Ten questions for Niels Essink: ‘Bring it on, because believe me: I’ve seen a lot’

Niels Essink, Head Concierge at Sofitel Legend The Grand Amsterdam and Chairman of Les Clefs d’Or Holland

Anyone who approaches Niels Essink with an impossible request rarely hears a straight ‘no’. A pinball machine in a hotel room? Live butterflies in a suite? “Bring it on,” laughs the Head Concierge at Sofitel Legend The Grand Amsterdam. After 28 years in the business, Essink has seen just about everything at least once. And that is precisely why he still takes such obvious pleasure in his work every day. It’s no coincidence that he ranks 57th in this year’s Hotel Influencers 100, as one of the few fully operational hotel professionals amongst CEOs, general managers and board members.

Can you tell a bit about your background and how you ended up in the hotel industry?

“I was born and bred in Amsterdam and didn’t actually set out with the idea of going into the hotel industry. I started at hotel school quite late, at the old Amsterdam Secondary Hotel School on Da Costastraat. After that, I did work placements in Malta and at the Hilton in Antwerp. Then I wanted to go back to Amsterdam. A friend said, ‘If you want to be a barman, do it at the Grand.’ Well, that’s what I did. That was in 1998. And I’ve never really left since. After working in reservations and at reception, I eventually ended up in the concierge department. That’s when I thought: yes, this is it. This is where I belong.”

What exactly do you do in your current role? How would you describe your approach to work or leadership?

“A concierge is the link between the guest and everything that makes their stay special. Restaurants, guides, transfers, museums, special requests. We’re actually fixers. Perhaps a bit of a ”do-it-all’ sort too,” he says with a laugh.

And those requests can certainly be rather unusual at times. “Recently, a guest had been given a 22-year-old sourdough starter by a restaurant on Texel. The only problem was that he was travelling back to Switzerland with just hand luggage. So I set about finding out how to transport something like that safely. It might sound like a small thing, but I really enjoy it.”

Even more memorable was the request from a guest who wanted a hotel room full of live butterflies. “So you ring Artis, the butterfly gardens, and think about temperature, care and space. In the end, we’d arranged for a whole aviary to be set up in the room. You never forget things like that.”

Essink himself prefers simply to be out on the floor with his team. “I’m not the sort of manager who just sits behind a desk. I’m hands-on. I stand at the reception desk, help guests and pitch in. That’s my passion.”

What typifies you as a hotelier?

“I think it’s loyalty. Not just to guests, but to the hotel as well. The Grand is very personal to me. My parents got married here, as did my grandparents. I met my wife here. She used to work in housekeeping. We’ve been together for nineteen years now.”

You can feel that sense of connection in everything he says. “This hotel is close to my heart. To be honest, I can’t see myself working anywhere else now.”

What developments in the hotel industry have caught your eye?

“These days, guests expect much more personal interaction. In the past, five-star service was more aloof. Very traditional. White gloves, bows, formality. Now, guests are much more likely to expect a sort of local friend who will make their stay unforgettable.”

And those expectations are high, he notes. “People are paying more, so they expect more too. And rightly so, for that matter. So, as a hotel, you have to deliver. Every single one of them.”

Where is the sector still missing opportunities?

“I don’t think the sector is standing still. Quite the opposite. It’s just that the world is changing incredibly fast. Social media, trends, guests” expectations – everything is moving faster than it used to. You have to stay open-minded and be willing to adapt.”

What is your view on collaborating with other hoteliers?

“Concierges do not see each other as competitors. Absolutely not. Only as colleagues. That is exactly what Les Clefs d’Or stands for: ‘In service through friendship’.”

Concierges help each other out every day, he says. “If two tickets for the Anne Frank House become available or a restaurant booking opens up, we let each other know.”

That network is also close-knit on an international level. “I was in Sydney recently for the Les Clefs d’Or World Congress. Five hundred concierges from more than 45 countries were gathered there. It’s brilliant.”

What are the biggest challenges at the moment?

“Keeping Amsterdam accessible for high-quality tourism. That might sound like a big task, but ultimately it often comes down to the little things. How do you still get visitors into the Van Gogh Museum? How do you book a table when everywhere is fully booked? How do you manage expectations?”

How do you ensure that you and your organisation continue to grow?

“Stay curious. That really is the most important thing.” That’s why Essink still visits exhibitions, restaurants and museums. Sometimes with his fourteen-year-old daughter. “Then you suddenly see things in a completely different light. My daughter used to call a painting in the Rijksmuseum ‘the pooping swan’. If you then tell that to children who really can’t be bothered to visit a museum, suddenly a museum like that becomes fun. Incidentally, a concierge doesn’t want to climb the corporate ladder at all. They don’t necessarily want to become a general manager. A good concierge wants to develop horizontally. To know more, understand more and, as a result, be able to help guests even better.”

What gives you the most energy in your work?

“My guests. One hundred per cent.”

Where do you hope to be in five years' time?

“We’re in the middle of a massive refurbishment of The Grand. That brings its own challenges, but also a tremendous amount of energy. We’ll soon be entering a whole new phase with The Grand. I want to continue to be part of that.”