend that tip to everyone: keep developing yourself so that you become stronger and stronger in your role."

Do you have goals for 2024?

"Although I don't like to speculate about my future, I am always ready to take on new challenges. I have steadily developed my career path and I believe it can continue in this way. By nature, I am very entrepreneurial and am always open to innovation. For Heavens, my focus for 2024 is on growth. I aim for revenue growth by tapping new markets and increasing online visibility. In addition, Dutchen Group also continues to grow. For instance, we are currently building a beautiful Element Hotel on Terschelling. So who knows what surprises the future holds for the company and myself."