The power of cross-pollination

Combination of companies creates a more stable whole

At Hotel Restaurant Merlet, the restaurant, hotel and grand café complement each other perfectly. By cleverly combining gastronomy and hospitality, owner Martin van Bourgonje has created a successful formula that has been awarded a Michelin star for 27 years running.

“Hotel Restaurant Merlet consists of three businesses: Hotel Merlet, Restaurant Merlet and Grand Café Bourgogne,” says owner Martin van Bourgonje. “The basis is a love of gastronomy. We started as a restaurant with a small number of hotel rooms. We have many regular guests from the area, but to ensure sufficient occupancy in the restaurant, we also depend on guests from outside the region. With Hotel Merlet, which now has 28 rooms, we offer the option of staying overnight after an extensive dinner. However, not all hotel guests dine at the Michelin-starred Restaurant Merlet. With Grand Café Bourgogne, we offer a more accessible alternative: excellent quality in an informal setting with generous opening hours. The businesses work together and reinforce each other. The combination of businesses also creates a more stable whole from a business perspective, because as a stand-alone top restaurant, you are quite vulnerable. Cross-pollination makes it easier to run a financially healthy business. Fortunately, with Marco and his kitchen brigade, we are now in a wonderful flow.‘

‘You don't want to lose a star!’ 

Marco Helsloot has been head chef at Restaurant Merlet since February 2024. “I also cooked at Merlet as an apprentice and sous chef. After six years away, returning here felt like coming home. We let our guests enjoy classic French cuisine with a subtle Asian twist. We show our love for the region by using as many regional products as possible: fish from the North Sea and the IJsselmeer, veal from the Beemster, hare from Waterland, and so on.” Marco, who hails from Volendam, serves IJsselmeer eel as his signature dish, prepared according to a modern interpretation of the traditional Volendam recipe. “I see the Michelin star as a kind of quality mark and ‘nobility obliges’. You don't want to lose a star! We do what we've always done, which is to continuously strive for the best and constantly seek improvement. We do this with the whole team; you can't earn a star on your own. A Michelin star is top-level sport and team sport. How wonderful would it be if our efforts were rewarded with a second star in the long run?”

Plans for a second boutique hotel

“It starts with hospitality and ends with hospitality. It should be like a warm blanket. Guests should feel more than welcome. We make everything possible and never say no. We want to create an experience for our guests and exceed their expectations,” says Martin. “With Marco, we have a fantastic chef, but we realise that one Michelin star does not automatically turn into two stars. That is a huge step. We do everything we can to let the team shine and meet all the preconditions, but don't underestimate what that entails. For me, having a top restaurant is a personal passion; I put my heart and soul into it. But without that passion, it's not necessarily recommended. I would say: think before you start, because when a chef leaves, you're left with a lot of heartache.” Martin enjoys the success all the more when things are going well. He is now working on plans for a second boutique hotel near Hotel Merlet. “This will allow us to further exploit the synergy between the companies. In the meantime, I sincerely hope that KHN, as the representative of the hospitality industry, can still do something on behalf of all hoteliers in relation to the announced VAT increase on accommodation. That would save us a lot of headaches.”